Kamal Ghorui
Some on screen pairs in Bollywood will always be iconic onscreen. One such pairing is that of Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. The duo shared screen space in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and were also rumoured to be dating at that point. Unfortunately, lots happened after that, for example Vivek Oberoi‘s press conference and his feud with Salman Khan. In a recent interview, Salman’s old friend, producer Shailendra Singh has revealed how Salman was fuming after it. He also spoke about Salman and Aishwarya‘s love story and his meeting with Salman a that point. Looking back at their early days, Shailendra said he knew Salman during his time in Cuffe Parade, when life was far removed from the glare of stardom. Shailendra said in an interview with Siddharth Kannan, “Salman and I go back to Cuffe Parade, where I used to live. He used to come there to meet his first girlfriend, Shaaheen Jaffery,” he said. Sharing his perspective on Salman’s temperament, he added, “Salman’s problem is that he is all heart. He’s an awesome guy, but the company he keeps is strange.”The discussion then shifted to one of the most debated episodes in Bollywood history, the aftermath of Vivek Oberoi’s 2003 press conference, where the actor alleged he had been threatened by Salman. Shailendra revealed that he met Salman shortly after the incident and found him visibly enraged. “He was fuming. Earlier, he would openly show his emotions. Now, he has a lot more control,” he recalled.Shailendra also spoke about the counsel he offered Salman during that turbulent phase. “My only reaction after Vivek’s press conference was to tell Salman that in life, we should act, not react. Whatever needs to be done can be done later. For now, let’s sit, have a drink, and let him do whatever he’s doing.”Elaborating further, Shailendra explained that he strongly advised Salman against responding publicly or impulsively. “I asked him to not act on impulse, wait and fight the battle silently.I think he did that. He made sure that Vivek doesn’t work in Bollywood anymore. I don’t know for sure, but that’s how it looks.”The press conference took place at a time when Vivek was reportedly in a relationship with Aishwarya Rai following her breakup with Salman, and it sent shockwaves through the industry. In the years that followed, Vivek Oberoi’s career gradually slipped out of the mainstream.Reflecting on Salman’s relationship with Aishwarya, Shailendra described the actor as someone who often found himself in difficult situations unintentionally. “Salman is a great guy, but always at the wrong place at the wrong time. He has a strange way of finding disaster,” he said.
