Salman Khan's special bonding with his screen moms

It’s surprising to know that Salman Khan insisted on the movie-shy theatre stalwart Nadira Babbar to be roped in for his mom’s role in Jai Ho. And the bonding is there for everyone to see. In the past it was Reema Lagoo who constantly played Salman’s mother in his films since Maine Pyar Kiya. In his recent films barring Dabangg where Dimple Kapadia played his mother, Salman’s character has not had a mother-figure in his life. In the Dabangg sequel the mother was no more. And that isn’t a coincidence. Says a source very close to Salman, “Bhai takes the mother’s role in all his films very seriously. There was a time after Maine Pyar Kiya when Reemaji (Lagoo) was Bhai’s favourite screen-mom and he insisted on having her play his mom in all his films. After her the one screen-mom who Bhai really warmed up to was Hemaji.” Apparently when a screen-mom was required in Sohail Khan’s Jai Ho Salman insisted on Nadira Babbar. Says the source, “Bhai is really close to the Babbar family. Raj Babbar Saab stepped in to play Kareena Kapoor’s father in Bodyguard on Salman’s insistence, and now Nadiraji who doesn’t care to act in films has agreed to play Bhai’s mom only because he was very keen.” The last time Nadiraji was seen on screen was as Aishwarya Rai’s mom in Gurinder Chaddha’s Bride & Prejudice nine years ago. Confirming his wife’s return to screen Raj Babbar avers, “Nadira did this film with Salman because she is very fond of him. We all are; we can never say no to him.”