Some character names in Bollywood films have become so iconic that filmmakers chose to reuse them repeatedly. A similar trend can be seen with superstar Salman Khan, who portrayed a character with the same name in three different films. The name in question is Radhe. Let’s explore the three films in which Salman Khan played a character named Radhe.
The first was Tere Naam, a romantic drama released in 2003, directed by Satish Kaushik. The film starred Salman Khan alongside Bhumika Chawla.
Salman Khan played Radhe Mohan, a hot-headed yet kind-hearted young man who falls in love with a simple girl named Nirjara (played by Bhumika Chawla). The film took a tragic and emotional turn towards the climax, which left a lasting impact on the audience.
Tere Naam became immensely popular for its poignant storyline and chart-topping music. Salman Khan’s long-haired look in the film also became a trend among youngsters. The film is often counted among cult classics of Indian cinema.
Six years later, in 2009, Salman Khan returned as Radhe in the action thriller Wanted, directed by Prabhu Deva. This time, the character was a ruthless hitman in the Mumbai underworld, who would go to any lengths for money. Ayesha Takia starred opposite Salman Khan in the film.
Wanted was a massive commercial success, earning Rs 77.23 crore in India and Rs 87.42 crore worldwide. It was one of the highest-grossing films of that year. The film was produced by Boney Kapoor.
Salman Khan once again reprised the name Radhe in the 2021 film Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai. The film featured Randeep Hooda, Gautam Gulati, Govind Namdev, and Jackie Shroff in key roles, with Disha Patani as the female lead.
Unlike his earlier Radhe films, this one was released exclusively on OTT platforms due to the pandemic, and unfortunately, it was not well-received by audiences or critics. It received extremely poor reviews and currently holds a dismal rating of just 1.8 out of 10 on IMDb.
Thus, over a span of 19 years, Salman Khan has portrayed the character Radhe in three films, each representing a very different genre and reception. As for his current work, Salman Khan is presently shooting for his upcoming film Battle of Galwan, directed by Apoorva Lakhia. The film will also feature Chitrangada Singh in a leading role.
