While the world knows Salman Khan for his blockbusters and the Being Human initiative, some of his sweetest gestures often happen away from the limelight. Reena Raju, a three-time heart transplant survivor, recently shared an anecdote about Salman’s kindness. It wasn’t just a financial gesture, but a two-hour phone call on the eve of a life-altering surgery. In a podcast with RJ Sowjanya on Voice of Bengaluru, Reena revealed that Salman had even gifted her a white bicycle after she had once mentioned it to him.
How Salman Khan encouraged his fan before heart transplant surgery
Reena expressed her love for the superstar and recalled how his words before the transplant surgery encouraged her. She said, “I will get emotional speaking about Salman sir. First of all, let me say, I love him with all my three hearts and my soul. When I was not well and before my first heart transplant, I had his number. So many people must message him, but he replied, and I told him I’m going through a heart transplant. He was shooting in Australia at that time. He called on the night of my transplant and spoke to us for almost two hours. He was very kind to my family and encouraged me to go through it.”
She then revealed that she did not stay in touch with the superstar for two years after that, but Salman still remembered her when she messaged him again. Reena shared that she had called to inform him about her own foundation, Light a Life. She also recalled meeting Salman for the first time in 2018, after her second transplant, at his Mumbai residence. She said she partied the whole night with him at Galaxy Apartments.
She added, “He has kindness written all over him. We spent the whole night partying at his house, singing and dancing. Four months after my second transplant, I had diabetes and all kinds of medical issues, but I was having a good time. He took us to the Race 3 sets, and we spent the whole day there. He gifted me a Being Human white bicycle because he remembered that I had messaged him about it long ago.”
About Salman Khan’s upcoming films
Salman is currently awaiting the release of his upcoming film, Maatrubhumi. Helmed by Apoorva Lakhia, the war drama features Salman as an Indian Army colonel leading his men against a larger Chinese force in one of the Indian armed forces’ famous last-stand stories. The makers say the film aims to present an unflinching portrayal of courage, sacrifice and resilience, while balancing the intensity of conflict with the intimacy of love and family. It was earlier scheduled to release in cinemas on April 17, but has since been postponed. The new release date is yet to be announced.
On March 30, Salman also announced another film, an action drama directed by Vamshi Paidipally. The project also marks Salman’s maiden collaboration with producer Dil Raju. Sharing a picture with Vamshi, Salman wrote on X, “Dil, Dimag, Jigar se from this April with @directorvamshi and #DilRaju.”
