Zareen Khan reveals she met Salman Khan as a fan on Yuuvraaj sets, he got her portfolio made the same day

Actor Zareen Khan, who turns 33 on Thursday, has revealed how she met Salman Khan as a fan but he saw the actor in her and got her portfolio done, enabling her to land for the auditions and eventually bag her debut film, Veer

Zareen told Bollywoodlife in an interview, “I was on Salman’s film shoot. He was shooting for Yuvvraaj , I remember. And I was there as a fan or whatever you’d want to call it. And I had no idea that a conversation that was happening with me as a fan would change my life. I never ever thought that I’d be an actress. I had met Salman purely as a fan and we happened to start talking.” She also revealed that she showed him pictures from her own “newly acquired mobile phone” when he asked for her pictures. Salman then specifically asked her for portfolio, which she did not have.

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Adding that Salman got her portfolio done the same evening, Zareen told the daily, “By evening, I got to know that they are thinking about me for the one of the biggest films being made at the time. Yes, I was asked to give an audition because the director, Anil Sharma sir, wasn’t really sure if I would be able to speak fluent Hindi. For that matter, even after Veer, for a very long time, people weren’t sure if I am an Indian or if I speak Hindi and all those sort of things. But, yeah...somehow I passed my auditions with flying colours and I became a part of this industry.”

Admitting she was a Salman fan even as she shot for Veer in 2010, Zareen had recently said in Fever Digital as part of their new initiative 100 Hours 100 Stars, “I used to keep staring at him all the time as I couldn’t believe it was real.”

About her birthday plans, Zareen told Hindustan Times in an interview, “I stay with my mother and sister so maybe they must have secretly planned something for me. So I believe going to be a sweet and simple affair at home with my family. I make sure she is around me when the clock strikes 12. She has been a constant source of inspiration and I am really connected to her. And even my sister has been a constant part of this special day.”