The legendary Bollywood screenwriter is rushed to Lilavati Hospital as family gathers at his side
Salim Khan Rushed to Hospital: An Industry Holds Its Breath
Veteran Bollywood screenwriter Salim Khan, one-half of the legendary Salim-Javed duo that defined Hindi cinema through the 1970s, was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai on February 17, 2026, following complaints of swelling. He is 90 years old, having celebrated his birthday on November 24, 2025. The news prompted an immediate family response. His elder son, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, left a film shoot at Madh Island and went directly to the hospital. His daughters Alvira Khan Agnihotri and Arpita Khan and actor Aayush Sharma were also seen arriving at the facility.
Family and Industry at the Bedside
The speed with which the family assembled reflects both the seriousness of the situation and the central role Salim Khan occupies not just in Bollywood history but in the personal lives of those who worked with him and those he raised. Former actress Somy Ali, who has spoken publicly about living in the Khan household and being treated as a daughter by Salim Khan, reacted to the news on Instagram. In an emotional post alongside a photograph of Salim Khan with his wives Salma Khan and Helen, she wrote: “Hearing that Salim Khan has been hospitalized made my heart sink. To the world, he is a legendary writer who helped shape icons like Amitabh Bachchan and co-created masterpieces like Sholay. To me, he was a father figure.” Ali described Salim Khan as someone whose conversations in the household consistently revolved around faith and philosophy, and whose personal warmth extended beyond his public legend. The news came shortly after the anniversary of another industry loss — Dharmendra, the actor who played Veeru in “Sholay” and was one of the central figures of the Salim-Javed era, passed away on the same day as Salim Khan’s 90th birthday in November 2025.
The Legacy in Context
Salim Khan’s place in Indian cinema requires no embellishment. With Javed Akhtar, he co-wrote the stories and screenplays for more than 24 Bollywood films between 1971 and 1982, 20 of which were box office successes. Among them were “Sholay” (1975), ranked first in the British Film Institute’s 2002 poll of the Top 10 Indian Films of all time; “Deewaar” (1975), considered by critics and filmmakers alike to be the perfect Hindi film screenplay; and “Zanjeer” (1973), which launched Amitabh Bachchan’s identity as the “angry young man” and reshaped Indian popular culture. Their combined body of work sold an estimated 900 million tickets worldwide. Before Salim-Javed, screenwriters in Bollywood were rarely credited or paid at the level their contributions warranted. The duo changed the structural relationship between writers and the industry, demanding and receiving recognition as equals to the directors and stars whose careers they helped create. Salim Khan was offered the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2014 in recognition of his contributions to Hindi cinema. He declined it, on record stating that he deserved a higher honor. He received the Lifetime Achievement Honour at the Apsara Film and Television Producers Guild Award in January 2014.
A Screenwriting Life That Outlasted the Partnership
After the Salim-Javed partnership ended in 1982 due to personal tensions, Salim Khan continued to write independently. His story concept for “Mr. India” (1987) became a major commercial success. He has been recognized multiple times with Filmfare Awards and IIFA honors for the Salim-Javed body of work. At 90, Salim Khan represents a living connection to a period in Hindi cinema that contemporary writers, directors, and critics continue to study, debate, and draw from. The “angry young man” archetype he helped construct — morally conflicted, anti-establishment, driven by personal codes of honor rather than institutional authority — remains a template visible in Indian commercial cinema to this day. As of the time of publication, no official update on Salim Khan’s condition had been released beyond the family’s arrival at Lilavati Hospital. The hospital is one of Mumbai’s most prominent private medical facilities and has treated a number of senior figures in Indian public life. Readers seeking background on Salim Khan’s full career and legacy can consult resources at Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Filmfare magazine archive, which holds decades of interviews and coverage of his career. For the documentary record of the Salim-Javed partnership, “Angry Young Men” is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.