It could have been a face-off, or a happily ever after. On Monday, January 3, when Bollywood arch rivals Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan walked out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai within minutes of each other, the airport came to a standstill. Both stars were returning from Dubai, after having celebrated New Year’s Eve there, with their respective families.
According to eyewitness accounts, Shah Rukh walked out at 9.23pm, with wife Gauri and his son Aryan. A minute later, Salman walked out with his father Salim and stepmom Helen. Both actors were also spotted at the Dubai airport at around the same time.
The timing led to speculation that the stars may have finally buried the hatchet and started 2011 on a note of friendship. However, sources say the near-miss was completely coincidental. Both actors reported travelled to India on chartered flights, separately, and had no clue about the other’s presence at the airport.
However, adding to the mystery around the strange coincidence is a Mumbai tabloid’s report that at the airport, the actors’ cars were parked together. Despite the odds, there was no chance encounter between the Khans of Bollywood.
