Sooraj Pancholi was still working as an assistant director to Kabir Khan onEk Tha Tiger, when he bagged his debut film Hero, on his birthday(July 5).

One hears that Kabir and his crew had thrown the young lad a birthday bash and it was in the wee hours of the morning that Salman came up to his room and told him he'll be launching him. Salman was sure that Sooraj has what it takes to make him a star and hence the Bollywood superstar offered him his debut before he had a subject in place for him. It was a year and more later that Sooraj was told he will star in the remake of the Subhash Ghai's 1983 hit, Hero.