Salman Khan shows his human side

What you wear says a lot about you - and the latest fashion statement is a lesson in kindness.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan is turning personal style into a humanitarian tool, showing that real beauty lies in giving rather than hoarding.

The ‘B-town’ hunk was in Dubai last week to unveil his charity fashion label ‘Being Human’. The label, which supports Being Human: The Salman Khan Foundation, is a lifestyle brand as well as a registered charitable trust. All proceeds from sales go to towards education and healthcare for the underprivileged.

Being Human has become an integral part of the muscle man’s life. He’s worked hard to craft a brand that is cool and funky and also has a social conscience.

Speaking to 7DAYS, Khan said: “All fashion labels are about looking good, Being Human is also about doing good.”

Don the Khan brand and you “look good, do good” because you help people by the simple act of slipping on your clothes every day, he adds.

Shoppers looking to do their bit can choose from 29 options in T-shirts, semi-formal trousers, denims, shorts and shirts in various styles, and watches. You can even deck your little ones out in the kid’s line.

With an A-list celebrity at the helm, you could be expecting to dig seriously deep for the trendy threads.

Not so, said Khan who’s aiming to strike a balance between making the brand accessible to all - T-shirts are Dhs50 and for a pair of jeans go for Dh200 - and not cheapening it.

“Low priced does not mean it’s a cheap brand,” said the star of smash-hit movies ‘Dabangg’ and ‘Bodyguard’.

“If the quality is good and the fit is good and you like the design - then that’s what you should buy.” The label’s success has not been without challenges - he has had to deal with crooks trying to cash in on the popularity of the brand. Being Human has spawned fake merchandise that has cropped up the world over.

When asked about his feelings on imitations entering the market, the actor burst into an angry tirade in Hindi. With a devastated look on his face, he added: “How can they even think about creating fakes knowing

that all the proceeds from our merchandise supports a cause?”

“They have created Being Human products, such as perfumes, that we haven’t even made. Yes, we are planning legal action against such people,” he promised.

Khan’s branding experts are also working to combat the nuisance by creating a special hologram that is difficult to duplicate. He also revealed that his foundation may extend its reach to creating a restaurant, though he kept tight-lipped about the style.

All he would reveal was that it would be one that “serves good food”.

The hunt is on for investors to back the proposed new project. “Wherever I find like-minded individuals who are willing to give up a large share of their money to me is where I will open the first restaurant,” he said.

“It could be Mumbai, or Dubai, or anywhere else. We’ll go anywhere there are nice people and we can make money,” he added.

Khan is looking at registering the Being Human charitable trust in the UAE very soon.

“Once that happens, we will also look into helping local labour communities and assisting them as and when needed,” he said.

As Being Human goes international, Khan said he is delighted for it to grow bigger.

“More success will mean more money. That would mean more education and more free surgeries,” said the passionate star.

megha@7days.ae

Being Human clothes are available at Splash and ICONIC stores across the Middle East.

PHOTO SPECIAL: Salman Khan launches Being Human label in Dubai