EXCLUSIVE: Sooraj Pancholi Reveals Salman Khan Offered Him His First Film As A Birthday Gift At 4 AM; Recalls, “It Was Such A Heartwarming, Emotional Moment”

Sooraj Pancholi is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi-language films. The son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, he debuted with the 2015 romantic action film Hero, for which he won a Filmfare Award for Best Newcomer. He also starred in the 2019 action drama film Satellite Shankar opposite Megha Akash. In his FIRST podcast post getting acquitted in his 12-year-long legal battle with Bollywood Bubble, Sooraj Pancholi revealed how Salman Khan offered him his first film Hero on his 20th birthday as a gift.

Sooraj Pancholi Reveals Salman Khan Offered Him Hero On His 20th Birthday

When asked if he ever imagined that Salman Khan would give him his first film, Sooraj Pancholi said, “I was shooting for Ek Tha Tiger, and we were in Mardin. It was minus—I don’t know—maybe -10°C at the time. I was still very young. It was the 8th of November, and we were on a lunch break. Everyone, including Salman sir, sits together for lunch—even today. He asked me, ‘Sooraj, what do you want to do?’ I stood up and asked, ‘Sir, what do you mean? Like, actor or director?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Actor.’ He just nodded—didn’t say anything.”

He added, “The next day, the 9th of November, was my birthday. I was staying in Hotel B (where the assistant directors stayed), while the actors stayed in Hotel A, which was about 10–15 minutes away. Somehow, Salman Sir found out it was my birthday. That night, at 4:00 in the morning, I got a knock on my door. I was sharing the room with another AD named Vaibhav. He looked through the peephole and said, ‘Hey… It’s Salman sir!’ I was like, ‘What?!’ We were both shocked—why was he in Hotel B at 4 AM?”

Sooraj Opens Up On Salman Khan’s Trust In Him

During the same interview, he said, “We opened the door, and he said, ‘Sooraj, come to my room.’ So we walked with him to his room. He sat me down and handed me the contract for my first film as a birthday gift. It was my 20th birthday. He told me, ‘You have three years. Train yourself. You have to work very, very hard. And I will do your first film.’ I was very emotional. I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it—it was that kind of moment. But that’s just the kind of person he is.”

Adding further, “I was far from home, in Mardin, in what felt like no man’s land. It was such a heartwarming and emotional moment—one I will never forget. In the room with us were Salman Sir, his bodyguard, and his manager at the time, Rashmi Shetty. He told me that Rashmi Shetty would manage my work, and again emphasised, ‘If you’re good, I’ll do your movie in three years.’ At that time, there wasn’t even a script. He was still looking for one, just saw something in me—he spotted something.’

Soora Pancoli Recalls Salman Khan’s First Meeting With Him

Concluding, the actor said, “It wasn’t because my father and he were good friends or anything like that. He told me he remembered seeing me when I was very young, back when Michael Jackson first came to India. Yes, I was a baby then, probably around 5 years old, and I was dressed in a Michael Jackson costume. I think it was 1997. He said he carried me on his shoulders for the entire show. So, he remembered me from back then. That’s how it all happened for me.”

Watch The Full Interview

Also Read: Sooraj Pancholi Admits He Could Have Gotten Acquitted Much Earlier In 12-Year-Long Legal Battle; Reveals, “They Still Have No Evidence Against Me”