Salman Khan mourns close friend of 42 years: 'He died with a smile on his face'

Salman Khan is mourning the loss of a friend he had known for 42 years, Sushil Kumar. The actor shared emotional tributes on social media.

On Sunday night, the actor posted note note alongside a photo with his late friend. He wrote that Sushil had always been like a brother, kind, generous, and unfailingly positive, even during difficult times. It didn't matter what the situation was, financial, emotional or physical, he would always say everything will be fine. Salman wrote that his friend faced life “smiling, dancing, with no stress.”

View this post on Instagram

Salman added that Sushil “lived like a man and fought death like a heavyweight champion,” saying there would be no tears, only memories filled with laughter. He ended the note with a note on mortality, acknowledging that everyone must eventually go, though no one knows when or how.

In a second post, Salman shared a more philosophical and emotional message, writing about the inevitability of death and the idea that life’s end comes for everyone.

View this post on Instagram

He also referenced social media reactions to loss, rejecting formal phrases like “RIP,” and instead insisting on remembering his friend as a full, vivid person rather than just a memory or “body."