‘Vodka never stopped flowing at Salman Khan's party, Russians were rolling down stairs; Bhai was rock-solid': Radhika Rao, Vinay Sapru recall epic bash

Indian Express

14-05-2025

Filmmakers Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, best known for the sleeper hit Sanam Teri Kasam, recalled stories about working with Salman Khan on several musical sequences in his movies. In a new interview, the narrated a story from the sets of Lucky: No Time for Love, which marked the debut of Sneha Ullal. They said that the Russian crew members on set were extremely proud of their ability to hold their alcohol. When they were invited by Salman to a party, the directors advised them not to go because they knew that the crew wouldn't be able to handle it. But the Russians didn't heed their advice, and paid a price for it.
Appearing on the Hindi Rush YouTube channel, the filmmakers recalled, 'We told them not to go. We told them that they wouldn't come to work the next day. They said, 'We are Russians, nobody can out-drink us'. We said, 'All the best, this is Salman Khan's party, don't underestimate…' The vodka never stopped flowing, and the people kept drinking. They wanted to prove that they are the best in the world when it comes to vodka consumption.'
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Radhika said, 'There were people who rolled down the steps; Russian crew members. When they came the next day, half of them were late, half of them were holding their heads. Russians are very disciplined, they don't like to be unprofessional. They said that the most shameful thing was that Salman never even swayed. He was standing like a rock. They said, 'All of us were rolling down, throwing up, and he was also drinking with us but nothing happened to him'.'
Vinay said that Salman showed up to work the next day, and didn't seem at all bothered by the party. And because he was ready to work, everybody else had to pull up their socks. Salman's father, the legendary writer Salim Khan, once revealed that Salman has had his struggles with alcohol. 'Whenever Salman feels an urge, he pours out a drink and keeps the glass in front of him, but doesn't take a sip. He just sits with it, and after a while, the urge subsides,' Salim Khan told The Times of India many years ago.
Actor Sonu Sood recently recalled a story about Salman trying to spike his drink at a party; Sonu is a teetotaler. 'I don't drink at all. Many co-stars have tried to make me try alcohol ki 'Isko aaj try karva ke rahenge'. Many have tried spiking my drink secretly. Salman bhai ko bada shauk rehta tha, kehte ki, 'Ek kaam kar zara, Red Bull ke andar daal ke laa thodi (Mix some alcohol in Red Bull)',' he told Jist.
Filmmaker Anil Sharma, who worked with Salman on the film Veer, said that the actor enjoys a drink in the evenings. 'People say that he is a drunkard and he goes to parties. These are all nonsense claims. Salman may have a drink or two to relax in the evening like any other person, but he is only focused on his work,' he told ETimes. Radhika and Vinay also praised Salman's intelligence when it comes to his work, and said that the actor is often the smartest person on set.