Legendary screenwriter Salim Khan recently spoke candidly about the unique dynamic between his two wives, Salma Khan and Helen. Praising their harmonious relationship, Salim told DNA, “I’m lucky that I have two wives and that they live in harmony. Never mind if that happened a few years later. My wives are good-looking, and now they are aging gracefully.”
Salim Khan’s relationship with Helen began while he was already married to Salma Khan. On the show Angry Young Men, Salim recalled falling in love with Helen and how he approached his children – Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan, Arpita Khan and Alvira – about the situation.
“I sat all the kids down and discussed it with them,” he shared. “I told them, ‘You won’t understand it now, but you will get it when you’re older. I am in love with Helen aunty, and I know you can’t love her as much as you love your mother, but I want the same respect for her.’”
Salim and Helen’s story began on the sets of Kabli Khan, where Helen played the lead role and Salim portrayed a villain. Helen confessed, “I can’t imagine Salim sahab as a villain.” However, it wasn’t until they collaborated on the 1978 classic Don, written by Salim-Javed and starring Amitabh Bachchan, that the two developed a deeper connection.
Helen described the acceptance she received from Salim and Salma’s children as heartwarming. “They don’t have to care for me or love me or anything, but the respect and the love I get is unbelievable,” she said.
Arbaaz Khan also reflected on his mother’s composure during challenging times. “My mother never influenced us to think or say anything against our father,” Arbaaz noted. “She had her troubles, but she never told us, ‘Your dad is like this,’ or, ‘This is what he is doing.’ Never.”
The family continues to honor Salim Khan’s wish that Helen be treated with respect and affection. Although they still address her as “Helen aunty,” Arbaaz said, “Though we treat her as a mother, we call her Helen aunty. She is part of our lives. More than us, my mom ensures that she is part of everything.”
Salim Khan married Salma Khan in the 1960s and tied the knot with Helen in the 1980s.