The 2004 film Phir Milenge starred Shilpa Shetty in the lead, with Abhishek Bachchan playing a pivotal role in the film. However, what surprised fans was Salman Khan’s appearance as her former lover. Unlike his stereotypically ‘macho’ characters in the early 2000s, Salman played an HIV-positive man who dies during the climax.
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In a recent social media post, the producer of the film, Shailendra Singh revealed that Salman had agreed to be a part of the film for only one rupee. “At that time, and even now, Salman is one of the biggest youth icons. So imagine convincing Salman to do a film on AIDS when he is actually the Rambo and the Terminator and the Superman of India. The plot line for the lead actor is that he gets HIV and then he dies. The whole industry said no and that’s the day I called Salman Khan,” he said. “Salman dies in the climax due to HIV. Obviously his fans were not happy but the message of the film got across the nation,” he added.
Salman had an extended cameo in the film. The film followed Shilpa Shetty’s character after she got wrongfully terminated from her job due to being HIV positive. Abhishek Bachchan played Shilpa’s lawyer in the film.
In an earlier chat with Rediff, Revathi had revealed that Salman himself offered to star in the film after hearing about it from Shilpa. “As for Salman, Shilpa spoke to him about this film. He then called me and said he wanted to be a part of it. After 10 minutes I called him and asked if he was serious. Did he really want to be part of this film? He said yes. He has done this film literally for free,” she said.
Meanwhile, Salman Khan and Rashmika Mandanna are all set to share the screen in an action drama Sikandar. The film was announced this Eid and is slated for release next Eid. Not long back, Pinkvilla exclusively reported that Salman Khan has resumed filming despite a rib injury, with a photo of him recently going viral on social media.
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According to the portal, the film’s team is currently working on a meticulously designed set depicting Dharavi and Matunga, costing around Rs 15 crore. The shooting schedule will last 45 days before the crew moves to a palace in Hyderabad for the next phase. Despite his injury, Salman Khan is committed to his role and performing with full dedication.
Sikandar also represents AR Murugadoss’s highly anticipated return to Hindi cinema after an eight-year hiatus following Akira (2016). This film also reunites Salman Khan with producer Sajid Nadiadwala, a duo known for their blockbuster successes such as Kick, Judwaa, and Mujhse Shaadi Karogi.
