Salman Khan turns 57! Amid being the 'Bhai' of Bollywood, here are times when the superstar opted for out-of-the-box characters

More than half of his life has been spent being a superstar, and yet fans can't get enough of Salman Khan. The star who has been a part of the film industry for nearly 35 years has turned 57 today, and even now, people look forward to watching him entertain. Starting with a supporting role in Rekha and Farooq Sheikh's 1988 film Biwi Ho Toh Aisi, Salman made a grand entrance, showing off his abs and playing the guitar. His entrance scene was enough to convince people that a star had arrived, and within a year, that was proven.

With Maine Pyar Kiya, Sooraj Barjatya introduced the "Prem" to the world, and since then there has been no turning back. A superstar has arrived, and what a superstar! Salman rose quickly to become one of Bollywood's busiest actors, appearing in films of all genres. In just five years, the star went on to show his romantic side, his angry young man side, and also his action-packed avatar.

However, it was interesting to see the actor give up his vanity, even in the smallest way, and leave a memorable mark with his roles. Khamoshi: The Musical, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's first movie as a director, came out in 1996. Salman is not the "hero" of the movie, but he is a beautiful way to move the story of Annie (Manisha Koirala) and her family forward. He was more of a supporting character than a leading one.

In 1998, Salman was seen for the first time playing the role of a father to a young boy in Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, although he was an illegitimate child. However, it was interesting to see actors in the 1990s choose father roles since actors today don't often explore them.

In the same year, in Karan Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Salman makes the most surprising entry in the song Saajanji Ghar Aaye, and we know he is here to stay. In his role as Aman Mehra, the superstar created a different impact, which led fans to root for him more than the leading characters, Rahul and Anjali, played by Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, respectively.

Salman was in Hello Brother with Arbaaz Khan and Rani Mukerji the very next year. The film is mentioned here not just for being a comic caper but also for something that I remember Salim Khan mentioning on The Kapil Sharma Show. It's a known fact that Salman is a bigger star than his brothers; however, the actor chose to zero himself down as a simpleton who dies randomly only to come back as a spirit. The actor, with his comic elements, made people laugh out loud while his younger brother Arbaaz had a serious, leading sort of role in the film.

Maybe he knew that no matter what role he plays, people will only buy tickets to watch Salman Khan on the big screen.

In many stories from the early 2000s, the superstar was a "lover boy," which was a similar type of character. And that's when, in 2003, Satish Kaushik brought yet another iconic character, Radhe, to the world. With Tere Naam, Salman showed his grayer side as a toxic lover, and it just created an unexpected uproar among the masses.

Salman surprised everyone again in 2004 when he appeared in Revathy's AIDS-themed film, Phir Milenge. It is rare for a well-known actor to play a role in which he is HIV-positive and has to deal with the effects of the disease in order to raise awareness around the world.

Soon after that came Salman's Wanted era, and he became the "Bhai" of Bollywood. Amid that, the superstar went slightly outside of the box and showed himself battling drug addiction despite being a talented singer in London Dreams. The film, directed by Vipul A. Shah, showed Salman as a vulnerable man who can give up his life for his best friend, portrayed by Ajay Devgn, only to get backstabbed by him. Once again, the superstar did something out of the box, and yes, it's not forgettable.

If we are talking about Salman going beyond typecasting himself, it's a crime not to mention Kabir Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). It's a fan favourite and unquestionably one of the superstar's best works. The film was a cross-border love story about humanity rather than romance. Salman's career hit a high point with Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and even after almost eight years, no movie has been able to top it.

Last but not least is Bharat (2019), directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. It is a remake of the South Korean movie Ode to My Father (2014) and follows the life of a common guy from the age of 8 to 70, tracing India's post-independence history from his point of view. We saw Salman de-aging himself in order to play a younger version of himself. Furthermore, the actor wore a salt-and-pepper look to resemble a 70-year-old man, but with the actual strong Salman Khan body!

On his 57th birthday, we hope there are more out-of-the-box roles that the superstar chooses to take on to challenge himself and equally entertain his millions of fans.