Mumbai: Indian actress Raveena Tandon says superstar Salman Khan -- opposite whom she made her film debut with the 1991 entertainer "Patthar Ke Phool" -- has always stood by her in times of need when others turned their back.

During an appearance on Zee Classic's "My Life My Story", Raveena spoke about her equation with Salman, read a statement.

She said: "Salman and I used to fight a lot on trivial issues... We have fought over a bubble gum! But honestly, Salman is a fantastic person at heart. If I have to name one person who has stood by my side as a friend, it would be him.

"All others turn their back in times of need, but Salman has always fulfilled his promise as a friend. He was always there for me when I needed him."

The actress, who will next be seen on screen in "Maatr - The Mother", was born to director Ravi Tandon, but she never wanted to get launched by him.

On "My Life My Story", Raveena revealed that while Salman was looking for his leading lady in "Patthar Ke Phool", he had visited the sets of her ad film to evaluate her work. What followed was a series of calls from Salim Khan and G.P. Sippy to her father, asking him to convince Raveena for the film. Raveena then agreed to do the film.

The episode featuring Raveena will air on Saturday.