Suniel Shetty calls Salman Khan 'most misunderstood person', defends his box office duds: 'Unki flop Rs 200 crore kamati hai'

Salman Khan and Suniel Shetty are regarded as the best of buddies in Bollywood. There have been instances when Salman became emotional, remembering how Anna supported him during his tough times. At the IIFA Awards, Khan openly expressed his admiration for Shetty. In a recent interview with Lallantop, Suniel has now supported Salman, called him the most misunderstood person and even defended his recent box office failures. 

Discussing the Salman Khan IIFA moment when he teared up while talking about Suniel to his son, Ahan, Suniel had a smile while admiring their decades-long bond. He described Salman as someone who is often misunderstood but has a deeply compassionate side.

“People don't always get him,” Suniel said. “If I had to sum him up in two words, they’d be ‘human being’ and ‘being human’ — that’s exactly who Salman is. He’s a different kind of person, someone who goes above and beyond in everything he does.” Though they don't meet often, Suniel shared that their relationship is built on mutual love and respect that runs deep.

He also came out strongly in defence of Salman’s recent box office performances, which have come under scrutiny. “We call a Rs 200 crore film of his a flop,” Suniel pointed out. “But for most of the industry, that would be seen as a superhit.” He acknowledged that sometimes the choice of scripts might not click, but insisted that Salman always works from the heart. “When he gets the right story, it creates magic.”

Suniel further emphasised, “Even his so-called underperforming films earn Rs 200 crore. Compare that to most other releases this year — you’ll see none of them come close to that number.” For context, Salman’s recent films haven’t performed as well as expected. Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan received mixed reviews and managed a worldwide gross of around Rs 184.6 crore. Tiger 3, which co-starred Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi, also didn’t meet expectations, pulling in Rs 464 crore globally — still impressive, but below the benchmark for a Salman-led action film. His most recent outing, Sikandar, drew mixed reactions, particularly for its underwhelming story. Though the film’s makers claimed it crossed Rs 200 crore in just 10 days, reports from box office trackers like Sacnilk suggested a global collection closer to Rs 184.6 crore.