MUMBAI: Salman Khan is known to be extra-thoughtful about friends. When he heard about Bollywood director Prem Raj’s serious illness he immediately offered every help, financial and emotional, to the deeply moved director.

Prem had directed Salman’s home-production ‘Main Aur Mrs Khanna’ which bombed at the box office. The film had left a bitter taste in the mouths of all concerned. Leading lady Kareena Kapoor had disowned the film.

Surprisingly, Salman stood by the film and the director. Undeterred by the failure, Salman made a guest appearance in Prem Raj’s new film ‘Ishkq In Paris’ which was to open on November 2, but is now shrouded in uncertainty due to the directed being detected with cancer.

Apparently when Salman heard of Prem’s health setback he immediately offered all help possible. Apparently on hearing the terrible news Salman immediately asked Prem to come and meet him.

Says Prem gratefully, “It’s friends like Salman and Preity who have given me the courage to face up to the double blow that fate dealt me within a week. First I was detected with cancer and then within days I lost my father.”

“Salman was upset. He asked me to meet him immediately. At the moment I only want to be with my mother who is numbed with grief. God is trying our family in the most brutal ways. He must have a reason. I’ve suffered these severe setbacks when my film was a month away from release. Luckily my producer is Preity. She’s first a friend first, then a producer. She has made it clear she’d wait for me.”