Salman Khan to leave Galaxy: Star lived in 1-BHK for 52 years, and why he’s leaving now

For over five decades, Galaxy Apartments in Bandra has been more than just an address. It has been the heart of the Khan family, the backdrop to Salman Khan’s superstardom, and a landmark that millions of fans have visited just to catch a glimpse of the actor waving from his balcony. Now, with reports suggesting that the Bollywood actor is finally preparing to move out after living there for over 52 years, curiosity around the iconic apartment has reached an all-time high. But long before it became one of Bollywood’s most recognisable residences, Galaxy Apartments represented something much bigger for Salman’s father and screenwriter Salim Khan—it was proof that years of struggle had finally paid off.

A young man from Indore who dreamed bigger

Before becoming one of Hindi cinema’s most celebrated screenwriters, Salim Khan was simply a young man from Indore with dreams far bigger than his surroundings. Ironically, his earliest writing assignments were love letters. His life changed during a wedding in Indore attended by several Bombay film producers, including filmmaker K Amarnath.

Writer Salim Khan. Express archive photo

Recalling the turning point in Prime Video’s Angry Young Men, Salim said, “My career took off at a wedding in Indore. Tarachand Barjatya’s son was getting married. Many producers had come from Bombay, and I would often visit the hotel where they were staying.” He remembered Amarnath spotting him and asking whether he wanted to act in films. “I told him I had never acted before. He said, ‘There was a first time even for Dilip Kumar. Nobody knows acting before they begin.'”

Soon after, Salim arrived in Bombay for a screen test and landed a small role in the film Baraat (1960), playing actor Ajit’s younger brother.

The struggle behind the dream

Bombay wasn’t glamorous. Initially, Ajit offered Salim a vacant house to stay in until it was sold. “It was my bad luck that it was sold very quickly,” Salim recalled. “Then I had to move to Marina Guest House.” The guest house was a world away from the comfortable life he had left behind in Indore. “There each room had two beds. The rent was Rs 55 a month. My first ambition was to be able to rent the entire room.”

That simple dream remained out of reach for years. Salim shared the room with another paying guest and used a common bathroom with everyone else.

“My elder brother had told me before I left, ‘You’ll come running back.’ At home, we even had a servant who poured water while we washed our face. But I never asked my family for money.”

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Years later, during a chat on the Arbaaz Khan-hosted talk show The Invincibles, Salim revealed the surprisingly funny reason he desperately wanted his own room. “The man who shared the room with me snored a lot—and there was no rhythm to his snoring. Every time he snored, I woke up.” That sleeplessness became his motivation.

From struggling actor to legendary writer

Salim spent years doing small acting roles and advertisements before accepting a difficult truth — acting will not secure his future. He shifted to writing—a decision that would eventually change Hindi cinema forever through his iconic partnership with lyrics and screenwriter Javed Akhtar. But success didn’t come overnight.

While still struggling, Salim married Salma and the couple shifted to a rented apartment in Mahim. It took him nearly 14 years in Bombay before he could finally buy his first home—a flat in Galaxy Apartments. The purchase reportedly came after the phenomenal success of Zanjeer in 1973, which transformed Salim-Javed into Bollywood’s most sought-after writing duo.

2nd from left: Johnny Walker, Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan. Express archive photo

At the time, apartments in Bandra generally cost between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh, according to real estate reports tracked over the years. Few could have imagined that the same property would one day be worth hundreds of times more.

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Today, the Khan family owns two floors in Galaxy Apartments, with the property’s collective estimated value believed to exceed Rs 100 crore. Real estate experts estimate that a flat purchased for around Rs 1 lakh in the early 1970s could now command anywhere between Rs 20 crore and Rs 50 crore, while Salman Khan’s first-floor 1 BHK residence alone is estimated to be worth around Rs 16 crore.

Galaxy apartment which houses film star Salman Khan’s flat lights up after the Bombay High Court acquitted him of all charges in the 2002 hit-ans-run case at Bandra. Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty. 10.12.2015. Mumbai.

Why Salman Khan never left Galaxy

Salman Khan was only eight years old when the family shifted into Galaxy Apartments. Even after becoming one of India’s biggest superstars—with a reported net worth running into thousands of crores—he chose to continue living in the same modest one-bedroom apartment on the first floor, while his parents stayed on the floor above.

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His decision has puzzled many over the years. During an appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, Salman shared a story that surprised many.

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Salman Khan along with his father Salim Khan greet fans at his Galaxy residence.

“We saw a beautiful bungalow worth Rs 22 crore,” he recalled. “My father liked it too. But he told the owner, ‘The only problem is your property costs Rs 22 crore and we’re short by Rs 20 crore.’ Earlier we used to fall short in lakhs, now we fall short in crores. Unfortunately, God is making everything except new land.”

For Salman, however, Galaxy was never about money.

Speaking at an event, he explained, “People judge us because we’re film stars. But the people in this building know Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail from childhood. They know we haven’t changed after entering films.”

Galaxy’s more than a superstar’s address

Galaxy Apartments eventually became much more than Salman’s residence. Every Eid and on his birthday, thousands gather outside his home, hoping for a glimpse of the actor from his famous balcony. But many gather seeking help from the star. Salim Khan once revealed that the family regularly helped hundreds of people seeking financial assistance through the actor’s Being Human Foundation.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan along with his bodygurard Shera, mother and father Salim Khan arrives in Bandra on Saturday. Express photo by Karma Sonam Bhutia, 07 April 2018, Mumbai.

“Every day, at least 400 people would be outside our house,” he said. “Relatives of cancer patients, accident victims and others would queue up. Doctors from the foundation verified their reports, and I signed 20 to 25 cheques daily. We distributed around Rs 5 to Rs 8 lakh every day.”

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The end of an era

According to reports, Salman is now preparing to move into a newly constructed six-storey family residence on Chimbai Road in Bandra West. The plot was reportedly purchased in 2011 in the name of his mother, Salma Khan. In 2018, plans for the redevelopment were submitted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the proposal has since received approval. The new property will comprise a ground floor, stilt parking and six upper floors, spanning over 1,000 square metres. As per sources, the reason for the move remains privacy and security it can afford as opposed to the relatively exposed apartment. Salman received Y category security after gangster Lawrence Bishnoi threatened him and there was an incident of firing outside his home.

Yet, for millions of fans, Galaxy Apartments will remain irreplaceable. It is where Salman Khan grew up, where one of India’s greatest screenwriters fulfilled the dream that began in a Rs 55-a-month shared room, and where generations of fans gathered—not just to see a superstar, but to witness a piece of Bollywood history.