There are few names that can Khan's'his celebrity is the sort that provokes passionate love or hatred. His performances have been criticised consistently and his success has been largely attributed to his charm and good looks. But you can't deny that whatever he may do off-screen (and he does get a lot of things awfully wrong there), he's pure presence and charisma on it. Here's presenting the actor's 10 most significant films.
Maine Pyar Kiya (1989)
Director: Sooraj Barjatya
In 1989, a film called Maine Pyar Kiya released and the nation was in love. A gangly, good-looking boy was all-charm on screen and his character was written to be an entirely endearing one. Salman Khan was a hit from day one.
He played Prem (which was to be his popular and recurring screen name for years to come) who falls for his good friend Suman, the epitome of the simple, small-town girl. The film had great songs and it was the perfect launch pad for Salman. The film's posters had him shirtless, and taking off his shirt is something the actor's known for now. At the Filmfare Awards, the actor won Best Debut and was also nominated for Best Actor. The film went on to win the Best Film Award as well. Quite a start!
Patthar Ke Phool (1991)
Director: Anant Balani
This was the time when all our heroes were inspectors and the heroines the daughters of unscrupulous men. In just such a story, Inspector Suraj falls for Kiran, played by debutante Raveena Tandon. And then came the expected twist'Kiran's father turns villain and disallows the union.
Though a run-of-the-mill story, it had fabulous songs like Kabhi tu chaliya lagta hai and Tumse jo dekhte hi pyar hua. The lead pair was fresh (Salman was still new and this was Raveena's first) and the movie going janta loved the on-screen coupling. The film was a huge hit and entrenched Salman in the top league.
Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
(1994)
Director: Sooraj Barjatya
Hot off the Barjatya school of filmmaking, HAHK was a feel-good film with traditional values strictly in place. The film is about Prem (Salman) and Nisha (Madhuri Dixit), the younger siblings of Rajesh and Pooja who are married and have a son. But after Pooja's untimely death, it is deemed fit by the families that Nisha marry Rajesh for the sake of the child. How their love overcomes obstacles (helped along by the family dog) forms the remaining story. Like most Barjatya films, the music of HAHK was extremely popular
Salman as Prem was a scene-stealer and was nominated for the Filmfare Best Actor award. His character embodied a lot of mischief, apart from the requisite emotional graph, and one suspects the Prem of HAHK in some way or the other inspired his characters in the future.
Andaz Apna Apna (1994)
Though not a hit like Salman's other films, AAA is important in the actor's career graph. Salman plays Prem, a bumbling small-town idiot, who meets Amar (Aamir Khan) in a bus. In a bid to win over rich heiress Raveena, the two fools start a game of one-upmanship. Amar pretends to become unconscious to enter Raveena's home, Prem poses as the doctor and harasses Amar. Then Prem finds himself falling for the heiress's secretary, Karishma.
The film was full of fun and Salman surprised all with his top-notch performance in a full-fledged comedy role. It's interesting to note that Salman picked this film when he was signing mainstream blockbusters and safer filmmakers.
Karan Arjun (1995)
Director: Rakesh Roshan
A sobbing mother in a white sari, glycerine overload, lightening, two heroes and their two love interests, loads of melodrama and dishum-dishum fights'Karan Arjun was the archetypal masala film. The film has Salman playing Karan Singh, who is killed along with brother Arjun (Shah Rukh Khan) by bad guy Durjan Singh (Amrish Puri). Their mother prays to goddess Kali and lo behold, the two brothers are reborn to avenge Durjan.
But not before meeting their love interests and singing a few songs. Salman was cast opposite Mamta Kulkarni. The film was a huge hit and was one of Salman's mainstream successes, cementing him as a bankable star.
Khamoshi: The Musical (1996)
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Salman surprised viewers by accepting the role of a sensitive, easy-going musician in Bhansali's Khamoshi. He plays Raj who falls in love with Goa girl Annie (Manisha Koirala). Annie gets pregnant, but her parents refuse to accept Raj. Nana Patekar, Seema Biswas, Salman Khan and Manisha Koirala gave powerful performances. Though Salman, at that time, had come to be known as the muscle-bodied hero, his accepting a performance-oriented role and putting his faith in a debut director paid off in the long run. The film was not a commercial success but remains, till today, one of Salman's most fondly remembered performances.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Salman had become director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's favourite of sorts, and it was no wonder that the director repeated him in his second directorial venture. Curiously, Bhansali chose to portray Khan as the softhearted, sensitive musician in both films.
Salman plays Sameer who travels from Italy to Kutch to learn classical music under Pandit Darbar. There he falls for the Pandit's daughter, Nandini (Aishwarya Rai), but is sent away once their romance is discovered. Nandini gets married to Vanraj (Ajay Devgan), but cannot reciprocate his love. Vanraj then decides to unite his wife with her lover.
For this film, Salman's performance was hugely well received and he garnered several Best Actor nominations.
Tere Naam (2003)
Director: Satish Kaushik
A remake of the Tamil film Sethu, Tere Naam has Salman playing Radhe Mohan, the college loafer, who falls for Nirjara (Bhoomika Chawla), a simple first year student and the daughter of a priest. But before the two can get together, some goons attack Radhe and he loses his mental balance. He spends time in an ashram for the mentally imbalanced. Once well, Radhe looks for Nirjara but finds out that she is no more.
Salman did well in the emotional scenes and carried off the tragic end well. The songs of the film were a huge draw, especially the title track. The film had a buzz around it because at the time reports of Salman manhandling girlfriend Aishwarya were being discussed. Reportedly, it was shrewd businessman Salman himself who suggested that this aspect of his turbulent personal life be used to sell the film. And the ploy worked! The film was a success and Salman earned several Best Actor nominations.
No Entry (2005)
Director: Anees Bazmee
This film was as chauvinistic as they come, but did well at the box-office. Not just did it do well, it managed huge business and was the money-spinner of 2005. Salman plays a nonchalant cheating husband who has a wonderful, trusting wife. Not only is he guiltless about cheating on his wife, he also wishes his friend Kishen (Anil Kapoor), a devoted husband, stray and find love outside marriage. He puts plan to action and hires nightclub dancer Bobby (Bipasha Basu) to seduce Kishen. Salman won his first Best Comedian award nomination for this film. No Entry came when the actor was not doing too well career wise and it catapulted him right back.
Partner (2007)
Director: David Dhawan
Post an unceremonious 2006, and because Salman was over 40, people were ready to write his career obituary. But out of the blue came a film called Partner'marking the comeback of director David Dhawan and actor Govinda.
Salman plays a love-guru of sorts who helps Bhaskar get his love. Of course, this happens with a lot of mayhem and extraneous situations throw in, and not before Prem himself falls for a journalist who's out to get him. The film is important because it saved Salman's career from fading into oblivion. Partner opened to near full houses in all centres and was the first blockbuster of 2007 and one of the year's most successful films. The makers are now working on a sequel.
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