Salman Khan’s Religion: What He’s Actually Said About Faith

The Answer, Briefly

Salman Khan does not identify with a single religion in public life. His father, screenwriter Salim Khan, is Muslim, and his mother, Sushila Charak (who later took the name Salma), is Hindu. Khan has repeatedly said he calls himself “insaan” — simply a human being — and his family observes both Eid and Hindu festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi at home.

His Interfaith Family: Muslim Father, Hindu Mother

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is a Muslim screenwriter of Pashtun descent whose family emigrated from Afghanistan to Indore in the 1800s, according to Wikipedia’s sourced family history. His mother, Sushila Charak, is Hindu and took the name Salma after marrying Salim Khan. This dual heritage has shaped how Khan and his siblings — including Arbaaz Khan, Sohail Khan, and Alvira Khan Agnihotri — talk about faith throughout their careers, and it has been the subject of interviews for decades, most notably when Khan addressed it directly on stage at a major public forum.

How He’s Described His Own Beliefs

Speaking at the 15th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in conversation with journalist Shekhar Gupta, Khan stated plainly: “My dad is a Muslim, my mother is a Hindu and I call myself insaan,” explaining that this translates to “a human being,” as reported by The Express Tribune. In the same conversation, he extended the idea to his industry, saying that on a film set “nobody feels” religious difference, describing colleagues across faiths working “together – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, there is nothing, no feeling of superiority or inferiority.”

The theme has surfaced outside entertainment settings too. Gulf News reported that when a Jodhpur court asked Khan to state his caste during legal proceedings, he responded by naming both his parents’ religions — Hindu and Muslim — rather than giving a single caste or community answer, a moment the outlet described as leaving him “stumped” by the question’s premise. Taken together, these are not one-off soundbites; Khan has given essentially the same answer, in his own words, across very different settings over several years.

Festivals and Public Religious Observance

The Khan family’s practice matches Salman’s public statements. His father, Salim Khan, has said the family treats both major festivals equally, telling National Herald India: “For our family, Eid and Ganesh Chaturthi, which comes soon after the other, are of equal importance.” Gulf News has separately covered how Salman, along with fellow Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, publicly marks Eid Al Fitr each year with fans and photographers outside his Mumbai residence, a tradition that draws large crowds.

On the Hindu side, Salman has been photographed for years bringing home a Ganpati idol and joining the Ganesh Chaturthi celebration hosted at the residence of his sister Arpita Khan and brother-in-law Aayush Sharma — a tradition ETV Bharat and Times of India have both covered as an annual Khan-family event that draws extended relatives together for the immersion rituals associated with the festival. Neither observance is treated by Khan or his family as a contradiction; both are described in interviews as simply part of how the household marks the calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Salman Khan Hindu or Muslim?

Neither exclusively. His father is Muslim and his mother is Hindu, and Khan has publicly said he identifies as “insaan” — a human being — rather than choosing one religion, a statement he made at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

Does Salman Khan celebrate Eid and Hindu festivals?

Yes. He is regularly photographed celebrating Eid Al Fitr publicly, per Gulf News, and joins his family’s Ganesh Chaturthi observance at his sister Arpita Khan’s home each year, as reported by ETV Bharat and Times of India.