Before it rained channels...

We got our cable connection in the year 1999 during the England cricket World Cup.

Maybe now its unthinkable but I still cherish the memories of the loads of fun I used to have while switching channels from doordarshan 1 to metro, 10 years back. That was a time when our televisions didn’t have a cable connection. I used to be a TV freak then (Now I limit my viewing to impeccable stuff only) I still remember I appeared for an interview to get an admission in Calcutta Boys school, half hearted and my mind wandering off distractedly to the Shaktimaan episode I was going to miss. Yes, I was rebuked, scolded by my parents for doing so but I never regret the fact till now. And of course, I did not get the admission, less due to my allegiance to Mukesh Khanna and mainly due to the fairly large sum of ‘donation’ asked by the principal from my father.Apologies for digressing. Yes, Television, even if restricted to two channels, was a treat for me to savour everyday. Fond memories are attached to the incomparable Chhuti chhuti which used to be aired on DD 1 during the summer holidays. From puppet shows to cartoons, from children’s movies to informative capsules, it had it all to hook me on to the tube after a reluctant study session and a brisk bath. Ahh those were the days. As the golden sunshine came streaming in through the flimsy curtains used to block it in our drawing room, I used to have sips of lemon cordial made by my Mom and devour the show attentively. Sometimes I wonder, the kind of attention I have given towards Tv and Cinema and books, if a certain percebtage of it was contributed towards Mathematics, Sanskrit, tuitions, classes and studies in a whole, then I would have been a topper of sorts. I was attentive. I had concentration but number one it was short lived and number two, it was directed towards the pursuit of seemingly alluring things which the society and specifically parents consider, or used to consider, as useless. Now of course the perception has changed, partly due to the indispensable medium of communication the Tv is and the maximum attraction of the parents themselves towards the so called idiot box. So Chhuti chhuti was one such program. I was introduced to Feluda and Goopi gyne Bagha byne and Satyajit Ray per se thanks to the wonderful program, which I strongly feel should be revived today. Trust me. Even if the advent of reality shows, soaps, cartoons and 100 odd channels have made their mark on the minds of even toddlers, a fair dose of a chhuti chhuti season would be lapped up with equal significance and curiosity for the things lost and suddenly found.

And of course, who could forget the cartoons in the afternoons? Starting from the 4 o clock slot. Well, I am still unaware of the cartoons that used to precede the 4 o clock timing as I was forcibly made to take a nap during afternoons which I completely abhorred and now passionately long for, by my mother, and which failing to do so attract a thwack out of nowhere on my cheeks of anywhere on my body. So there were many afternoons when I used to lay down, pretend to sleep and in the core of my mind, desire the crawling minutes to speed up and pass on quickly. So whether it be the mickey mouse cartons or swat kats or duckwing duck or duck tales or even super human samurai, they were jewels for me. An everyday treat to my huge appetite for cartoons at that time, which was curbed and eventually was lost after the horrible afternoon tuitions started and instead of watching cartons or playing in the field with my friends, I had to sling a bag and with a heavy heart bid goodbye to my passions and enter the dark dingy world of private tuitions. I can find the flicker of that passion for cartoons in me today in flashes, if I spot a spongebob squarepants episode or if I pick up a calvin and hobbes essential. That time, I didn’t used to miss a single carton any day. I was reluctant to visit my relations due to it, which would draw flak from everybody, and embarrassingly from my relations too.

And then as the day proceeded, there were the serials. Those nostalgic pieces of sunshine which are still deep embedded on the storehouse of my fond reminiscences which make me up and feeds me when I long for my past, uncluttered simple existence. Shrimaan Shrimati. All the best. Naya Nukkad. Non-stop nonsense. Dekh bhai dekh. Bengali soaps which I used to share with my teary eyed mother sitting beside me, like janani and janmabhoomi. I used to be delighted with the background cackling audio which would be set on after each dialogue of hilarity mouthed by some of the best TV stars. I used to go crazy if I wasn’t allowed to watch non-stop nonsense, the comedy series which employed animosity as one of the principle tools of tickling your funny bone-a german extravaganza and an exotic delight for me. When I saw the series a couple of years back or so in a TV channel with its original name of ‘didi’ retained, I was not only bored but also surprised of my lack of interest in the show which was more attractive to me in my childhood than anything else. I guess my passion has left me and have been usurped by News and other shows on TV today. And then came two whoppers of a serial-the danny denzongpa starrer feisty Ajnabi and the family drama Junoon. Both of which was a must watch by me and my mother. The haunting track of Ajnabi still lingers in my mind and the powerful performance of Danny was a true achievment in his career. I didn’t find such an interest in junoon though. Sea Hawks, Captain Vyom, Captain house were the other adventurous soaps which were good timepasses. There was another soap starring neena gupta and a person whose screen name was Mr. Bajaj (I forget its name) loved by my Mom. News, I abhorred at that time. I loathed it if my Dad used to see the 7 o clock DD bulletin, a common practice among Bengali families at that time. Friday night movies were appealing by I had my own limits which restricted my Tv viewing till 10 in the night lest I fail to wake up at 5.30 in the morning next day and go to school. And weekends were not an exception. I also remember having a trifle interest in watching a Japanese soap aired generally during the odd hours of the afternoon.

