Actor, director, and producer Sohail Khan is set to make his reality show debut with Alliance. Calling it an opportunity to move beyond being only seen as “Salman Khan’s brother”, Sohail says, “In the show, there’s no family name to lean on. No industry clout. It’s just me, my mind, and how I play the game.” He adds,”If people walk away seeing a side of me they didn’t expect, good. That’s exactly why I’m here.”
What intrigued him
Having watched his brother, Salman, host a reality show for years, Sohail says he never saw himself entering the same until now because the format demanded something different. “I’ve seen what it takes, the energy, the drama, the emotional toll. And I always thought, ‘That’s his space, not mine’,” he says, adding, “Salman’s show is about personalities, conflicts and emotions. But this one is fundamentally different. It’s a game of the mind. Strategy. Outwitting people without them knowing they’ve been outwitted. That challenge appealed to me in a way nothing else has.”
Salman’s reaction
Ask him how Salman reacted when he decided to participate, Sohail says his brother was both encouraging and cautious. “He was intrigued. And then he said, ‘You sure you know what you’re getting into?’ Which, knowing him, is both a warning and a blessing. I’ll take it,” says the 55-year-old.
If the Khans played
Sohail also weighs in on what the Khan family dynamic would look like inside a reality TV show, saying each member would play the same role they do in real life. “The leader is obviously Salman…. He walks into any room and it reorganises itself around him,” he says, adding, “The peacemaker would probably be Arbaaz (Khan, actor-director). He listens, mediates and keeps everyone grounded. And the master strategist? I’d say me, but honestly, it might be my mother (Salma Khan). She’s been managing this family for decades. Three sons, three different personalities, three different egos. If that’s not master-level strategy, I don’t know what is.”
Advice for Nirvaan
As his son Nirvaan Khan, whom he shares with ex-wife, fashion designer Seema Sajdeh, prepares for his Bollywood debut, Sohail has one piece of advice: “He’s his own person. He’s going to find his own path, make his own mistakes and build his own career. The only thing I keep telling him is: be honest with yourself about why you want this. If it’s for the right reasons, the work will follow.”
Reflects on his journey
Reflecting on his journey, Sohail believes talent may open doors, but sustaining a career depends on relationships and instinct. “Talent gets you in the room. Relationships keep you there. And knowing when to trust someone, that’s what determines how far you go,” he says. “I’ve seen incredibly talented people fade because they couldn’t build the right partnerships. And I’ve seen others thrive because they understood loyalty and collaboration.”
For him, the most important alliance has been family. “Working with Salman, growing up around this industry, having that foundation,” he says. “But beyond that, every film I’ve produced or directed has been built on a partnership with someone I trusted. Some worked beautifully. Some didn’t. But each one taught me something about what I value in people, and that’s exactly the instinct I’ll need inside Alliance.”