After recently appearing at a public event in Mumbai, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has become a hot topic on social media.

While attending the inauguration ceremony of the Data Collection and Segregation Support Center (IT Server Room) under the ‘Slum Rehabilitation Authority’ (SRA), Salman not only handed over keys to the beneficiaries of the housing project but also interacted with several families.

However, in videos of the event, there has been considerable discussion and concern on social media and in the press regarding Salman’s appearance. In the videos, his thin physique, visible fatigue on his face, and his slow and awkward movements have led fans to express concern, wondering what has happened to Salman. After these videos went viral, speculation began as to whether he might be suffering from a serious or chronic illness.

What actually happened?

There are mainly two issues that have come up regarding Salman’s health. First, during the filming of the movie ‘Sikandar’, he broke two ribs. Because of this injury, it was very difficult for him to get up, sit down, cough, or even laugh. Second, he has been suffering for a long time from a serious condition called ‘trigeminal neuralgia’, which causes severe pain in the facial nerves. These two reasons are believed to be why he appears to be weakening.

Why did this happen?

It is also speculated that there may be other reasons affecting Salman Khan’s physical and mental state. In April 2024, shooters from the Bishnoi group fired indiscriminately outside the Galaxy Apartments where Salman lives.

After that, he was provided with ‘Z Plus’ level security. This means that wherever Salman goes, he is accompanied by a team of more than 25 armed police officers, commandos, and private guards. When he goes out, he uses a special bulletproof Land Cruiser imported from Dubai, and bulletproof glass has also been installed on the windows of Galaxy Apartments.

Salman, who usually goes to his farmhouse in Panvel to relax during his free time or when stressed, has now been prohibited by the police from going there alone due to security concerns. All these factors may have contributed to Salman appearing quite distressed and frail lately.

Similarly, during the filming of action and dance scenes for ‘Sikandar’, Salman suffered serious damage to his ribs. Even after breaking two ribs, he completed the shoot with the help of physiotherapy. Working continuously for up to 14 hours a day and receiving physiotherapy on set while acting left him physically exhausted.

According to co-actors and technicians who worked with him on ‘Sikandar’, Salman would struggle to get up from his chair on set. As soon as the director called ‘cut’, he would go for physiotherapy. Nevertheless, he endured the pain and completed the shooting.

On August 28, 2024, while attending the ‘Bacche Bole Moraya’ Ganesh festival event in Mumbai, many people became curious about the reason after seeing him struggle to sit and stand. A week later, while speaking to journalists during the promo shoot for ‘Bigg Boss 18’, he himself publicly stated for the first time, ‘I have broken two ribs.’

Recently, things have not been very pleasant for Salman. The untimely death of his close friend Baba Siddiqui left him distraught, and after receiving continuous death threats from Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang, he appeared to be mentally disturbed as well. At the age of 60, the effects of repeatedly gaining and losing weight for different film roles are also said to be gradually showing on his health.

What is his current condition?

Salman is gradually recovering from his rib injury. After treatment and physiotherapy, his physical condition is now much better than before. Despite health problems, he has not stopped working. After finishing work on ‘Sikandar’, he has been regularly participating in new projects and public events.

The day after his injury, he even shot a song for the film. Although it was difficult for him to cough, laugh, or sit due to the injury, director A.R. Murugadoss incorporated his style of holding his aching ribs as the main ‘dance step’ in the song.

Recently, Salman was seen wearing a cap at a public event, looking tired and aged. ‘Our hero is getting old, he looks like he’s sick,’ one fan said after watching the video. ‘You can clearly see the fatigue and unwellness in his eyes. May God protect him.’

Major Indian media outlets such as Times of India, Indian Express, and NDTV have reported that Salman Khan continues to work despite physical injuries, mental stress, and ongoing security challenges. According to them, media reports suggesting he is ‘seriously ill’ are merely speculation based on his thin appearance and fatigue seen during public appearances.

Salman himself responds

After numerous reports about his health circulated in the media and on the internet, Salman posted some new photos on Instagram and jokingly wrote, ‘Aap logon ki tabiyat kaisi hai?’ (Meaning: How is your health?). This playful post from Salman clearly indicates that he is not seriously ill and sends a message to his fans not to worry.

Longstanding headache problem

Previously, he also suffered from headaches for a long time due to hair transplants. Around 2003, Salman underwent his first follicular unit transplantation (FUT) hair transplant in India. In this procedure, a strip of skin is removed from the back of the head for hair transplantation, leaving a long scar on the scalp.

However, after the first result was not satisfactory, he had to undergo additional FUT procedures and treatments in Dubai and India between 2007 and 2016. Due to multiple surgeries, he continued to suffer from headaches and scalp problems.

For a long time, Salman has also suffered from a serious condition called ‘trigeminal neuralgia’, which causes severe pain in the facial nerves. This is a very complex and extremely painful health problem related to the facial nerves. The pain is so intense and unbearable that some patients even contemplate suicide, which is why it is also called the ‘suicide disease’. Salman underwent surgery for this in the United States.

According to medical science, this problem occurs when the main nerve that transmits facial sensations to the brain—the trigeminal nerve—is compressed by a blood vessel or bone. According to Salman, he first experienced this problem in 2007 during the shooting of the film ‘Partner’. When co-actress Lara Dutta tried to move hair from his face, he felt a sharp electric shock and pain in his face.

Initially, doctors thought it was a dental problem and treated him accordingly, but when the pain did not subside, it was discovered to be a nerve issue. Salman battled this disease continuously for about 7–8 years from 2007 to 2014. According to him, he would experience intense pain in his face every 4–5 minutes. Even a gentle breeze, drinking water, touching his hair, brushing his teeth, or chewing food would cause unbearable electric shock-like pain in his face. He once had to endure pain for an hour and a half after eating an egg omelet.