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‘He never said he was Salim Khan’s son’: JK Bihari reveals how Salman Khan landed his debut role in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi
JK Bihari reveals how Salman Khan landed his debut role in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi without mentioning he was Salim Khan’s son and signed a strict three-film contract.
Veteran filmmaker JK Bihari recently shared the story behind casting Salman Khan in his debut film Biwi Ho Toh Aisi (1988). Speaking to Siddharth Kannan on his YouTube channel, Bihari revealed that Salman didn’t disclose that he was the son of renowned writer Salim Khan when he auditioned for the role, and that decision may have changed his fate.
Bihari recalled that he instantly decided to cast Salman Khan when he saw him walking towards his office. “I was sitting in my garage and I saw a boy walking across the road towards me with a file in his hand. I decided just by looking at his walk that I am going to sign him,” he said. The director revealed that Salman didn’t even have to audition for the part.
JK Bihari says he wouldn’t have cast Salman if he knew his background
The Biwi Ho Toh Aisi director shared that Salman’s honesty stood out to him. “He came and talked to me, and I said yes. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t take his father’s name. Had he done that, I might have not cast him,” Bihari revealed.
When asked why, the filmmaker explained that it was a minor role compared to what someone like Salim Khan’s son might deserve. “Salim Khan was such a big writer and the role was quite small. It wasn’t a hero’s role,” he said. The movie starred Rekha and Farooq Sheikh in lead roles, with Salman playing Farooq’s younger brother.
Here’s how Salman landed his debut without an audition
Bihari mentioned that he had already finalized most of the cast, including Asrani, Bindu, and Kader Khan, but was still looking for someone to play the younger brother’s role when he happened to spot Salman. He said it felt like destiny, as Salman walked in at the perfect time.
The director later found out about Salman’s family background and initially thought the young actor might turn down the offer. He recalled that after learning Salman was Salim Khan’s son, he went to meet Salim, expecting Salman to back out of the small role. However, Salim encouraged his son to take it, saying that both the director and the actor were new to the industry.
Bihari also shared that Salman was determined to get a break in films and agreed to sign a strict three-film contract with the producers for a very low fee. He explained that Salman was willing to accept any opportunity that came his way at that time.
About a year later, Salman appeared as the lead in Sooraj Barjatya’s Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), a film that established him as one of Bollywood’s top stars.
