NEW DELHI: Two best friends, Aman (Sanjay Dutt) and Akash (Salman Khan), fall for the same woman, Pooja (Madhuri Dixit). But in the emotional climax of Saajan, Akash steps aside, bringing Pooja to Aman. “Pooja ko laaya hoon, uske Saajan se milaane,” he says, placing her hand in Aman’s – that moment turned the film into a Bollywood classic.Watching that very scene as a child in Kegalle, Shehan Malik, now an actor and content creator, made a life decision.
“Last scene mein Salman Khan ke aankh se aansu nikal rahe hain. Woh scene dekhne ke baad hee maine decide kiya ki main actor banunga (In the last scene, tears were flowing from Salman Khan’s eyes. After watching that scene, I decided that I would become an actor),” Shehan tells TimesofIndia.com in Hindi.
Learning Hindi through Bollywood
And thus began Shehan’s pursuit to learn, and speak hindi. “I started watching only Hindi movies. And after that, even I didn’t know how, one day I was standing in front of the mirror trying Salman Khan’s dialogues. That’s when I realised I knew a little bit of Hindi,” recalls Shehan, whose mother tongue is Sinhala.He never took any formal lessons. The language came gradually through scenes, songs, and repeated viewings of Bollywood films. For someone from a Sinhala-speaking background, it’s was an unusual path.
Shehan Malik (Speical Arrangements)
An actor and content creator by profession now, Shehan’s Hind-speaking videos have gone viral on social media. And like most Indian kids across the subcontinent, cricket was a big part of his upbringing, and he even played the game at the junior level in Sri Lanka alongside Sri Lankan internationals Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella. “Bachpan mein mai cricket khelta thha (I played cricket in my childhood). My school was St. Mary’s College in Kegalle. I played cricket for five years, till the U-19 [level]. Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, I have played at the provincial level with them.”
IPL through a Sri Lankan lens
Shehan came to India at the beginning of the IPL 2026. He first saw some matches in Delhi, then Mumbai and then in Hyderabad.Talking about his experience of watching IPL as a fan, the hindi-speaking Sri Lankan said, “In Sri Lanka, the LPL is happening, but I don’t find fans who are enthusiastic about a particular team. I hardly see anyone who is going all out for Colombo, who is going all out for Galle, or who is going all out for Candy.”Comparing that to the rivalry between fans during IPL, Malik said, “I am so surprised at the Indian cricket fans. How can 1.2 billion people be united for a World Cup, and within the span of 20 days, you start thrashing each other on social media? You start this huge Mahabharat thereafter.”
I want to meet Salman Khan one day. I want to work in Bollywood.
Shehan Malik
Talking about the difference of experience in India and Sri Lanka’s cricket culture, Shehan said, “The time was 11 pm and I was exploring the streets of Mumbai and enjoying the nightlife of Mumbai. While I was walking, I saw an Indoor cricket stadium. And guess what? You have only females playing cricket over there. I was like Oh My God! At 11 o’clock, without fear, they are playing at an Indoor net. I found it extremely different from what we get to see in Sri Lanka.“Comparing that to Sri Lanka, Shehan observed, “I live in Colombo in Sri Lanka. In Colombo, we don’t see that often.”Shehan picked up Hindi through movies, which now helps him connect with people in India. Cricket, which he played growing up, brings him closer to the atmosphere of the game in India.Yet still, for Shehan, the actor he first watched on screen is still the one he hopes to meet. “I want to meet Salman Khan one day. I want to work in Bollywood,” he says, with hope and ambition.
