Don’t hug me tight, says Salman Khan to fellow actors

At the opening ceremony of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) Season III, Salman Khan broke his back (literally) to make sure that he wasn’t letting down his fans and fellow actors. But, Salman, looking stiff and in visible discomfort...

There are two kind of events — those with Salman Khan, and those without. The former kind is usually a success, and always has everyone excited. So, on Saturday, at the opening ceremony of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) Season III, Salman broke his back (literally) to make sure that he wasn’t letting down his fans and fellow actors.

Salman, looking stiff and in visible discomfort, performed at the event in spite of a severe back ache. Which is probably why he asked his friends to go easy while hugging him. When Aftab Shivdasani greeted the actor, Salman said, “Don’t hug me tight.”

Since he wasn’t in a condition to rehearse for the performance either, he also asked everyone to bear with him.

“I don’t know the steps properly. People here are all friends from the fraternity, so they will enjoy whatever I do,” he said.

The actor took to the stage late in the night to perform to a medley of hit songs from Dabangg 2 (2012).

Salman is, unofficially, the face of brother Sohail Khan’s team, Mumbai Heroes, in the CCL T20 league.

It seems from the very first season, Salman was keen to be part of the team, but his “health condition doesn’t permit” him to play the game.

Ask him if his fans will ever get to see him on a cricket pitch, and he says, “I’m always with the team, but I’m not sure if I will ever play.” The tournament will take place from February 9 to March 10.