Former Indian cricketer Salim Durrani was a talented all-rounder and played a crucial role in several iconic victories for the Indian cricket team during the 1960s and 70s. However beyond his achievements on the field there was another fascinating side to his personality. He became the first Indian cricketer to step into the world of cinema while still actively playing and paving a way for others to follow in the years to come. Born on December 11 1934 in Kabul Afghanistan he was just 11 years old when his family moved to India following partition. He began playing cricket professionally while still in his teens. He later played 29 Tests for India between 1960 and 1973. Blessed with good looks and charming personality Salim Durrani was a favourite of the masses and one of the first Indian cricketers to dabble in endorsements and public appearances. Soon this extended to movie offers. Reports suggest that he initially turned down film opportunities to focus on his cricket career. However as more offers came his way he eventually decided to step in and accept one. In 1969 he made his film debut with Ek Masoom opposite Tanuja. Despite Tanuja and Durrani’s popularity the film failed to make an impact at the box office. After that Durrani returned to cricket for some time. In 1973 when his International cricket was coming to an end he made his second and final appearance on the silver screen. Director BR Ishara had spotted Parveen Babi at a party in Gujarat at a year earlier and was keen to launch her in films. However since she was a debutant no established hero was ready to work with her. That’s when Durrani entered! He starred with her as a lead hero in Chaitra but the movie failed at the box office. This marked the end of his acting career and he continued playing Ranji Tropy for four more seasons. After stepping away from the game he largely stayed out of the cricket limelight. On April 2 2023 the star cricketer passed away at the age of 88 due to cancer.