Exclusive: Salman's cousin Matin recalls actor's childhood days in Indore
What's the story
Salman Khan is celebrating his 58th birthday on Wednesday.
While his fandom is spread worldwide, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where he spent his childhood days, has a special connection.
His paternal side of the family continues to reside in Indore.
Speaking exclusively to NewsBytes, his paternal cousin Matin Khan, nine years older than Salman, recalled the times they spent at their farm near Indore.
#1
When Salman used to visit Indore during school vacations
In the late 1970s, Salman attended the Scindia School in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. During his school vacations, he would come to meet his cousins in Indore.
"There is a village called Bardari, which is roughly about 17 kilometers from Indore. Every vacation, he would visit us in Indore. That is when we would often visit our farmhouse at Bardari," recalled Matin.
#2
From trekking to fishing, here's what he enjoyed
When at the farmhouse, Salman and Matin, along with their other cousins, would often go out in the wild.
"We have a lot of memories from our childhood days. We would often go swimming in the local river, would trek in the jungles, go out for cycling, and would also indulge in fishing.
He has always been a lover of off-roading," Matin said.
#3
On Salman's love for fitness
Salman has always been passionate about fitness.
Many wouldn't be aware that he used to go to a college gym in Indore for his workout.
"He was 18 or 19 when he started going to the gym at Indore Christian College. It was the only gym here in those days," Matin said.
Interestingly, legendary singer Kishore Kumar was also a student at this college.
#4
Only love and admiration for Salman
Matin, who visited Salman in 2021 on his birthday, says that everyone in the family is extremely proud of the actor's achievements.
"Our father's side of the family was always into farming. We didn't know that a boy from our family would grow up to become a star of global dominance. We have only been proud of his achievements," he concluded.
#5
Exploring the jungles near Bhopal
Not only Indore, but the cousins would also make frequent trips to forests in the Bhopal and Raisen districts.
"We'd often go to the jungles near Bhopal and also in Khandera, my maternal ancestral village in Raisen district," recalled Matin.
"Salman loves nature. Even today, if he goes to the Panvel farmhouse, you will find him sitting under a tree's shade."
#6
His secret visits to Indore
Until a few years ago, Salman visited Indore quite frequently. There were occasions when he ditched the flights to avoid public and media attention.
"He has always loved visiting Indore. Sometimes, he drove from Mumbai so that nobody knew of his arrival. There were also times when even we weren't aware of his arrival, and he directly reached the farm," concluded Matin.