Salim Khan wasn’t happy with Salman Khan’s Alok in Amitabh Bachchan-Hema Malini’s Baghban!

For years, Salman Khan and the name 'Prem' felt inseparable. From Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! to Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, he became Hindi cinema’s emblem of the gentle, respectful lover. That soft-spoken charm shaped his screen identity for decades.

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So when he stepped into a similarly warm space with Baghban, it appeared to be a natural extension of that legacy. But behind the applause lay an unexpected critique - from his father, the legendary screenwriter Salim Khan. 

A Father’s Brutal Honesty

In a candid throwback chat with Sooraj Barjatya, Salman revisited his experience of working in the 2003 family drama directed by Ravi Chopra and starring Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. He tried reviving the innocence and humility of his earlier persona. 

But Salim Khan wasn’t convinced. Sallu said, “I had a problem in Baghban as well where my father said, ‘Why are you looking blind?’ I asked ‘Blind?’”

The remark stunned Salman. His father felt the portrayal lacked authenticity - that it seemed performed rather than lived.

“I played that very wrong. It was appreciated and everything but I understood as an actor that I’ve failed miserably in that and my father caught it,” he admitted.

Salim’s observation was cutting yet clear: Salman was “not looking like a nice man” but rather “looking artificial.”

Alok: The Son Who Won Hearts

Despite the criticism, audiences embraced Salman’s character Alok in Baghban. The film starred Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini as an ageing couple abandoned by their biological children. Alok, their adopted son, becomes their unwavering support - a symbol of gratitude and devotion. The emotional narrative resonated deeply, propelling the film to box office success.

The ensemble also included Paresh Rawal, Lillete Dubey, Samir Soni, Divya Dutta, Aman Verma and Mahima Chaudhry.

Explaining his casting choice in 2003, Ravi Chopra had said: “In Baghban, Salman plays an orphan who is brought up by Amitji. I needed someone who looked very decent because he’s the good guy in the film. His character is indebted to the man who has raised him. Salman has done a great job.”

A Film That Defied Doubt

Producer Renu Chopra struggled to find backers. Distributors dismissed the story as outdated. Even veteran filmmaker BR Chopra questioned its relevance, despite conceiving it years earlier. But Ravi Chopra saw more than a social drama - he envisioned a tender love story about ageing hearts.

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With the film nearly complete, Salman Khan’s decision to step in as Alok, inspired by his own devotion to his parents, became the turning point that reshaped the film’s destiny.