Aamir Khan became friends with Salman Khan while battling depression after his first divorce: ‘I was judgemental towards him before that’

Aamir Khan reveals he and Salman Khan didn't become friends on the sets of Andaz Apna Apna because the latter would often arrive late.

By: Entertainment Desk

Mumbai | Updated: June 29, 2025 03:42 PM IST

3 min read

Salman Khan and Aamir Khan at the premiere of Sitaare Zameen Par.

Aamir Khan hosted a screening of his new film, RS Prasanna’s coming-of-age sports comedy Sitaare Zameen Par, in Mumbai, inviting his contemporaries Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Both of them showed up to support Aamir and his cast at the special event. Not only this, they were also present at a special screening of Loveyapa, the theatrical debut of Aamir’s son Junaid Khan earlier this year.

But Aamir admitted he, Salman, and Shah Rukh weren’t the best of friends from the beginning. He claimed Salman and him became close when Aamir was going through depression after his separation from first wife Reena Dutta in 2001. Aamir was so depressed that he’d drink heavily every night back then in 2000-01.

“I used to sit alone and not meet anyone back then. Like Juhi (Chawla, co-star) visited me, Salman Khan also paid a visit. I don’t remember how it happened, but he came to my home for a meal. We chatted for hours. I had a heart-to-heart conversation with him since I was going through depression then. He also shared a lot with me. That’s when we began bonding as friends,” Aamir said in an interview with The Lallantop.

Aamir Khan confessed when he first worked with Salman Khan in Rajkumar Santoshi’s 1994 cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna, he had a gripe with his co-star. “He used to never come to set on time and things wouldn’t go as planned. So I thought maybe we can’t be friends. But when I met him in 2001-02 and we got chatting, that’s when I realized we’re all humans and make mistakes. We try to live better lives, but we end up doing some wrong things, so one shouldn’t be so judgemental. That’s a learning I had then,” recalled Aamir.

Aamir also said he finds the comparison between him, Aamir, and Shah Rukh quite natural. “The comparison is legit. It happens in every field, whether it’s cricket or films. People at the top are often compared to each other. I get why that happens. The people and media are curious,” added Aamir.

Also Read — Aamir Khan reveals he got invitation from underworld to attend Dubai party in ’90s: ‘I said I won’t go, unless you take me forcibly’

Aamir Khan also explained why not a lot of fans crowd up outside his home in Bandra like they do outside Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan’s homes Galaxy Apartments and Mannat, respectively. “It happened only once. Kirron (Rao, then-wife) shifted to some other building on Carter Road for three-four years because our home was under renovation. Jackie Shroff also used to stay in that building. One day, I saw a lot of crowd outside the building and thought finally, a crowd has come to see me. So I stepped down, was very happy, and met a few of them before I learnt they were there for Tiger Shroff (actor, Jackie’s son),” said Aamir, laughing.

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