Who says money can you buy anything? Hindi film superstar Salman Khan has discovered that all his riches and fame cannot get him the stallion he desires.
The Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) star is reported to have offered as much as Rs2 crore for a horse named Saqab, only to be turned down by Saqab's owner Siraj Pathan, according to the Associated News of India agency.
If it is any consolation for the star, Khan is not the first celebrity to be turned down by Pathan. In 2017, Punjab's famous political family, the Badals, had offered Rs1.11 crore for Saqab, only to be told by Pathan that the horse is not for sale.
Saqab is said to be one of his kind in India, with his match to be found only in the US and Canada. "Most horses begin at speed and slow down after a point. That's not the case with Saqab, he just keeps accelerating" his owner told the IANS news agency.
The owner admitted that Khan, through his agent, had expressed a desire to buy the horse for Rs2 crore. "A builder from Surat district made an offer of Rs 3.11 crore," he also revealed. If that offer didn't make Pathan blink, what chance did Khan stand?
The earliest owner of Saqab had named him Toofan, or Storm. The second owner had called him Pavan, or Wind. Pathan renamed him Saqab, “Prophet Muhammad's steed”.
Saqab’s mother was from the Pakistani-Sindhi breed while his father was from the Rajasthani-Sutharwali breed. Saqab has won 19 straight local races and is yet to lose. However, he has never run a competitive race on the racecourse.
Khan has a plush farmhouse in Panvel, about 45 km from Mumbai, where he also indulges in his hobby, horse-riding. Saqab would have been jewel of the farmhouse, but money alone won't help the actor win Pathan over.
Watch a video of Saqab below: