Actor Vishal Malhotra recently offered a rare glimpse into the famous rivalry between Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. He recalled a memorable encounter at Riteish Deshmukh’s birthday party, when the two megastars were reportedly not on speaking terms.

“There was definitely tension in the air because everyone knew what was going on between them,” Vishal admitted. However, he was deeply impressed by their behaviour. “One thing I know for a fact, neither Shah Rukh sir nor Salman sir has ever spoken negatively about each other in public.” He praised their “admirable” maturity, noting that they would shut down anyone who tried to instigate them against each other.

Vishal added that their security and confidence in their positions prevented the feud from spiralling further. “I saw this happen firsthand. There were people in both camps trying to stir things up, but it didn’t affect them. That’s the reason they’re so secure in their positions.”

Vishal Malhotra on His Encounters with the Khans

In the same interview, Vishal also recalled his first meeting with Shah Rukh Khan during the post-production of the 2008 film Kismat Konnection. “It took him just 30 seconds to make me feel like I had known him for years,” Vishal said. “He made me feel like I was the superstar, not him.”

Vishal also shared a story about witnessing Salman Khan’s “natural charm” on the set of Salaam-E-Ishq. He described how Salman, dressed simply in a black ganji and shorts, refused a stylist’s help and gave a shot that would go on to be one of the film’s biggest promos.