When Salim Khan slammed Salman Khan for his role in Baghban, said, "you are looking blind, not a nice man..."

When Salim Khan slammed Salman Khan for his role in Baghban, said, "you are looking blind, not a nice man..."

• Salman Khan's father criticized his performance in Baghban.
• Salim Khan found Salman's portrayal artificial and not genuine.
• Despite criticism, Baghban was a box office success.

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There was a time when Salman Khan was almost inseparable from the name Prem. In the 1990s, thanks to films like Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, he became the poster boy of the soft-spoken, respectful romantic hero. That image stuck. It defined him for years.

So when he returned to something similar in Baghban, it felt like a full-circle moment. But here’s the twist. His toughest critic wasn’t the audience. It was his father, veteran screenwriter Salim Khan.

In a throwback conversation with Sooraj Barjatya, Salman once recalled how his father reacted to his performance in the 2003 family drama directed by Ravi Chopra. The actor had tried to bring back the innocence and humility associated with his earlier “Prem” persona. But according to Salim Khan, something was off.

“I had a problem in Baghban as well where my father said, ‘Why are you looking blind?’ I asked ‘Blind?’” Salman shared.

That comment hit hard. Salim Khan didn’t feel his son looked like a genuinely kind man on screen. Instead, he believed the performance appeared forced. Salman admitted he understood what his father meant.

“I played that very wrong. It was appreciated and everything but I understood as an actor that I’ve failed miserably in that and my father caught it,” he said candidly.

Salim’s blunt feedback was simple but sharp. As Salman recalled, his father felt he was “not looking like a nice man” but rather “looking artificial.”

The irony? The audience embraced the character. In Baghban, Salman played Alok, the adopted son of the elderly couple portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. While their biological children neglect them, Alok becomes the pillar of support, embodying gratitude and devotion. The emotional storyline struck a chord with viewers and helped the film become a box office success.

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Director Ravi Chopra had once explained why Salman was chosen for the role. In a 2003 interview, he said, “In Baghban, Salman plays an orphan who is brought up by Amitji. I needed someone who looked very decent because he’s the good guy in the film. His character is indebted to the man who has raised him. Salman has done a great job.”

The film also featured actors like Paresh Rawal, Lillete Dubey, Samir Soni, Divya Dutta, Aman Verma and Mahima Chaudhry in pivotal roles.

Looking back, the episode reveals something fascinating. Even at the peak of commercial success, Salman was willing to admit doubt. And Salim Khan, known for his razor-sharp storytelling instincts, did not hesitate to call out what he saw as inauthentic.