Of course, apart from my daily diet of cartoons and comedies, bollywood used to be my staple too. From that time onwards I tried to track the happenings around the tinsel town, partly from shows on bolly news and scoops (the names of which I forget) and partly from scouting the entertainment pages in the newspaper. Though I was not so particular as I am now, still I made it a point to watch those shows whenever I was not watching anything else. The epical ‘Durga Durgatinashini’ aired on every mahalaya was a visual and audio wonder which I used to savour with my sleepy eyes at 5 o clock in the morning. Byomkesh bakshi was an occasional treat for me. A word about the brilliant advertisements that used to come on TV at that time. Who can forget the nirma super commercial which I chant even now? The energy of Lifebuoy, the simplicity of spredit margarine, the melody of vicco turmeric, the curiosity of deluxe nirodh, the fun of lijjat papad, the freshness of pepsi and coke and so on and so forth. Those gems are still considered as some of the bests by different admen today. But there were times, when I used to be saddened by the fact that a cricket match was not telecasted on doordarshan and on a private cable channel instead. Or when my friends used to chatter ceaselessly of topics related to programmes on cable channels. But a sneak peek of a half an serial on DD would revive me instantaneously. And when I began longing for cable TV, after its widespread appeal began to entice people from all quarters of life, I knew in my mind that no amount of shows on DD can hold me to it any longer. The pure innocent childhood days were slowly starting to get corrupted by the advent of modernity and advancement.

So that’s the long and short of it. It was a classy episode in my life where I infused a spirit in a seeming lifeless matter. Two channels and a lot to explore. Nowadays, there have been several occasions when I have surfed the 100 channels on my set top box and haven’t been able to stick to one due to the uninteresting drab shown in the channels. That is when I wish that the DD serials and the cartoons be re introduced for people like me who still swear by them. Television was a passion then, Now it’s a tendency.

Always an Admirer...

A very close link to my identity that has been established in these years is the fact that I am an unconditional fan of Bollywood actor Salman Khan. People who know me also know that I am his fan. And for those who doesnt, its a sorry state of affairs for them. If I look back, I see years of fandom and a throbbing excitement for the actor, which has turned into devotion after many years of reading about him, in fact 'studying' him. Very rarely I have come across such characters who are so very interesting. And with Salman I can very well say that he is as simple as a person can be and as complex as one can be. Thriving in contradictions and thinking straight from his heart, the man stumbles, flares up, cries and smiles at the end of it all. He is a preacher, a sinner, a lover, a child, a father, a fool, a street smart and thus with such a chord of multi faceted extremeties dwelling within him, a misunderstood.

Anyways, analyzing his character will take loads of time and space and more research. In this post of mine, I am announcing the entry of a dissertation which I had done on the life and times of the actor while I was pursuing my post graduation in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism. Its direct, factual and objective with a smatter of personal leverage here and there. I consider it as a fair achievement on my part to put down my research on the actor for so many years on paper and submit it as a serious topic of discussion, analysis and remarks alongside topics ranging from drought situation, Bilateral relations and other subjects of seemingly serious value. For me, I had my heart in its place and I feel it was a bold attempt for me to write a 10000 words dissertation on the actor in college.

Thanks you, Abhishek Chatterjee for inspiring me with your topic of dissertation.

I would use this opportunity to make my dissertation public and also thank my brother Mr. Raj Sen Gupta, who inculcated and propelled the hero-worship in me. This is also dedicated to all my friends and acquaintances who have supported my fanship and admiration for the star and above all the human being through thicks and thins.

Always an admirer.

Preface and Chapter-1

SALMAN KHAN-The Good, The Bad, The Misunderstood...

