Salman Khan leaves Galaxy apartments after fifty-two years:
The story behind the iconic house

A young man from Indore who dreamed bigger

Before he transformed into one of the most famous screenwriters in every Hindi cinema, Salim Khan was definitely a younger man from Indore whose aspirations were something far greater than his surroundings and ironically his first writing assignments turned out to be love letters. His lifestyle changed forever in the wedding in Indore which was attended by many Bombay filmmakers, which include filmmaker K Amarnath.

Writer Salim Khan.

"My business took off at a wedding in Indore. Tarachand Barjaty's son transitioned to get married. Many producers had come from Bombay and I could often visit where they lived. start, no one is aware of acting.
Soon after, Salim arrived in Bombay and was given a screen to look out for and landed a small job in Baraat (1960), where he playing actor Ajit’s younger brother.

The Struggle Behind the Dream
          Bombay was far from glamorous. Initially, Ajit offered Salim an empty house to live in until it was bought. "I had the wicked luck to become a bought in a short time," Saleem recalls. "Then I had to drift to the marina inn." Visitor House is an international far from the fine lifestyle left in Indore. "There were beds in every room. The rent is fifty bucks a month. My first ambition was to get you to rent the whole room."

          That easy dream was elusive for years. Saleem shared a room with another paying guest and used the communal toilet with all other bodies. "My older brother had advised me before I left, 'You'll come back when you leave.' There was also a servant in the house who also held water for us to wash our faces. But in no way did I ask my family for cash.”

          Years later, while speaking on the communication show The Invincibles hosted by Arbaaz Khan, Salim discovered the very funny reason for his own room. "The guy who shared the room with me snored a lot - he didn't even have the rhythm of his snoring." Every time he snored, I woke up." That lack of sleep became the key to his success.

From Struggling Actors to Legendary Writers
          Salim spent years doing small show roles and commercials before accepting the hard truth – showing would not guarantee his success. He started writing, a choice that could sooner or later make him the choice of Hindi cinema through his iconic collaboration with lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar, but the achievement did not come a day now. While still struggling, Salim married Salma and the couple shifted to a rented apartment in Mahim. It took him nearly 14 years in Bombay before he could finally buy his first home—a flat in Galaxy Apartments. The purchase reportedly came after the phenomenal success of Zanjeer in 1973, which transformed Salim-Javed into Bollywood's most sought-after writing duo.

From Struggling Actors to Legendary Writers

Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan

At the time, apartments in Bandra generally cost between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh, according to real estate reports tracked over the years. Few could have imagined that the same property would one day be worth hundreds of times more. Today, the Khan family owns two floors in Galaxy Apartments, with the property's collective estimated value believed to exceed Rs 100 crore. Real estate experts estimate that a flat purchased for around Rs 1 lakh in the early 1970s could now command anywhere between Rs 20 crore and Rs 50 crore, while Salman Khan's first-floor 1 BHK residence alone is estimated to be worth around Rs 16 crore.

Galaxy apartment which houses film star Salman Khan’s flat lights up after the Bombay High Court acquitted him of all charges in the 2002 hit-ans-run case at Bandra.

Why Salman Khan Never Left Galaxy
Salman Khan was only eight years old when the family shifted into Galaxy Apartments. Even after becoming one of India's biggest superstars—with a reported net worth running into thousands of crores—he chose to continue living in the same modest one-bedroom apartment on the first floor, while his parents stayed on the floor above.
His decision has puzzled many over the years.

Salman Khan along with his father Salim Khan greet fans at his Galaxy residence.

During an appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, Salman shared a story that surprised many. "We saw a beautiful bungalow worth Rs 22 crore," he recalled. "My father liked it too. But he told the owner, 'The only problem is your property costs Rs 22 crore and we're short by Rs 20 crore.' Earlier we used to fall short in lakhs, now we fall short in crores. Unfortunately, God is making everything exceping the land.

For Salman, however, Galaxy was never about money. Speaking at an event, he explained, "People judge us because we're film stars. But the people in this building know Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail from childhood. They know we haven't changed after entering films."

More Than a Superstar's Address
Galaxy Apartments eventually became much more than Salman's residence. Every Eid and on his birthday, thousands gather outside his home, hoping for a glimpse of the actor from his famous balcony. But many also gather seeking help from the star. Salim Khan once revealed that the family regularly helped hundreds of people seeking financial assistance through the actor's Being Human Foundation.

"Every day, at least 400 people would be outside our house," he said. "Relatives of cancer patients, accident victims and others would queue up. Doctors from the foundation verified their reports, and I signed 20 to 25 cheques daily. We distributed around Rs 5 to Rs 8 lakh every day."

The End of an Era
          According to reports, Salman is now preparing to move into a newly constructed six-storey family residence on Chimbai Road in Bandra West. The plot was reportedly purchased in 2011 in the name of his mother, Salma Khan. In 2018, plans for the redevelopment were submitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the proposal has since received approval. The new property will comprise a ground floor, stilt parking and six upper floors, spanning over 1,000 square metres.

          As per sources, the primary reasons for the move are privacy and security, which the new residence can afford as opposed to the relatively exposed apartment. Salman received Y category security after gangster Lawrence Bishnoi threatened him, and there was an incident of firing outside his home.

          Yet, for millions of fans, Galaxy Apartments will remain irreplaceable. It is where Salman Khan grew up, where one of India's greatest screenwriters fulfilled the dream that began in a Rs 55-a-month shared room, and where generations of fans gathered—not just to see a superstar, but to witness a piece of Bollywood history.