Wish Salman Khan on his birthday!

At 42, Salman Khan continues to remain one of the most bankable stars in Bollywood. As part of the Khan triumvirate, Salman has ruled the box office for decades now and clearly shows no signs of stepping down any time soon. The actor who started his career in a (believe it or not) Farooq Sheikh-starrer Biwi Ho To Aisi has come a very, very long way since then. Indeed his life has been filled with as many tribulations. Controversies have mired him time and again and the media has often had a field day thanks to him. Nonetheless Salman remains one of the few stars who have openly come out against the press. He makes no bones about his hatred for the Fourth Estate and at the same time accepts it as part of his lifestyle.

Of course the star's controversies range from the juvenile (read pouring a soft drink over ex girlfriend Somy Ali's head) to the serious (allegedly running over a sleeping man) and the bizarre (calling up Vivek Oberoi through the night asking him to lay off Ash). However despite all of this Salman is referred to as bhai (big brother) by most in the industry. Tales of Salman's large heart are stuff of Bollywood yore. After all, it was he who brought Govinda back into the limelight with Partner wasn't he?

Not all women in his life however would have the same thing to say about him. Each time a woman tried to get out of his shadow, the Khan would not take it lightly. Whether it was Somy Ali, Sangeeta Bijlani, Aishwarya Rai or more recently Katrina Kaif, we have all heard of bitterest experiences in these relationships.

Professionally however, things have never been so good for Salman as they are today. He is diversifying – turning to painting, even scriptwriting. Today with almost half a dozen films in his kitty, it probably won't be too long before we see Salman donning a new cap. And this time it won't be to hide his baldpate.

Wish Salman on his birthday, post your wishes in the comment box below and tell us why you like (or dislike) the star

The ten things you must know about Salman Khan

Salman Khan was supposed to play Chandrachud Singh's role in Kya Kehna. It is said that Chandrachud was even dropped but later taken back when the Khan opted out of the film.

He has been voted as the 7th best looking man in India by the People magazine

Khan used to be a swimmer in school and it is said that the hunk was so good that had he continued, he probably would have represented India

Industry insiders say that in his initial days he never used his father's name to get a job as an actor

He weight trained Hrithik Roshan during the shooting of the latter's debut – Kaho Na Pyaar Hai

Among the others who he has convinced to hit the gym are actors Anil Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan

His favourite city is London

Looks up to Sylvester Stallone as the best actor.

According to IMDB, he charged Rs 30,000,000 for Mujhse Shaadi Karogi

Salman is the fourth Bollywood actor to find a place in Madame Tussauds after Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and (ahem) Aishwarya Rai.

Wish Salman on his birthday, post your wishes in the comment box below and tell us why you like (or dislike) the star