Yashodeep Sengupta
Television Stream
Asian College of Journalism

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am indebted to Ms. Subhasini Dinesh, my mentor, for approving the topic for my dissertation. Biswadeep Ghosh’s book on Salman Khan has also helped me a lot to confirm my research done on the actor.

I would also like to thank my parents and Ms. Jayashree Mukherjee for helping me with my research.
PREFACE
So what’s so unique about this man that I chose to examine him in my paper?
Those who keep a track of his activities would know how adventurous his career is-how full of crests and crevasses his journey has been. How many times has he got into trouble, how often has he reached the pinnacles of success and how frequently has he tasted dust. Written off by some of the people from the movie fraternity, he is looked up and admired by millions in the country and abroad.
I take this opportunity to trace the journey of the character till now and scrutinize the events that have surrounded him and how have they reflected on his nature and work. I would also recapitulate his road to stardom and the innumerable potholes and pits he had to endure, some nearly resulting in devastation and the untimely end of his illustrious career.
For my reference I have largely drawn from Biswadeep Ghosh’s book Salman Khan : The Hall of Fame (co-written by the editors of Stardust, Magna book, First edition-2004)) I have also extensively used articles from newspapers and websites.

So what moulds the man? What makes him? What mars him? What makes him THE Salman Khan?

I present to you—Salman Khan-The Good, The Bad, The “Misunderstood” (*)

(*) – As said by Amitabh Bachchan (The Hall of Fame, Biswadeep Ghosh)

CHAPTER 1 : Lights Camera…ACTION !!

Biswadeep’s book offers a glimpse of Salman Khan’s troubled childhood with his parents having their share of problems which he and his brother Arbaaz were witness to. Most of the times Salma (Mother) would translate her sheer insecurity towards Salim”s (Father) mingling with women, to quarrels. It had a strong, unpleasant and disturbing impact on the children. “ I remember the terrible quarrels they had”, Salman was to tell Stardust years later. “My dad used to try and explain things to my Mom, tell her that there was nothing between him and those women. But Mama was too consumed by jealousy.” There were times when the children, including the eldest Salman used to get beaten up by their father. There was an incident when, young Salman and Arbaaz emulated a martial art movement and in the process left ugly imprints on the wall. When their father saw it, he turned livid but the kids had already locked themselves up in the bathroom. When Salim’s anger turned into repeated threats with dire consequences, the two came out but were showered with the worst thrashing of their life. Such a situation was an unpleasant reality for Salman who was always introvert and wanted to see familial harmony and peace around him. When Salim Khan decided to marry actress Helen, it left Salma shattered. For a person who loved his mother a lot, it was very shocking for Salman to see his mother in such pain. “My mother just couldn’t take it. It hurt her terribly. When she cried, we children used to cry with her.”, Salman was to tell years later. But the Salman of today loves Helen as much as he loves his mother. As a student, Salman was an average joe. The young Salman studied in St. Stanislaus in Bandra. Poor in Mathematics and not even close to his brother Arbaaz who was brilliant in his studies, he never earned the ire of his teachers, though. Dev Sharma, who taught mathematics to Salman during his schooldays is full of praise for his now celebrity pupil. “I never had any complaints against Salman with regards to his academics because he was a lovely student and very involved in extra curricular activities like drama and other competitions.” How was he as a person? Was he a brat? Arrogant or any of the adjectives that the media pile on to him now? Confirms Sharma, “He was very friendly with everyone and never gave anyone trouble inside the school premises.” Salman was also quite popular during those days. Coming from a family where his father was such a renowned scriptwriter, he sure did harbour an interest to join the movie world but was never haughty or held himself superior to others. According to the teacher, Salman hasn’t let success go to his head, and is still the same respectful person he used to be. Still now, he finds out time to visit them for any function. “I still find in him the same warmth that he had as a child.”, confides Sharma. He adds that “ He’d never get angry and used to be really cool-headed. So I get shocked every time I read about his temper and the media calling him a hot-headed person, because I’ve never seen that side of him in school.” The quiet recluse that Salman was in school was a pole apart from the brash and impulsive man he later grew up to become. Drissula Fernandes, another teacher from his school adores the person Salman is. “If he loved you, he loved you very deeply.”, she reveals. The lady recalls that how after a near fatal accident of Arbaaz Khan, Salman called up Fernandes first and asked her to help them because their parents were not present home. At that time Salman was only 15 years old. “My heart has been weeping for him for the last couple of years. It was as if my own son was going through all the turbulence.”, recalls the teacher years later when Salman has been a part of many controversies surrounding his personal life. During his childhood, Salman was a good sportsman who excelled in the games of cricket, football, hockey, swimming and bicycling. His family wanted him to become a sportsman and was not at all keen on him becoming an actor. But as destiny would have it, Salman went on to become one of the most successful stars in the Indian film industry.

