It’s a tradition with Salman Khan on his birthday to run for 20 kilometres at a stretch. “This way, I check to see if my ankles, knees, back and other body parts are fit and fine,” revealed the actor who will perform that fitness test today. “Uske baad, paanch din tak body ki waat lag jaati hai,” he said, laughing at himself.
Yes, you may wish Salman a happy birthday today. At 43, he remains Bollywood’s most eligible bachelor still. “You are unmarried until you actually perform the nikaah or pheras,” he smirked, giving rise to speculation over the relationships that almost took him there. He’s unafraid of the advancing years, of turning grey, the hard and muscled body losing its tone, look and sex appeal. “You’ve heard about hair dye,” he asked with a wink. “I’ve always had a few grey strands and I’m perfectly fine about that. With age, the hair turns grey, the face gets lined. But if people still have love and respect for you... that’s an achievement. I have an abundance of that to keep me going.”Age has been kind to the Bollywood hunk, but has it made him any wiser? “It’s natural to understand things in a broader perspective as you grow old,” Salman said, “but I live by the heart, I never have any regrets, and I work towards retaining my child-like innocence. It’s beautiful to be child-like, not childish.”
At his age, he’s seen and done it all in the industry and set the trend, right from developing six-pack abs to growing a ponytail and then going bald... Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan followed. What’s new in Salman’s life? “Maybe it’s time for me to pick up stuff from the others,” he smiled. Like who, his new buddy Aamir? “Aamir and I have been good friends since Andaaz Apna Apna. There’s no insecurity, no malice and competition between us and that makes the base of our dosti strong,” he explained.
“Over the last five years,we have also started hanging out more than often.” Yes, Shah Rukh, the other Khan, was also part of this Bandra boys’ group, and the three Bollywood stars have had great times at Mannat or Galaxy Apartments and sometimes even at the Bandstand post midnight. Has Salman seen Shah Rukh’s new film
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi? “I will,” he said, winking again.
