Book Review – Salman Khan: The Sultan of Bollywood – A Romance-Lover’s Honest Take

There was a time when the word “Prem” on screen almost automatically meant Salman Khan for me. The softness in his eyes, the gentle smile, the sweetness of those family-filled frames in films like Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun shaped my teenage idea of romance. So picking up Salman Khan: The Sultan of Bollywood by Mohar Basu felt like opening an album of memories, but with a twist: the boyish Prem I adored has long since turned into the intense, aggressive “Sultan” the world now celebrates.​

What the book captures well

The book attempts to trace Salman’s journey from a shy romantic hero to one of Hindi cinema’s biggest mass superstars. As a reader who loved his earlier romantic roles more than his recent larger‑than‑life, high‑decibel characters, the early chapters felt like a warm homecoming. The descriptions of his early struggles, the risk of stepping into lead roles, and how audiences slowly fell in love with his charm made me smile and remember why I liked him in the first place.​

What touched me most was how the author constantly brings in stories from sets, co‑stars, and fans. These little anecdotes show a side of Salman that doesn’t always make headlines: a slightly awkward, sensitive man who often expressed more through his eyes than his words in those classic romantic films. For someone like me, who has drifted away from his newer, louder persona, these parts felt honest and almost healing.

​Where my admiration softens

As the narrative moves towards his action-packed and aggressive phase, with swaggering cops and invincible heroes, my inner “Prem-era” fan started to feel a bit distant. The book clearly admires his reinvention – and that is important for any star – but as a reader, my emotional connection was with the boy who stumbled through love, not the man who smashes villains in slow motion.​

The author’s tone remains respectful and often celebratory, even when addressing controversies and the darker, more complex aspects of his public life. That balance is good for a biography, but as an admirer who is no longer a die-hard fan, I sometimes wish for a little more questioning, more reflection, and more vulnerability around the cost of this transformation from gentle romance to roaring aggression.​

Reading it as a former fan

For current fans of “Bhai”, this book will feel like a tribute—full of pride, nostalgia, and validation of his superstardom. For someone like me, who loved the softness of his earlier characters and doesn’t fully relate to his aggressive screen image now, it becomes a slightly bittersweet reading experience. I found myself lingering longer on the chapters about his romantic roles and glazing over the celebration of the “invincible” action hero.​

Yet, the book did something important: it reminded me that behind both Prem and the “Sultan” is the same human being, constantly negotiating fame, expectations, mistakes, and reinvention. Even if I don’t rush to watch every new release of his now, I walked away with a renewed respect for his ability to survive and adapt in an industry that can be both worshipful and unforgiving.

​

Should you read it?

If you are:

• Someone who grew up on his romantic films and now feels disconnected from his current image,

• Curious about how a shy hero turned into a mass phenomenon, or

• Interested in the emotional and cultural impact of a star rather than just gossip,

Then this book is worth your time. Go into it not as a blind fan, but as a once‑adoring viewer meeting an old favourite again after many years. You may not fall in love all over again, but you will understand him a little better—and sometimes, that understanding is more satisfying than simple fandom.

This book is available on Amazon.

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Neerja Bhatnagar

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I have written 3 solo books and 3 anthologies. You can buy my books on Amazon. If you are on Kindle Unlimited, you can read them for free. Pls, do check and share your reviews.