Salman’s family, today is the epitome of communal harmony. The family consists of people belonging to different religions. While younger brother Sohail’s wife, Seema and sister Alvira’s husband Atul Agnihotri are Hindus and stepmother Helen and Arbaaz’s wife, Malaika are Christians, the rest belongs to the Islam religion. Everyone dotes on the adopted kid Arpita too. The days when Salman and the other kids were tormented by odd moments of insecurity have been buried. The family, that stands now is happy and united. There have been numerous media reports about gala celebrations held in the Khan household-be it a birthday bash, or festival celebrations, or simply inviting the who’s who of Tinsel town over a supper of Gohsht biryani, Salman’s favourite dish, when a football match is on- The family’s hospitality is appreciated and loved by one and all. Even Fatwas issued by Muslim clergies and groups for his participation in Ganesha Chathurti festival and expressing his desire to play Lord Rama on screen haven’t been able to stifle Salman secular mindset.

It all started…

As it happens to all wannabe Bollywood stars, Salman was also starry eyed about joining the Hindi movie industry but not once did the fact that he can get an added leverage as he is the son of renowned scriptwriter Salim Khan, came in his mind. He started off as a model but was considered unfit to be one as he was very short in height and very thin. In his initial days, Salman assisted director Shashilal Nair, during the making of Falak, a film written by his father, Salim khan, which had Jackie Shroff in the lead. The film did not work at the box office but it got good response from the critics. J.K Bihari’s Biwi ho to Aisi happened to be the launching pad for the actor. Though the film was unspectacular and Salman had a lean physique, he was noted as an actor who had the energy and potential to make it big in the industry. Soon he started working out dedicatedly and now sports one of the most enviable and amazing physiques in Bollywood. He was labeled as a superstar with Rajshri’s grand production Maine Pyaar Kiya which transformed him into an overnight hero and the favourite poster boy for all his female fans. The film was declared a superhit nationwide. Soon more hits like Baaghi and Sanam Bewafa followed and they made him the most saleable actor in the industry. During that period, his career was headed towards a direction where nothing could go wrong. Producer actor Viveck Vaswani went to the extent of paying him the ultimate compliment. “I would not say that Salman is the second best selling star after Amitabh (Bachchan) but would say that he is the first, the most saleable star today.” So how was he able to achieve so much success in so short a period of time? “Luck”, Salman is quoted in Biswadeep’s book. He said that he always knew that he would make it someday but also believed that he had a lot to achieve. Salman even made a massive impact in two hero flicks like Saajan where he teamed up with Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit. But his run was stopped midway in the tracks by box office duds like Suryavanshi, Ek Ladka Ek Ladki, Dil Tera Aashiq and Chandramukhi. Reporters were just on the verge of writing down his professional obituary, when a path-breaking film called Hum Aapke hain Kaun happened, arguably, the most successful commercial film in the history of Indian Cinema. As Salman says, “The good things about bad times are that they always come to an end.” According to the entertainment trade web site ibosnetwork.com, among the top 20 films of the 1990s, five of them stars Salman Khan, namely Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Karan Arjun and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. In his book, Biswadeep observes that Salman ‘acted’ the least on screen. He tries to be as natural as possible, which is clear winner among his fans. “For me, acting comes straight from the heart. In that sense I don’t act at all”, says Salman. So in spite of quite a few flops in his career, he managed to retain his superstardom among the audience with hits like Jeet, Judwaa, Tere naam, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, No Entry and Partner. Biswadeep also examines that after the two popular Kapoors, in the industry-Shammi and Rishi, Salman is the only actor to have had the confidence to act with so many newcomer actresses in films. The list includes Bhagyashree, Revathy, Raveena Tandon and Ayesha Jhulka. He is one of the few stars to have four or more releases in one year (1998), which were all hits – ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hain’, ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’, ‘Bandhan’, ‘Jab Pyar Kisse Se Hota Hain’. ‘Biwi No.1’, ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’ were the top grosser in the year 1999. In 1994, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’ smashed ‘Sholay’ records (gross) to become the biggest grosser film at that time and did excellent business in the overseas for a Bollywood film. It was the first film to do business of over Rs. 10 crores in the overseas market. He has also done a number of guset appearances in films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Stumped, Sirf Tum, Deewana Mastana, Baghban just to extend a noble hand to his director and actor friends in the industry. Salman has also acted in a Hollywood movie , directed by Wiiliam Carrold and co starring Ali Larter, called Marigold. Today reports show that he is one of the biggest stars of the country and has made a brand name for himself in the industry.

