Dharmendra’s “Third Child” Salman Khan: When Dharmji’s Unconditional Love Led Him to Say “Tu Mere Pe Gaya Hai” — and Choose Him to Play the He-Man in His Biopic

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Over the years, the Hindi film industry has portrayed countless kinds of relationships — some fictional, some real— yet many of them find a special place in people’s hearts. Some bonds even remain cherished long after those who shared them are gone.

One such relationship is between Bollywood veteran Dharmendra and actor Salman Khan. The veteran actor recently passed away on November 24, 2025. His life exemplified discipline and left behind countless memories of love and compassion for his loved ones and fans. The bond between him and Salman Khan was regarded by many as a magical relationship — like that of an ideal father and son.

Their relationship transcended the cinema screen and became a story so exceptional that their bond transformed into their bond transformed into deep love and admiration for each other. The late actor even regarded Khan as his own “third son.”

Salman Khan recently broke down on the sets of Bigg Boss Season 19. As the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor paid his tribute to the He-Man of Bollywood, the room fell silent — his emotions echoing through the walls of the set.

See Also: How the ‘He-Man’ Married Bollywood’s ‘Dream Girl’ Yet Lives Separately: The Story of Dharmendra and Hema Malini

After Bigg Boss played a video montage celebrating Dharmendra’s legacy, Salman Khan addressed the viewers and opened up about his strong bond with the legendary star, whom he considered his timeless idol. Salman also spoke about Dharmendra’s immense contribution to the Hindi film industry.

He said, “He lived his life king-size. He gave sixty years of entertainment. There is no man better than Dharamji.” Salman further added that his own career graph has been heavily influenced by Dharamji. “He did so many roles. My career graph... I have only followed Dharamji. He came with an innocent face and a He-Man’s body. That charm stayed with him till the end. Love you, Dharamji. Will always miss you,” said Salman Khan.

Dharmji and Salman’s ‘Love-Sorry’ relationship

Over the years, their relationship has only deepened in the most beautiful way. About a decade ago in 2015, Dharmendra was asked who in the industry he would want to play his character in a biopic.

Without missing a beat, he said Salman Khan, explaining that Salman is the closest one who could portray him on-screen since the duo share many similarities. “Salman Khan. I think he has a lot of characteristics which are very similar to mine. I think he will be able to portray me on-screen perfectly,” said Dharmendra.

In another interview during the promotions of his film Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011), he called Salman a genuinely good human being and said that he loves him.

See Also: India Today Group Apologises After 3 Days for Dharmendra Death Hoax Following Public Outrage

Their relationship, apart from creating magic on-screen, has also done the same off-screen, often implying that the duo share a father–son bond. In the 1990s, Dharmendra’s slip of the tongue during a song launch event made him apologize to the rising star Salman Khan.

Dharmendra attended the song launch function for the 1993 film Dil Tera Aashiq. While praising the actors, Dharamji called Madhuri Dixit a “world-class dancer” and then added, “And this is his son, Sulaiman.” The light-hearted moment quickly turned into a memorable one as Salman ran towards Dharmendra and hugged him, while the latter apologized for the slip.

The veteran actor first met a young Salman while shooting for a film and remembered him as a shy child. But that impression changed when Salman’s act of courage impressed the He-Man of Hindi cinema. “While shooting, the camera dropped into the lake and he dived in to take it out. At that time, I thought, ‘He’s quite courageous,’” shared Dharmendra.

Dharamji often called the Dabangg actor an emotional man and a good person. Their chemistry reflected how exceptionally well they understood each other. On the sets of Bigg Boss, he once told Salman Khan that he was like his own son.

Jokingly, he said, “Waise main toh kahunga, yeh mera beta hai. Mere teen bete hain — teeno jazbaati hain, khuddar hain, transparent hain. Par yeh mujh par thoda zyada gaya hai,” (I would say he’s my son. I have three sons — all of them are emotional, self-respecting, and transparent. But this one is a little more like me). Salman Khan laughed along with his beloved Dharamji.

Dharmendra and Salman Khan have shared the screen on multiple occasions — from the 1998 film Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and Tell Me O Kkhuda (2011) to their final film together, Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se (2018).

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