Sonakshi Sinha heaps praise on Salman Khan for being helpful and supportive

Actress Sonakshi Sinha has spoken about her Bollywood debut and her experience of working with superstar Salman Khan in the blockbuster hit Dabangg.

In a recent interview, the Rowdy Rathore star recalled her first day on set and how Salman’s presence played a crucial role in shaping her early career.

Admitting to feeling nervous on day one, Sonakshi said, “I didn’t know what I was getting into. I was feeling weird and unprepared. But destiny had these plans for me, and once I started, there was no looking back.”

She credited Dabangg for being a turning point in her life, calling it the film that launched her into stardom.

Without any formal training in acting or dance, Sonakshi described herself as “truly raw” during her debut.

“Everything I learned, I learned on the set. I hadn’t taken any acting or dancing classes and hadn’t attended workshops. So, I enjoyed the process.”

Remembering the support she received, Sonakshi said, “Arbaaz bhai was there, Salman was there. They were all very protective of me.”

She emphasised that Salman allowed her to grow independently, giving her space to learn through experience without excessive guidance. “That really helped me,” she added.

Sonakshi also highlighted Salman’s playful yet professional side, revealing, “He makes funny faces during back shots to distract you, but I think he does it on purpose. It made me a stronger actor.”

Talking about her very first scene in Dabangg, the actress shared that it was an emotional one – her character’s brother had just died, and she was supposed to break down in tears.

“Somehow, I cracked that shot,” she recalled, noting how difficult it is to cry authentically on screen in front of so many people.

“Crying on screen is one of the hardest things for me. I try to keep it authentic, but it's challenging,” she said. “For actors like me, there’s a very helpful thing called ‘glycerin’ ... we use that,” she laughed, adding that only in a few rare scenes has she cried for real.

Sonakshi also credited Salman for helping her feel confident enough to later work with other big stars like Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn. “Because of how easygoing Salman was, I became very comfortable working with other actors too,” she said.

Sonakshi Sinha is now gearing up for her next release, Nikita Roy, which is slated to hit theatres on June 27.