Chapter-2

CHAPTER 2 : CUT IT !!

Hit and Run
Salman Khan and controversies almost sound synonymous. Be it the Land Cruiser incident or the Black Buck shooting case, the actor gets the worst of troubles in his kitty. It was alleged that the actor mowed down some people sleeping outside American Express bakery on Hill road junction in Bandra, Mumbai. He was returning home from a party at Enigma, a pub, in his Land Cruiser when the incident happened. It was 2.30 in the early hours of September 27, 2002.

In what could not be more unfortunate, the accident killed one of the pavement dwellers, who were the workers of the bakery, and caused serious injuries to three other individuals. The victim was later identified as Nurullah Mehboob Sharif, aged 38 years. He was crushed to death under the wheels on the spot. The injured were quickly rushed to the Bhabha hospital.

According to reports, minutes after the incident, onlookers gathered around the scene and started pelting stones at Salman who fled the spot immediately. Apparently, he was the one behind the wheels and was in an inebriated condition. He was accompanied by singer Kamaal Khan, his bodyguard Ravindra Patil and driver Altaaf. Patil said that initially it was Altaf who was driving. Later, Salman decided to stop the car and meet somebody for a few minutes. After that brief halt, he took over the charge of the car and started cruising the vehicle at a speed of 70kmph. Patil claimed that the actor turned around to speak with him and that is precisely when he lost control over the car. He managed to steer the Landcruiser, some how, away from an electric pole, and ended up climbing over the pavement and ramming the car into the bakery. Unfortunately, the pavement was not deserted. Ravindra Patil filed a complaint with the police immediately after the incident. According to a report in Rediff.com (as written in The Hall of Fame) , when the police rushed to his house to question him, Salman slipped out through the back door said Assistant inspector Nitish Yadav. The next morning every newspaper, every news channel and news portal carried the news which shook the whole Industry- “Salman gets bail in Hit and Run Case” (28 september 2002 indiatimes.com) ; “Salman scoots after crash and kill- surrender comes eight hours after runnimg over pavement dwellers” (The Telegraph September 29, 2002). Critics concluded that this was the last straw and slammed Salman’s career. Analysts predicted his doom and everybody was sure that he was not to be seen in the comforts of his sea facing house for a long time. Maharashtra deputy chief minister, Chhagan Bhujbal said, according to an NDTV report (as written in The Hall of Fame) , “It was not a case of a simple accident, where a person was mowed down while crossing the road but a clear case of sheer negligence on the part of Salman”. He was also surprised at the fact that the actor, who surrendered at 11 am next day, was released on bail…..just after a few hours. “However this perhaps would not have been possible in case of a common man”, he added. Amidst all, there were allegations that the Mumbai police were taking the case easy. After this, events took up new shape every day. Salman asserted that he was not behind the wheels when the accident took place, his bodyguard was, but the police wrote it off as there were too many eye-witness accounts which confirmed its falsity. Patil is himself said to have told the cops that leave aside being behind the wheels, he does not even know how to drive. Later Salman admitted that he was indeed driving the car when the accident took place. Moreover Salman did not have a license the day he was driving. His blood test revealed double the permissible alcohol level.

Soon his passport was confiscated and was asked not to leave the country and report to the Bandra police station whenever his cooperation was required. On the 7th of October, the actor was officially arrested and produced before a Metropolitan Magistrate Court after he had surrendered before the Bandra Police. He was remanded to three days in police custody. The actor surrendered after the prosecution arrived at the decision of booking him under Section 304 of the Indian penal code for Culpable homicide not amounting to murder. He had to pay monetary compensations to the families of the victim and the injured.

Earlier there had been cases when actors Puru Rajkumar and Tanuja had been involved in hit and run cases like this and got away unscathed, by paying a mere fine.

Reactions poured in from all directions in abundance. The vicious Salman-bashing in the press and more secretly within the film industry continued.

