1. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)
Directed by: Sooraj Barjatya
Also starred: Sonam Kapoor 
Was about: A prince and a commoner — both Salman — trading places unwittingly, giving rise to a game of politics and greed.
The Salman we got to see: Was the Salman of many a Barjatya film — Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Hum Saath Saath Hain, plus rewind to his debut film Maine Pyar Kiya. Back after close to a decade, the saccharine-sweet good boy Prem was a break from the ‘Dabangg Tiger’ we have got used to seeing. And when he smiled that smile, it all seemed like the winter of ’89 — when Maine Pyar Kiya made him a heart-throb — once again.
Box office: Dissed by critics, Salman’s star power ensured that Prem Ratan Dhan Payo became a humongous hit — Rs 206 crore in India alone. 
t2 rating: 5/10. The film was a yawn, but Salman as Prem was largely a hoot. 

2. Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)
Directed by: Kabir Khan
Also starred: Kareena Kapoor, Harshaali Malhotra, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Was about: A good-hearted simpleton making it his life’s mission to reunite a six-year-old Pakistani girl with her parents — even if that means travelling 
to Pakistan without a passport!
The Salman we got to see: Was the one we had missed through the years —  Salman the actor. As Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman owned every minute of the film — pint-sized Harshaali Malhotra for company, his “best co-star ever” as Salman had told t2 — to come up with a performance that was 
heart-warming and emotional.
Box office: Unanimously loved by critics and cinegoers, Bajrangi Bhaijaan was the big Id winner of 2015, notching up Rs 320 crore at the India box office.
Record: Fastest Bollywood film to gross Rs 500 crore worldwide; with a TVR of 15.5 for its small-screen premiere, it’s the most watched film in the history of Indian TV; the second biggest Bolly blockbuster of all time, after PK. 
t2 rating: 9/10. Harshaali was the real scene-stealer, but an earnest Salman sealed the deal in a film that brought on a smile even as it teased a tear. 

3. KICK (2014)
Directed by: Sajid Nadiadwala
Also starred: Jacqueline Fernandez, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Randeep Hooda
Was about: A masked vigilante robbing the rich to fund the treatment of young children. And yes, he also sings, dances and pulls off some daredevil stunts (none with more swag than the saunter across the train tracks in front of a speeding train).
The Salman we got to see: Was the crowd-pleaser — romantic hero to no-nonsense caped crusader to crazy comic. We especially loved his comic scenes with Mithun Chakraborty. And who can forget Salman’s Devi/ Devil gyrating to Saat samundar paar as he “seduces” Randeep’s upright cop?
Box office: Greeted by ho-hum reviews, Kick, as expected, tore through the box office to earn Rs 233 crore in the domestic market. 
t2 rating: 6/10. Nawaz was better, so was Randeep. But Salman did what he does — fire the screen with his star power, with or without that mask. 

4. Jai Ho (2014)
Directed by: Sohail Khan
Also starred: Tabu, Daisy Shah
Was about: An ex-army officer fighting to devise a system by which citizens help each other... but that’s easier said than done.
The Salman we got to see: Was a lacklustre act in his weakest film since Veer. Salman was just going through the paces, only coming into his own when he had to land a punch or a punchline. 
Box office: The slow burner still managed to vault the Rs 100-crore barrier. At Rs 116 crore in India, remains one of Salman’s “low earners” in recent times. 
Record: Jai Ho was Salman’s seventh 100-crore film in a row, a first in the history of Indian cinema.
t2 rating: 4/10. Not even Salman — fiery fists and blazing eyes in a few scenes — could save Jai Ho 
from being a big bore. 

5.  Dabangg 2 (2012)
Directed by: Arbaaz Khan
Also starred: Sonakshi Sinha
Was about: Maverick cop Chulbul Pandey back in the saddle, this time to take on Prakash Raj’s Bachcha Singh.  
The Salman we got to see: Was a far less fun version of the one we had loved in Dabangg. Salman as Chulbul Pandey brought on some laughs and ceetees-taalis, but this Chulbul lacked the chutzpah of 2010.
Box office: “Swagat nahin karoge aap hamara?” asked Chulbul and the box office gave him a thumping welcome — worth a cool Rs 170 crore.
t2 rating: 6.5/10. Only for some Salmanisms.

6. Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
Directed by: Kabir Khan
Also starred: Katrina Kaif
Was about: An Indian RAW agent falling in love with a Pakistani ISI officer. And then begins a race spanning continents and timelines as the two try to save themselves and protect their love story.
The Salman we got to see: Was quintessential Salman — loverboy to larger-than-life hero — as he hopped, skipped and jumped from Dublin to Istanbul to Havana. And yes, he and Katrina did make a pretty picture together.
Box office: Salman and Kabir Khan’s first film together spelt box-office gold. An Independence Day release, Tiger drew in the crowds by crores, resulting in a Rs 199 crore haul.
t2 rating: 8/10. From the daredevil chase — ala James Bond — in the opening sequence to the stylishly done motorbike-helicopter getaway in the climax, Salman was in top form in and as Tiger. We loved!

7. Bodyguard (2011)
Directed by: Siddique
Also starred: Kareena Kapoor
Was about: A young woman falling in love with her gullible bodyguard. But mistaken identities and misunderstandings drive them apart. 
The Salman we got to see: Was, in one word, cute. Salman captured the innocence of a simpleton with a heart of gold who was more than capable of rolling up his sleeves and go biff, bam, boom.
Box office: Rs 160 crore was what Bodyguard netted at the end of its one-month run, all thanks to Salman. 
t2 rating: 6/10. Salman as a bodyguard was fun, even though Bodyguard the film wasn’t.

8. READY (2011)
Directed by: Anees Bazmee
Also starred: Asin
Was about: A young man in love trying to win over his girlfriend’s family, but with a slight problem: they are all gangsters! 
The Salman we got to see: Was able to easily switch gears from romantic hero to muscle-flexing hunk, even as he tickled our funnybone with his antics. Vintage SK!
Box office: Ready was yet another winner for Salman, easily breaching the Rs 100-crore mark. Its eventual box-office count in India alone: a cool Rs 120 crore.
t2 rating: 7/10. There was something about this dhinka chika Salman.

9. Dabangg (2010)
Directed by: Abhinav Singh Kashyap
Also starred: Sonakshi Sinha
Was about: An eccentric cop mending his corrupt ways to give us a film that promised “entertainment, entertainment, entertainment”.
The Salman we got to see: “Who’s that guy ?!” we went as corrupt cop Chulbul Pandey blazed into our screens — cool one-liner on moustachioed lip and cool RayBan on back of collar — giving us a character we loved from the first frame to the last. A true paisa-vasool moment: when that shirt flew off Salman’s power pecs.
Box office: A resounding winner, Dabangg thumped its way to Rs 141 crore.
t2 rating: 9/10. Cool and unapologetic. Yes, we love Robin Hood Pandey!

10. Veer (2010)
Directed by: Anil Sharma
Also starred: Zarine Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff
Was about: Salman going back in history — yes, he wrote the script himself — to craft a tale of romance and retribution. Easily Salman’s worst — and worst performing — film in the last decade.
The Salman we got to see: Disinterested and boring in a film that was a drag. 
Box office: At just Rs 58 crore, Veer is Salman’s biggest flop in a long, long time.
t2 rating: 3/10. This was a Salman we didn’t like watching (most of us didn’t watch it at all).