Jul 02, 2026 11:30am IST
Saqib Saleem: ‘Salman Khan Had Three Cakes And A Gift Ready For My Birthday’ (EXCLUSIVE)
For actor and producer Saqib Saleem, stepping onto the star-studded sets of “Race 3” meant navigating a star-studded set surrounded by industry titans like Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Remo D’Souza and Jacqueline Fernandez. Despite being the newcomer in a circle of veterans, Saleem found an incredibly warm host in Salman Khan. “It was a party every day. Like, bhai is a great host. He makes you feel seen, yaar.”
In an exclusive interview with Variety India, Saleem, who is donning the producer’s hat for the upcoming film “Baby Do Die Do” starring his sister Huma Qureshi, shares a deeply personal, never-before-told story that cemented his bond with the megastar.
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The incident traces back to April 2018, during the final leg of the “Race 3” shoot. “We were shooting for ‘Race’ on April 2. It was our last day and my birthday was April 8. I told bhai, ‘Bhai, it’s my birthday on April 8.’ And I was wondering how do I tell him, ‘I’m thinking of throwing a party, will you come?’”
Khan didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation. “He just looked at me and said, ‘Of course I’ll come.’”
However, real-world events swiftly derailed those plans. Just two days later, Khan’s ongoing legal troubles culminated in a sudden jail sentence in Jodhpur, throwing his schedule and the industry into a frenzy. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, Saleem decided to call off his celebrations. As fate would have it, Salman Khan was granted bail and released just a day before Saleem’s birthday.
“He came back from jail on April 7, and we were watching it live on television. They said he had left the airport and he’s on his way home. So Bobby sir called me and said, ‘Listen, we’ll go. Say hi. He’s come. We’ll go.’ And I’ve forgotten that my birthday party, whatever.”
Saleem joined the gathering at Khan’s Galaxy Apartments, which was packed with well-wishers. Given the immense emotional toll the crisis must have taken on Khan and his family, Saleem planned to slip away quietly to meet a few friends who had come to his house to wish him.
“It was 11 pm, and I decided to sneak out quietly. So I went to him and told him, ‘Bhai, I will see you. I have to go somewhere.’ He said, ‘Wait a minute. Where are you going? Will you eat anything?’ I kept saying no, but he kept asking me to wait for 10 minutes.’”
What happened next completely caught Saleem off guard.
“At 12 o’clock, there were three cakes and a birthday gift for me. And I just kept looking at him. I remember thinking, ‘You are going through so much in your personal life, but you remembered.’ I’m sure somebody else ordered that cake and somebody else got that gift. But he thought about it. That day I realized, this man is just pure gold. The way he thinks about you, it’s lovely.”
That midnight surprise laid the foundation for a lasting mentorship and camaraderie. Reflecting on the impact of that gesture, Saleem notes how much those moments meant to him as he continues to forge his own path in the industry, both as an actor and now a producer alongside his sister Huma.
“Since then, it’s one of my nicest friendships or other relationships I have with senior people in the business. It’s one of them,” Saleem says warmly.
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