Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, who is not just known for shaping Hindi cinema but also for his fierce offscreen aura for his straightforward views, his discussions have often revolved around how openly Salim Khan’s family embraces harmony at home without worrying about religious labels. In a rare throwback interview, he addressed questions about secularism, faith and why his household never makes religion a public display.
The conversation began when he was asked why his family is often seen celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi publicly, while they are rarely seen offering namaz in the same way. He didn’t dodge the question. Instead, he responded directly. “Why should I offer namaz in front of them… is namaz something to exhibit? If I pray, should I inform them? If I read the Quran, should I announce it to them?”
He continued, “They should come and see the environment at my home in Indore. And if I take part in other religious celebrations, then how do I consider my faith so weak that it will end because of that?”
For him, faith is personal. It doesn’t need public approval.
Salim Khan and Family! – A Household Of Many Faiths, One Harmony
Salim Khan then spoke openly about the religious diversity that he shares with his family within his own home and introduced each member with clarity and pride!
“Yeh mere mahol ko samjhe – Meri ek biwi Hindu-Maharashtrian hai, meri dusri biwi Helen jo hai Catholic hai. (Understand my environment – one of my wives is Hindu-Maharashtrian, and my second wife Helen is Catholic.)”
He added, “Mere ek bacche (Sohail) ne shaadi ki hai Seema Sachdev se, vo ladki Hindu hai. Mere dusre bete (Arbaaz) ne shaadi ki hai Malaika Arora se, vo half Hindu hai aur half Catholic hai. Aur meri beti (Alvira) apni marzi se shaadi ki hai Atul se, aur maine kaha mere liye aadmi acha hona chahiye, vo Hindu hai ladka. (One of my sons married Seema Sachdev, who is Hindu. My other son married Malaika Arora, who is half Hindu and half Catholic. And my daughter married Atul by her own choice, and I said for me the man should be good — he is Hindu.)”
As he explains, Salim Khan and family has never seen arguments over religion. According to him, the bigger value is character, not caste or creed.
Example That Says It All
To simplify his point, he also gave an example. If one pilot is Hindu with years of flying experience and another is Muslim but inexperienced with barely any hours of flying experience, who would you choose to fly with? His answer was clear — skill and integrity matter more than religion.
The Sholay writer summed it up saying, “Itne saare mere family ke andar log hai, aaj ek hi chath ke niche harmony se rehte hai, yeh bhi toh khuda ki den hai! Koi Musalman hai, koi Hindu hai, koi Catholic hai aur iss issue ke upar koi jagda ya argument nahi hoti, balki yeh issue hi nahi hai! (So many members in my family today live under one roof in harmony; this too is God’s blessing! Some are Muslim, some Hindu, some Catholic and there is no fight or argument over this. In fact, it isn’t even an issue.)”
He added one final thought, “Agar humse koi kehta bhi hai ki ‘bahut kamaal ki baat hai saab’ toh hum kehte ‘koi kamaal ki baat nahi hai…”
To watch the full conversation in detail, catch the complete unseen interview below:
For Salim Khan and family religion is private and respect is universal. His home stands as a quiet example that faith and harmony can coexist without conflict. The message is simple: belief is personal but living together peacefully is a shared responsibility.
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