Salim Khan: When The Pen Proved Mightier Than The Actor
Easily one of the best screenwriters whose contributions helped mould the trajectory of the Hindi film industry, Salim Khan has etched his name in the history of Indian cinema. However, Khan first began his journey in the film line as an actor before he took up the pen.
After losing both his parents at a young age, the Indore-born Salim, who has an Afghanistan lineage, tried his hand at acting when director K Amarnath offered him a role due to his good looks. Working under the name ‘Prince Salim,’ he struggled to shake away from being typecast as a good-looking supporting character. He eventually descended into B-grade films.
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Nearly 25 projects later, Salim made a crucial decision in his career that changed the course of Hindi cinema.
During the shooting of Sarhadi Lootera, Salim met Javed Akhtar, then a clapper boy, and the two began their iconic script-writing duo known as Salim-Javed. While Salim focused on stories and plots, Javed wrote the dialogue and sometimes the lyrics.
Together they made hits such as Haathi Mere Saathi (1971), their first hit, Andaz (1971), Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973), Zanjeer (1973), and more. But the biggest hit came the Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra Deol starrer Sholay (1975), the film that is still considered one of the best films in Indian cinema.
Together, they also created the “angry young man,” which became a quintessential archetype in Hindi cinema at the time (and Amitabh Bachchan became the face of it). Salim also played a key role in launching Amitabh’s acting career.
Other films such as Don (1978), Trishul (1978), Dostana (1980), Kranti (1981), and Zamana (1985) also became massive hits and continue to be considered classics. Then came 1987’s science fiction Mr. India, starring Anil Kapoor and Sridevi, which is also a fundamental film in Hindi cinema.
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Together, they also elevated the status and respect commanded by scriptwriters, a non-existent idea at the time before them, thanks to their massive success. Now, the names of script writers made their way into the credits. With a variety of classic hits, the duo dominated the Hindi film industry for nearly two decades before they split in 1982.
Nevertheless, Salim went on a solo career and wrote scripts for other successful films such as Angaaray (1986), Naam (1986), Kabzaa (1988), and Jurm (1990). He also wrote scripts for his son Salman Khan’s hit Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998), which also features his other son Arbaaz Khan and is produced by his youngest son Sohail Khan.
More than his career, Salim’s personal life has been complicated. Salim married Salma Khan, (born Sushila Charak) in 1964, with whom he had four children: Salman, Arbaaz, Sohail, and Alvira. During the course of their marriage, Salim fell for actress Helen Richardson in 1981 while he was still married to Salma.
When everyone expected fights and drama, the Khan family seemed to have reached an understanding. Even now, the entire family, including Salma and Helen, share great rapport with each other and spend time together like one big family.
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And now, the journey behind Salim and Javed will be unwrapped in Prime Video’s Angry Young Men documentary, directed by Namrata Rao, where the two writers reunite and share stories of how they sculpted the Hindi industry with their mighty pen.
Produced by Salman Khan Films, Excel Media & Entertainment, and Tiger Baby, the series is produced by Salma Khan, Salman Khan, Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, and Reema Kagti.
