‘Rekha would help Salman Khan with his lines when he fumbled, he was always punctual,’ recalls Biwi Ho Toh Aisi director

Salman Khan was playing a small role in a film staring Rekha, and she was like a mentor to him on set.

New Delhi | Updated: October 7, 2025 09:59 PM IST

3 min read

Salman Khan and Rekha in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi.

Salman Khan has been experiencing a rough patch at the movies, as many of his recent releases have underperformed at the box office. The actor made his debut in 1988 with a supporting role in a film called Biwi Ho Toh Aisi, and back then, Salman was so excited with the prospect of landing a film, that he would even carry his own clothes to the set so he could use them in the movie. While many of his current colleagues have said that the star doesn’t show up on time, Salman’s first director recently shared that the actor would always be punctual. The film starred Rekha in a lead role, and she was like a mentor to Salman on set.

In a chat with Siddharth Kannan, Biwi Ho Toh Aisi director JK Bihari was asked if Salman Khan was “temperamental” on set, and Bihari shared, “Salman was really nice to me back then. There were no problems.” When asked if he was serious about his work, the director said, “He was serious but he didn’t know much back then. You had to be patient to get work out of him. He would always be on time on set.”

The film starred Rekha in the lead role and Bihari shared that Rekha would spend time teaching Salman when he would fumble during his takes. “Sometimes, I would get annoyed because Salman would have problems saying his lines. He was new, didn’t have any training. Rekha would tell me to wait, and she would help him.”

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During an earlier appearance on Bigg Boss, Rekha had recalled how Salman Khan would walk behind her as a 7-8 year old, and believed that he was in love with her. “I used to go on a walk in the morning and he used to be so little, must have been 6-7 years old, he used to cycle. I used to walk ahead and he used to follow me,” she recalled and added, “Unko malum hi nahi tha ki uss waqt inko mujhse ishq ho gaya tha (He did not know at the time but he had fallen in love with me). It’s true because he went back and told his people in the house that I want to marry that girl when I grow up.”

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