After firing at Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai on October 18, Salman Khan made his first public appearance on Thursday, October 22.

Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Rashmika Mandana, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi and Abhishek Banerjee were also present in this event.

Despite the heightened security, Salman was in his usual candid mood and made the audience laugh with his comments about IIFA and its hosting duties.

When the host asked Salman what he would name the film based on IIFA, the actor recalled the organizers’ first attempt to make the film in New York.

“IIFA tried to make a film in New York. It was a disaster. They didn’t try it after that,” Salman said.

He then shared a humorous account of how the cast was recruited to participate in the project.

“We were all part of it. They took us from our room to another room. Forcefully told us to shoot, at gunpoint, that we will not give you IIFA next time. We told them it won’t work, it won’t work, it won’t work, but they didn’t listen,” he added.

Salman also had a clear suggestion for Varun Dhawan, who will host IIFA 2027 in Abu Dhabi. When the host asked if he had any advice for Varun, Salman replied, “Don’t host.”

Explaining his reasoning, Salman said hosting can take around six hours. He then performed a hook step, suggesting the host should do it and leave. He said that those who have been entrusted with the work should be allowed to do so.

Salman’s appearance at the IIFA press conference comes amid heightened security concerns surrounding Bollywood celebrities following the shooting incident with Tiger Shroff.

After the incident, the security around Salman has also been tightened. Security has been increased outside their residence and bulletproof windows have been upgraded. The development comes amid reports that an investigation into the shooting targeting Tiger Shroff has suggested that Salman may have been the target.

According to sources, the shooters had allegedly raided Salman’s house, but seeing heavy security outside his house, they abandoned their plan. It is suspected that the assailants had turned their attention to Tiger Shroff, whose car was engulfed in flames on Sunday evening. The incident is under investigation.

Also Read: Video: Tiger Shroff Takes A Closer Look At His Injuries After Killing Bid To Fans