Salman Khan at 60 remains one of Hindi cinema’s most polarising—and most bankable—stars. Even when the films stumble, the phenomenon rarely does. The question doing the rounds in 2026 is blunt: has “Bhaijaan” become bigger than the movies themselves?
The mass appeal that outlives verdicts
Trade trackers say the Salman brand still guarantees attention—especially on festival releases—because audiences often show up for him first and the film second. That dynamic was visible again with Sikandar (2025), which trade reporting pegs at ₹103.45 crore India net despite being labelled a “Disaster” by some trackers, with a widely reported ₹200 crore budget.
Bottom line: the film’s trajectory was shaky, but the opening conversation was never small.
From peak dominance to a choppy phase
Salman’s 2010s run built a template for the modern mass entertainer—festival timing, whistle-worthy heroism, and a repeatable commercial grammar. But post-2018, consistency has been the talking point.
Yes, Tiger 3 (2023) still hit major milestones, including reports of crossing ₹200 crore in India within a week.
But other titles have been judged more by “expectation vs outcome” than by raw totals. For instance, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (2023) closed around ₹101.26 crore nett in India, yet the broader industry conversation was about whether that was enough for a Salman Eid release.
Why Salman often outshines the screenplay
Part of Salman’s durability is the persona-as-product equation: the familiar swagger, the family-audience comfort, and the cultural ritual around his releases. Off-screen, his “Being Human” identity and high-visibility gestures—like reported contributions to Bharat Ke Veer—also strengthen the “people’s superstar” image that fans defend fiercely.
Trade trackers have also credited him with leading the pack on ₹100 crore-plus titles (by their counting), reinforcing the argument that his floor is still higher than most stars’ peaks.
The road ahead: reinvention test
The spotlight now shifts to Battle of Galwan, a war drama directed by Apoorva Lakhia, with a release date reported as April 17, 2026.
If the film delivers substance alongside scale, it could mark a course-correction—less formula, more intensity—without abandoning the mass base that defines Salman’s cinema.
Verdict: Bigger than many of his films—still
In 2026, Salman Khan’s stardom arguably sits above individual box-office verdicts. A weak film can dent momentum, but it rarely dismantles the aura. The real contest isn’t whether he can open—he can. It’s whether the next big vehicle gives audiences a reason to celebrate the film as much as the star.
—By Manoj H