Was Salman Khan's Tere Naam Presenting His Side In His Real Life Love Story With Aishwarya Rai?

Salman Khan’s big hit of 2003 Tere Naam is famous for many reasons. Be it Salman Khan’s hairstyle that was copied by hundreds across the nation or the heartbreaking story that was based on a true incident, There Naam had struck a chord. The film was Salman first hit after Hum Sath Sath Hai in 1999.  But what fueled the success of the film was the viral rumor that the film projected the real-life love story of Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai.

Incidentally, the film carried the tagline "Unfortunately a true love story" and it was flashed around all over during the promotions of the film. Rumors went so far as to claim that Tere Naam presented his side of the story and both the actors keeping quiet on the speculation did not help the case. Satish Kaushik, the director of the film thought that the speculations were normal as the film was releasing after things ended between Salman and Aishwarya and that Salman was playing an obsessive love on screen.

But while it turns out the film is an unfortunately true story, it wasn’t that of the estranged Bollywood couple. The film was in fact based on the story of a friend of the film’s writer Bala, who was also the director of the original south film, Sethu. Bala’s friend had lost his lover and not being able to bear the loss he drove himself sick and had to go to a mental asylum.

Tere Naam none the less worked wonders in Salman Khan’s favor and even got him nominated for several awards that year. The film completed 15 years this Independence Day.