Mumbai: The ‘Dabangg’ actor Salman Khan, who is known for his bold and outspoken nature, had once shared about the pain he went through when his father Salim Khan got married for the second time.
Revealing about the struggle which he went through while accepting his father’s second wife, Helen, Salman in a heartfelt confession shared, “I’m a mama’s boy. I can’t bear to see her unhappy. She was very hurt when my father married again, I’d hate it when she’d wait up for him to come home.”
However, things changed for the better when his father assured them that he will always be there for them.
“Dad explained to us that he still loved mom and that he’ll always be around. I was about 10 at that time and it took us quite some time to really accept Helen aunty. Today she’s a part of our family. Our whole
family is like a closed fist…” he added.
Helen, on the other hand, was battling her own emotions.
In an old Filmfare interview, she admitted, “The fact that Salim was a married man did disturb me and I did feel guilty in the beginning. Something about Salim set him apart from the rest of the industry men. I respected him tremendously as he tried to help me out without trying to exploit me.”
“The first time I really met him was during Don,” she added.
Their first collaboration dates back to 1963, on the film Kabli Khan, in which Helen played the heroine and Salim was the antagonist. But they hardly interacted during that shoot.
Recalling how their evening conversations during ‘Don’ brought them closer, Salim shared, “After the day’s shooting, Helen would come over, and we would have a drink together, and then she would leave.”
Asked how he fell in love, he shared, “Pyaar toh apne agar kiya hoga toh pata lagega. (You would know this if you have ever been in love)”
Salman revealed that the family accepted Helen completely only after his mother Salma accepted her.
Today, Helen is seen at all the important family events.
She was also present for Salim and Salma’s 61st wedding anniversary recently.