In an industry where egos often collide and friendships are as fleeting as box-office trends, few Bollywood rivalries have endured as quietly yet as intensely as that between Salman Khan and veteran actor Danny Denzongpa. For more than two decades, the two stars maintained a professional distance that stemmed from a single on-set incident during the making of the 1991 romantic drama Sanam Bewafa. (News18 Hindi)

The story goes back to a time when Salman Khan was still carving his place in the Hindi film industry, and Danny Denzongpa was already an established name, known for his commanding presence and discipline. During the shooting of Sanam Bewafa, Danny reportedly arrived on set well before time, as was his habit. Salman, however, showed up hours late, a move that did not sit well with the senior actor. (News18 Hindi)

According to crew members from the set, Danny, visibly upset by the young actor’s tardiness, reprimanded Salman in front of the team. For Danny, punctuality was not just professionalism but a mark of respect for one’s craft. Deeply disappointed by what he saw as a breach of discipline, the Padma Shri awardee made a firm decision that he would never share screen space with Salman Khan again. (News18 Hindi)

Over the next 24 years, Danny reportedly declined several film offers that involved Salman, choosing instead to focus on his own slate of projects that showcased his range across languages and genres. (News18 Hindi)

Salman, meanwhile, ascended to superstardom, becoming one of Bollywood’s most bankable and influential figures. Despite their parallel successes, the two actors’ paths did not cross on screen, or off it. (News18 Hindi)

It was only in 2014, with Sohail Khan’s Jai Ho, that the long-standing silence between the two was broken. Both actors appeared in the film, marking their first collaboration after more than two decades. Industry insiders described their interactions during the shoot as “civil but distant”, a reminder that while time had moved on, old memories perhaps had not. (News18 Hindi)

Interestingly, fans later spotted a photograph of Salman affectionately greeting Danny’s son, Rinzing Denzongpa, a gesture that went viral on social media and was seen as a possible sign of reconciliation between the two families. (News18 Hindi)

Today, both actors continue to command immense respect in their respective domains. Danny Denzongpa, who has appeared in over 190 films, remains a towering figure in Indian cinema, recently winning acclaim for his performance in Uunchai (2024), which went on to bag two National Awards. (News18 Hindi)

Salman Khan, on the other hand, remains a megastar with an unmatched fan following and a filmography that defines an era of mainstream Bollywood. (News18 Hindi)