Salman Khan is known for making surprise appearances in movies, especially when he shares a good rapport with the makers or actors involved. Over the years, this trait has given us some memorable cameos, like hilariously playing himself in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, or dancing alongside Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om and Zero. On the flip side, there have also been forgettable cameos in equally forgettable films like O Teri, Isi Life Mein, and Ishkq in Paris. Clearly, even Salman Khan’s cameos have a wide range of memorability. Inside Salman Khan’s 59th Birthday Celebration: Bhaijaan Cuts Cake With Niece Ayat; Iulia Vantur, Bobby Deol and Riteish Deshmukh Grace the Star-Studded Bash.

In the past five years alone, the Bollywood superstar has made five cameo appearances with varying degrees of impact. From reprising his role as RAW agent Tiger in 2023's blockbuster Pathaan to his recent appearance as "Agent Bhai Jaan" in the mid-credits scene of Baby John, his cameos have continued to draw attention.

On the occasion of Salman Khan's 59th birthday, we rank all of the superstar's cameos from the past five years (2019–2024), starting from the worst and then going to the best.

5. Singham Again

Salman Khan’s cameo in the mid-credit scene of the lacklustre Singham Again lasts only a few seconds, and it feels as if someone used AI to generate the superstar in a cop uniform and inserted that in the movie. Reprising his iconic role as Chulbul Pandey from the Dabangg series, Salman ditches the character's signature moustache in favour of a beard he evidently refused to shave for this brief appearance. The result is a jarring visual. If Rohit Shetty intends to set up a Bajirao Singham–Chulbul Pandey crossover, this is an unpromising start.

4. Godfather

In this Telugu remake of the Malayalam blockbuster Lucifer, Salman Khan steps into a role originally played by Prithviraj Sukumaran (also the director of Lucifer). Unfortunately, Prithviraj's role in the original was underwhelming—more of a glorified sidekick to Mohanlal’s character—and Salman’s iteration fares no better in this Chiranjeevi-starrer. To make matters worse, Salman is saddled with laughably choreographed action sequences and poorly executed CGI, leaving him looking stiff and disengaged.

3. Ved

Salman Khan’s cameo in the Marathi hit Ved may not reach the fun llevel of his earlier Marathi cameo in Riteish Deshmukh’s Lai Bhaari, but it’s still a charming appearance. Watching him groove with Riteish in the song "Ved Lavlay" is undeniably a treat for fans.

2. Baby John

Salman Khan’s most recent cameo in Baby John seems like a favour to both Varun Dhawan and producer Atlee, whose film he stars in next. The cameo, appearing in the mid-credit scene (with a voice cameo at the start of the film), adds nothing to the plot but injects some much-needed star swagger into the movie's mid-credit scene (even kinda reiterating he could have been a better fit into the lead role than a clearly struggling VD). His introduction and action sequence are impactful, though the comedic banter with Varun falls flat. Salman Khan’s Cameo in ‘Baby John’ Explained: What’s Agent ‘Bhai Jaan’ Doing in Varun Dhawan-Keerthy Suresh’s Movie? Find Out!

1. Pathaan

By far, Salman Khan’s best cameo in years is his appearance in Siddharth Anand’s blockbuster Pathaan. Reprising his fan-favourite role as Tiger, Salman’s entry is perfectly timed and exhilarating. From his action-packed introduction to his entertaining camaraderie with Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, the sequence is thoroughly enjoyable—even if some of the green-screen effects and stunts strain plausibility. As a bonus, Salman and Shah Rukh share a hilarious meta moment in the end-credit scene, reminding us why they remain Bollywood’s ultimate superstars.

Unfortunately, when Shah Rukh returned the favour with a cameo in Tiger 3, the magic didn’t quite translate. The scene felt overly familiar, and its lacklustre execution left fans wanting more. Let's hope that is rectified whenever, and if, Tiger vs Pathaan gets made.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 27, 2024 04:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).