Before the Chulbul age of Tigers and the like, Salman Khan was known for being Prem, a moniker he’s brandished regularly since the success of his second film Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) which saw him appear on screen as Prem for the first time. Today, the 57-year-old actor may look awkward while wearing a wig and doing lunges in Ladakh in the name of romance, but there was a time when Khan was the quintessential romantic hero. Even while allegations surfaced about him being violent off-screen — after they’d parted ways with Khan, Somy Ali and Aishwarya Rai both accused him of being abusive — on screen, Khan cemented a reputation of being the boyfriend you want to bring home. Over time, the actor has swerved sharply towards the action genre and the romantic sub-plot has felt both incidental to and ill-fitting for Khan’s ‘Bhai’ persona. However, in memory of those bygone days when the actor could sweep someone off their feet consensually, here are five of our favourite romantic songs featuring Khan.
Sung by the legendary SPB, or S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, ‘Mere Rang Mein Rangne Wali’ opens with Khan assuming SRK’s signature arms-wide-open pose, only he doesn’t stop until his arms are reaching for the skies. Clad in a red unbuttoned shirt and matching pants, Khan is the brown, Bollywoodized version of Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing (1987). When Khan dances with Bhagyashree’s Suman, he does so with heart and a sensual hand, cooling her down by gliding ice on her face and remembering to be sanskari by covering her up (but only after getting an eyeful of her in the lingerie he’s gifted her). This ballad has been the theme song for generations of Indians and if you’re a Nineties’ kid, the plaintive “Mere sawaalo ka jawab do! (Give the answer to my questions)” will twang at your heartstrings.
Those couples we hate because we envy them? The ones who canoodle with every breath they take? Khan and Revathi play one of those in ‘Saathiya Tune Kya Kiya’, sung by K.S. Chithra and SPB. It begins with the couple playing Balancing Buffoon on the bleachers (it’s a wonder they emerge unscathed), after which logic takes the backseat and vibes take the wheel. In a movie theatre, they jump from one row to the next as they did on the bleachers. Against shutters or in a garden, her head is in his lap. In mountains and on beaches, one is chasing the other. It’s all very athletic and even the coldest heart is bound to melt when Maggie (Revathi) draws a circle around Prithvi (Khan) on a beach.
The video for ‘Mujhse Juda Hokar’, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and SPB — he’s responsible for about 80% of Khan’s romantic aura — ticks off nearly every box on the checklist of new love. From longingly gazing at each other in a crowd to secret phone calls, Nisha (Madhuri Dixit) and Prem (Khan) live through all the exhilarating experiences of a new relationship in five minutes and 40 seconds. They make for the picture-perfect couple, exchanging affection every chance they get, and as improbable as this sounds, Khan, dressed in a tie and suspenders, is nothing short of adorable.
Along with Sooraj Barjatya, the other director who has played a key role in convincing audiences that Khan is capable of romance is Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Not only did Khan look beautiful in these films, Bhansali wrote for him characters that were a charming combination of mischief, irreverence and loyalty. Khan in Bhansali’s films is the boyfriend you dream of having because he’s just the right mix of playful and respectful. This song by Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik sees Sameer (Khan) and Nandini (Aishwarya Rai) looking ethereal and turning the rituals of karwa chauth into some sort of foreplay. Khan follows Nandini around like a happy puppy. He vies for her attention with every nudge to the shoulder and playful flick to the face. The actor’s boyish charm is in full swing, especially when he pushes the actual swing Nandini’s sitting on or shimmies before her. His adoration is steeped in innocence, and we fall for it within a heartbeat.
When Sonam Kapoor as Maithili hands Prem (who else but Khan?) a feather and presents the expanse of her back in a modestly-chaste blouse, Prem furrows his brow. Even while the lyrics of ‘Jalte Diye’ promise seduction, our man looks bemused and confused. This expression is constant even while Maithili goes into raptures because he’s put flowers in her hair and continues to do her best to evoke something close to a response from Prem. Sung by Anwesshaa, Vineet Singh and Harshdeep Kaur, the song is gorgeous and Kapoor, even more so. Sadly, Prem, bearing shades of Tere Naam’s (2003) Radhe, can’t get with the program. There are few things more awkward than Maithili pulling Prem into a hug only for Prem to back away after holding her for a moment like her waist is a punching bag. This one you might want to hear with your eyes closed. Then again, if you’ve watched “Naiyo Lagda”, this will be an improvement. Let’s hope Khan ups his game with “Jee Rahe The Hum”.