My dad wanted me to be a cricketer: Salman Khan

Superstar Salman Khan says his father Salim Khan wanted to see him play cricket for the country. “My dad wanted me to play cricket. That could have happened easily but I just didn’t see myself going for cricket practice at 5:30 in the morning. This life is as it is difficult for me, cricket would have been very difficult,” Salman said.

“Salim Durani was hired to be my coach. First day, he saw me play, I played very well. Second day, I did really well so he called my father the third day and said your son has got a very bright future. That is the day I realised, my father came to see me play.. so I should play really badly,” the 50-year-old actor said. The actor was speaking at the launch of tennis star Sania Mirza’s autobiography ‘Ace Against Odds’.

Praising Sania at the launch event Salman said, “People don’t achieve even in three lifetimes what Sania Mirza has achieved at 29. “People don’t achieve what Sania has achieved at 29 even in three lifetimes... I think she has lots to say, so before she forgets what she wanted to say she came up with a book. I think that was very wise, sensible decision for her to write her autobiography. And after this there will be part 2,3,4 because she is an achiever and she is going to keep on achieving,” said the Bollywood actor at the event.

Sania roped in Salman Khan as a chief guest to promote her first book, and the actor seemed quite happy to do so. The book captures Sania’s journey of becoming World No.1 tennis player in women’s doubles and the roadblocks that she encountered while realising her dream.

“We all have to struggle. I don’t think anyone has made it without struggle. All the people, who have not made it, have never struggled. Most of them have not struggled as hard as the other person. Everyone thinks that they are the only one struggling but what they don’t realise is that the next person is struggling three times harder than you. So you need to be working ten times harder than what you actually think you’re working,” the Sultan actor expressed.

Asked if the actor is interested in penning down his autobiography, he  said  he has no plans to write his autobiography and would like his story to get buried along with him saying  if he will pen down his life it may rake up old wounds.

 “I think I’ll take my story to my grave. Nahi toh bohot saare graves khul jayenge (otherwise a lot of old wounds will open up).” Rubbishing rumours about  marriage, Salman also revealed that his mother and sisters are putting pressure on him to tie the knot soon, saying he does not know when he will get married.

Salman’s wedding date has always been in the news so much that the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor once said that he will tell his fans when he is getting married through Twitter. At this Sania, replied to the actor’s comment, saying, “It’s okay, I think not many women are complaining that you are not getting married. It’s fine.” 

Replying to this Salman said, “I know a few...Aapko nahi pata mujhpe kitna pressure aata hai (you don’t what kind of pressure I face). By the way, ‘I know a few’ means those are my mother and sisters.”  Superstar Salman Khan says his onscreen persona is nothing but an amalgamation of various traits of his parents, siblings and close friends. The 50-year-old Sultan actor says he is incomplete without his family, and owes his stardom to them.

“Most of my personality is bits and pieces of my brothers, sisters, my father, mother, some friends of mine. Whatever happens in the house, whatever jokes are there, I can use the platform of movies and TV, and you will see that Salman Khan,” the actor said. 

The Bajrangi Bhaijaan stars also sahred that he feels lucky to have his loved ones supporting him, especially when he looks at others, who are managing things on their own in the industry without the backing from their families.

“Most important thing is a family that is supporting you. “There are some families where parents don’t support their children, but those kids have it in them to prove the parents wrong,” he said.