February 10, Colombo (LNW): Bollywood superstar Salman Khan recently took to the podcast world, marking his debut on his nephew Arhaan Khan’s YouTube channel, Dumb Biryani.
During the episode, the actor recounted a terrifying, life-threatening experience he endured while travelling overseas with actress Sonakshi Sinha and his younger brother, Sohail Khan.
The harrowing incident took place on their return flight from the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards in Sri Lanka.
Salman, known for his fearless persona both on and off-screen, recalled the moment that had him second-guessing his own safety. The routine flight back from the awards show quickly turned into a nightmare as the aircraft experienced extreme turbulence for an agonising 45 minutes.
While typical turbulence on a flight is often brief and manageable, this particular episode was both prolonged and intense, causing widespread panic among the passengers.
“We were all in high spirits, laughing and chatting, when suddenly the plane began to shake. At first, it seemed like regular turbulence, but then the shaking intensified and the sounds grew more ominous. There was a growing sense of unease in the cabin,” Salman shared. “Sohail and I were seated together, and when I glanced over to check on him, I was stunned to find that he was completely asleep, oblivious to the chaos around us. Meanwhile, the turbulence showed no signs of stopping—it dragged on for what seemed like forever.”
Salman’s tone turned serious as he described how the situation escalated. “I could see the pilot’s concern when I briefly glanced at the cockpit. That’s when I noticed the flight attendants—they were visibly shaken. One of them had her eyes closed, softly muttering a prayer. That was the moment it hit me—this wasn’t just ordinary turbulence. It felt different. And then, the oxygen masks dropped from above. It was like something out of a movie! That’s when panic really set in.”
Just as the passengers began to calm down after what felt like an eternity, the nightmare resumed. “After what seemed like forever, the turbulence finally stopped. People slowly started to relax, and conversations resumed. Sonakshi and her mother were also on board, and they seemed relieved. But then, as if on cue, the plane began shaking again. This time, it was even more intense, lasting another ten minutes. The entire cabin went eerily silent. No one dared to speak, and you could almost hear a pin drop,” Salman recalled.
As the plane finally descended to safety, the passengers’ mood shifted dramatically. “When we finally landed, it was like nothing had happened. People who had been white-knuckling their seats just moments ago were now walking off the plane like they’d just stepped out of a Sunday stroll. It was surreal to watch how quickly everyone went from terrified to completely composed,” Salman chuckled, reflecting on the situation with a sense of disbelief.
