4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Feb 17, 2026 06:32 PM IST
Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan, known for writing some of the most popular Hindi films from the 1970s including Sholay, Deewar, Trishul, has been hospitalised in Mumbai. Salim is the father of popular Hindi film actor Salman Khan. Salim Khan is 90. A source from Lilavati hospital confirmed to SCREEN that the veteran screenwriter was admitted on Tuesday (February 17) morning and is presently in the ICU.
A statement released by Lilavati Hospital on Tuesday evening read, “Yes, it’s true that Mr Salim Khan (father of famed Bollywood actor Salman Khan) & an icon in himself has been admitted to Lilavati Hospital under Dr Jalil Parkar in the ICU early morning at 8.30am. He was brought into the emergency by their family doctor Dr Sandeep Chopra. Emergency care was initiated in the emergency & Mr Salim Khan was shifted to the intensive care on the 1st floor. A team of doctors consisting of Dr Vinay Chavan (neurologist), Dr Ajit Menon (cardiologist), Dr Nitin Dange (neurosurgeon) & Dr Bineet Ahluwalia attended on him. Respecting the relatives request further details ain’t being shared today. However tomorrow at 11 am, we shall be addressing a press bulletin with due consent of the relatives & maintaining the confidentiality of the patient to the utmost. Kindly bear with us. He is stable but is under close observation in regards to his clinical status.”
Salman Khan was photographed as he made his way out of the hospital but he did not interact with the media. Salim’s son-in-law Atul Agnihotri, who is married to his daughter Alvira, was also seen arriving at the hospital soon after.
Salim Khan celebrated his 90th birthday in November with his family. At the time, his daughter Arpita Khan shared a bunch of photographs with her father and wrote a long note calling him her “galaxy.”
Who is Salim Khan?
Salim Khan gained fame in the 1970s, along with Javed Akhtar as they established their writing duo, Salim-Javed. They established themselves after writing films like Haathi Mere Saathi, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Zanjeer and soon after, delivered the biggest hit of Hindi cinema, Sholay. With subsequent films like Deewaar, Trishul, Don, Dostana, Shakti, they became the highest paid writers that Hindi cinema had ever seen. They created the iconic ‘angry young man’ for the screen which was often portrayed by Amitabh Bachchan.
However, the partnership fell apart in 1982 and the two went their separate ways. Javed Akhtar pursued lyric writing but Salim Khan decided to stick to script writing. After the separation, he wrote films like Naam, starring Sanjay Dutt, which brought him recognition again.
Salim Khan’s personal life
Salim Khan was married to Salma Khan when he started writing movies. Together, they are parents to Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Arbaaz Khan and Alvira Agnihotri. A few years later, Salim Khan fell in love with Helen and in 1981, the two got married. They adopted Arpita Khan.
Salim continues to live with Salma and Helen at his residence in Mumbai.
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