Mumbai: Salman Khan has opened up about the health challenges and sacrifices behind maintaining his physique, revisiting some of his most iconic shirtless appearances on screen.

On the premiere episode of ‘Koffee With Karan’ Season 9, the actor reflected on his fitness journey, recalling memorable appearances in films such as ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Wanted’ and ‘Dabangg’.

He also discussed a viral moment from ‘Bigg Boss 20’ and acknowledged that multiple injuries and health issues had affected his appearance.

During the conversation, Karan Johar brought up the ‘Bigg Boss 20’ moment when Salman took off his shirt in a show of anger and frustration after facing intense trolling over his physique.

The actor agreed with Karan’s observation and laughed as they revisited the incident.

Karan also credited Salman with popularising the shirtless hero in Bollywood, tracing the trend back to Maine Pyar Kiya and later films such as Wanted.

He noted how the actor helped inspire a gym culture among leading men in the industry, making fitness and muscular physiques an important part of their on-screen image.

Asked how he managed to maintain his physique at 61, Salman attributed it to years of hard work, discipline and lifestyle changes.

“A lot of hard work. A lot of sacrifices. I just added a lot of good things to my life and reduced every bad thing,” he said.

The actor also reflected on a phase when injuries and health complications affected his appearance, saying he felt he had let down his fans.

“For the people who have been die-hard fans of shirtless me, okay, there was a phase in my life because of a lot of injuries and stuff like that. It was unfair on them. No matter how old you are, it is unfair on them to see me like that,” he added.

Salman went on to detail the health issues he had dealt with, including head injuries, hernia- problems, a shoulder injury, knee and back issues, trigeminal neuralgia and an aneurysm.

Acknowledging that these challenges were not an excuse for his appearance during that period, he said, “That is not any justification for how I was looking. I should not have let go for that time.”

On the work front, Salman will next be seen in ‘Mathrubhumi’ and ‘Monster’.