.Salman Khan
Born: December 27, 1965
Salman was born into one of Bollywood’s blue-blooded families – his father is the renowned scriptwriter Salim Khan, his stepmother is the veteran dancer and actress Helen, and his brothers Arbaaz and Sohail are both actors and film producers.
Bollywood breakthrough: Maine Pyar Kiya, 1989 – a soppy romantic drama about a couple of young lovers whose families don’t want them to get together – but they do in the end, with the help of an extremely clever pigeon and much singing and dancing.
Best films: Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Maine Pyar Kiya, Saajan, Dabangg, Biwi No 1, Tere Naam, Ek Tha Tiger, Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Wanted.
Stand-out box-office dud: There are several contenders jostling for this slot, ranging from Veer and Hello Brother to God Tussi Great Ho and Phir Milenge, but the Big Turkey Award goes to Lucky: No Time for Love, a love story-cum-terrorist drama set in Russia and featuring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan-lookalike Sneha Ullal as the female lead (Salman and Aishwarya dated for a short while until she broke up with him amid claims of abuse).
Controversies: Controversy is Salman Khan’s middle name, thanks to his “bad boy” image. The worst incident was the infamous hit-and-run case of 2003. A man sleeping on a Mumbai street died after being run over by a car allegedly driven by Salman, a charge he denies. He is also on trial for shooting a blackbuck – a kind of antelope that has been classified as an endangered species in India. Both trials are still under way – years later – and keep his name permanently in the news.
Fan following: Fans line up outside his Bandra residence in Mumbai every day. Tuk-tuk drivers stick his pictures on the back of vehicles and if customers say they are fans, give them a free ride. People make pilgrimages to Mumbai from far-flung villages just for a glimpse of him. And when posters of a new film are released, fans garland them with fresh flowers. Indian companies, including Amul, weave his name and the titles of his films into their advertising slogans. At the last count, he had more than 24 million fans – Salmaniacs – on Facebook and 11 million followers on Twitter.
Current projects: Salman is shooting Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, about a young Pakistani girl who loses her way somewhere along the Indo-Pakistan border and finds herself in India. Here, she runs into a man (Salman, of course) who takes it upon himself to take her back home to her family. Meanwhile, he becomes very attached to the little girl. The movie is being filmed in India-controlled Kashmir, marking the first time the actor has filmed in the state. The film also stars Kareena Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui and will be released in July. His other film, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Received a Treasure of Love), in which the female lead is Sonam Kapoor, is scheduled for release in November. The family drama, directed by Sooraj Barjatya, may be off schedule – Kapoor was hospitalised for a couple of weeks after being diagnosed with swine flu this month.
Popularity: Salman is a self-confessed “non-actor” – he has never been known for his acting talent and relies more on his looks. He has become an icon for young men in northern and western India.
Aamir Khan
Born: March 14, 1965
Aamir comes from a line of Bollywood greats. His uncle, the producer Nasir Hussain, is best-known for his 1973 family drama Yaadon Ki Baarat, in which Aamir made his debut as a child actor.
Bollywood breakthrough: Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, 1988. Millions of women all over the country instantly fell for Aamir’s young, vulnerable character Raj in this tragedy about star-crossed lovers who elope after their feuding families forbid their union.
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