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Actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani recently opened up about her early brush with Bollywood, long before her own acting journey began. In a candid chat on Mashable India’s YouTube channel, the former Union Minister shared that her husband, Zubin Irani, was the first link connecting her to the film industry — and, interestingly, to superstar Salman Khan.

Smriti Irani recalls her first meeting with Salman's father

Smriti revealed that her husband and Salman studied together at St. Xavier’s College. Recounting her first meeting with Salman’s father, the legendary writer Salim Khan, she said, “At St Xaviers, Salman and my husband were classmates. So the first time Zubin took me to introduce me to Salman, Salim Khan was there. He said, ‘Tumko malum hai tumhare mia sahab mere bete ke saath kya karte the? (Do you know what your partner and my son used to do?) They used to steal my car and drive off. Nikamme hai dono (Both of them are useless). I was just standing there silent, and both Salman and my husband were looking down.”

Smriti Irani's first encounter with Shah Rukh Khan

She went on to share another memorable encounter — this time with Shah Rukh Khan. “I met Shah Rukh courtesy of my husband. He knew him, so I would pester him many times to ask Shah Rukh for an interview. He actually first told me that ‘Listen, don’t get married. Main bata raha hoon tujhe mat karna shaadi. (I am telling you, don’t get married.)’ I was like, ‘Bhai, too late,’” she recalled with a laugh.

Smriti also revealed that her first experience facing the camera was in a Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla film directed by Aziz Mirza. “There was a movie with Shah Rukh and Juhi Chawla that Aziz Mirza had done. That was my first shot ever, and I was just a silhouette. That was the first time I had faced the camera. I was wearing the black dress that Manisha Koirala was wearing in the movie with the song ‘Raja Ko Rani Se Pyaar Hogaya’ (Akele Hum Akele Tum). They told me to wear the dress and just stand there,” she said.