Happy birthday Salman Khan: Heroines who made it in Bollywood, thanks to Bhaijaan!

Salman Khan is unparalled in Bollywood in more ways than one, but the star is known not just for his Rs 100 crore blockbusters, but also for providing the much-needed launch pad for amny new faces. While Salman has been criticised for romancing heroines almost half his age, he has also mentored them and prepared them to make it big in Bollywood. Here are some actresses who were launched by Bollywood's 'Bhaijaan'.

Katrina Kaif

Katrina Kaif made her Bollywood debut with 'Boom' in 2003, which tanked at the Box Office. But Salman Khan reintroduced Katrina Kaif to audiences with 2005 film 'Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya', and the duo went on to become one of the industry's most bankable jodis. Katrina herself has confessed that she got recognition in Bollywood only because of Salman Khan. The success of films like 'Ek Tha Tiger' and 'Tiger Zinda Hai' is proof of how much fans adore Salman-Katrina’s scorching chemistry on-screen.

Sonakshi Sinha

Shatrughan Sinha’s daughter Sonakshi Sinha is yet another Salman Khan discovery, who made an impressive debut in 'Dabangg'. Since then, she has been part of all the subsequent instalments of the film. With box office winners like the 'Rowdy Rathore', 'Son Of Sardaar', Sonakshi has also made it to the A-lister category of Bollywood stars.

Jacqueline Fernandez

Salman Khan was responsible for kick-starting Jacqueline's career with his film 'Kick'. For the flick, Jacqueline shed her glamorous avatar and Salman Khan's valuable inputs came handy. Jacqueline has also said publicly that she trusts Salman blindly as he helped give her film career the boost it needed. Salman and Jacqueline also share a good rapport off screen and she also stayed with Salman and his friends at his farmhouse in Panvel during the first year of the Covid-19 induced lockdown.

Daisy Shah

Salman’s film 'Jai Ho' saw newcomer Daisy Shah start her career. From working as a dancer and assistant choreographer to Ganesh Acharya, to winning a title of Miss Dombivili beauty contest, Daisy Shah has come a long way. Daisy later did 'Race 3' with Salman Khan, but she hardly is in the race for stardom yet.

Sneha Ullal

In 2005 film, 'Lucky—No Time For Love', a very young Sneha Ullal was cast opposite Salman, and the media went berserk. Sneha looked uncannily similar to Salman's lost love, Aishwarya Rai. The film did decent business, but Sneha’s career didn’t go anywhere and she shifted down south. Sneha Ullal later said, her health did not allow her to work incessantly like actors are expected to, and so she decided to stay away from films.

Zareen Khan

When Salman Khan launched Zareen Khan, people found her similar to Katrina Kaif and there were obvious comparisons. Salman launched Zareen with the 2010 epic action-drama 'Veer'. Although the film did not do well at the box office, Zareen’s performance and beauty mesmerised the audience. She became a household name with her second Bollywood film, 'Housefull 2'.

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