He is one of Hindi cinema’s most recognisable actors.
But his career has run alongside court cases, allegations, and public debate.
Both sit on public record.
Salman Khan was born on 27 December 1965 in Indore to screenwriter Salim Khan and Sushila Charak, later known as Salma Khan. He grew up between Gwalior and Mumbai. Before entering films, he worked as a backup dancer and appeared in a cola advertisement as a teenager.
At 23, he made his film debut in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi (1988). His voice in the film was dubbed. A year later, Maine Pyaar Kiya (1989) established him as a leading actor. Through the 1990s, he appeared in films such as Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Karan Arjun, Andaz Apna Apna, and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
As his film career expanded, his personal life and legal troubles began to draw sustained attention.
In 1998, he was accused of poaching endangered blackbucks in Rajasthan. In 2018, a court convicted him and sentenced him to five years in prison. He was later granted bail.
Source: India Today
In 2002, he was accused in a hit-and-run case in Mumbai that resulted in one death and four injuries. After a trial that lasted over a decade, the Bombay High Court overturned his conviction in 2015, citing lack of evidence.
Source: The Indian Express
The verdict led to public debate about access to justice. At the same time, Salman Khan continued to act and retain a large audience base.
In 2010, he played the character Chulbul Pandey in Dabangg. That year, he also began hosting Bigg Boss, a role he has continued in subsequent seasons. In 2007, he founded the Being Human Foundation, which works in healthcare and education.
His later films include Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai, and Bharat. Other releases received negative responses from critics and audiences.
Salman Khan has acted in at least 120 films, though counts vary across sources. His reported net worth is around 350 million US dollars, an estimate.
His life remains shaped by cinema, courtrooms, and public scrutiny, all of which continue to coexist.