"If I had my way, I'd tie Salman to a stake. He brings a bad name to the entire industry," says a young and famous filmmaker. "Thanks to people like him, we're looked on as debauched, hedonistic evil creatures. For god's sake, he has killed a human being. Let's not waste any sympathy on him." (18 Oct 2002, 1244 hrs IST, ASHWINI DESHMUKH TOI)

"Salman had this coming to him for a long time. What you do to others finally comes around to you," says an actress who has witnessed the actor's bad behaviour with one of his many girlfriends. "Salman has no respect for women, or for that matter men. His close group of cronies have been pampering his ego, encouraging his bad behaviour to a point where he thought he could get away with anything." (18 Oct 2002, 1244 hrs IST, ASHWINI DESHMUKH TOI)

"Salman is a rich man and he can get away... I just hope I get normal and start earning for my family," said Abdullah sheikh, one of the injured. (Monday September 30,2002 rediff.com)

But the industry men, known to support the actor during his lows, proved their mettle this time too. Friends and members of the fraternity like Mahima Chaudhry, Puneet Issar, Kishan Kumar vocally shored up Salman’s case. “I think the media is blowing this accident out of proportion. Why aren't people talking about Salman's good side? He is already miserable about what happened. I am sure he will look after the family of the victims till the end. I am not defending him. But I have known him from the last 22 years.” Said the veteran actor Puneet Issar in Rediff.com They narrated incidents when the actor went out of his way to help accident victims. Friends pointed out how Salman helped Babloo Mukherjee (Keshto Mukherjee’s son) and a lawyer when they met with accidents on and lay unattended.

Columnists like Pritish Nandy tried to present a balanced view and played the Devil’s advocate in this case.

“There are many accidents on Mumbai’s streets every day, tragic accidents in which lives are lost, but we do not file cases of willful murder against those who are involved in them unless there is strong evidence to conclude that it was a wanton and willful act. In Salman’s case no such evidence existed. What existed instead was hostile public opinion that virtually forced the police to imprison him….Whether he is a brat or not is not the issue. The issue is that. the media has actually set him up to be lynched and the politicians, always looking for an opportunity, have exploited it.” (Lynch mob is out to get Salman 18 Jul 2005, 1025 hrs IST, Pritish Nandy, Times News Network)

A Public interest Litigation was filed against the actor calling for psychiatric treatment on October 4th 2002 by activists Nikhil Vagle,Nilu Damle, Sudha Kulkarni and the Mumbai based Mahila dakshata samiti.

Salman urged a sessions court on march 6, 2003 to drop the charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in his case. He appealed that he was one of the breadwinners of his family and his family needs his support.

He got into a fracas later as it was proved that the Land Cruiser Salman was driving that fateful night did not belong to him. It was instead, owned by some Abdul rahim.

So how was it like for the actor in jail, for the first time? “It was educational. It was meant to be. I had to see that side. Perhaps, I needed to go inside. I’ve always seen only luxuries and good things in life. Never seen discomfort. There are so many people who are in jail for no fault of theirs and they are suffering. It was very unfortunate.”said Salman as mentioned in Biswadeep’s book. He disclosed how he was unable to help the victims by taking them to the hospital which was 20 metres away. “The thing I’m saddest about is the mother whose son died and whom I’ve still not met because if I meet her someone will say I’m trying to buy evidence. Her condition makes me most sad. Her image keeps coming back to me whenever I try to sleep. It haunts me”

Barely six weeks after the hit and run case, Salman met with another road accident this time at Deolali Camp, 10 km from Nasik in Maharashtra. But this time, luckily, no body was injured. On July 17, 2004 The Hindu reported how Salman Khan saved two accident victims in front of his house. The newspaper reported “Salman rushed to help the three youngsters trapped in a Lancer that crashed into an electric pole in front of Galaxy apartments and removed them before he accompanied them to Lilawati Hospital, the police said.” But this incident was reflected much less in the media. More so, because he refused to comment anything to the media.

The Black Buck shooting case

Salman khan was sentenced to 1 year of rigorous imprisonment in 2006 for killing two Black bucks, an endangered species of deer, in 1998, while shooting for the film Hum Saath saath hai in Jodhpur. He was also fined a sum of Rs.5000 by a sessions court. He was convicted under the Wildlife Protection Act. It was one of four cases filed against the actor for poaching endangered animals. Seven other accused in the case, including actor Satish Shah, were acquitted in the case by Chief Judicial Magistrate B K Jain. Salman was also accompanied by actors Tabu, Neelam, Sonali bendre and Saif Ali khan. In 1998, when the stars were first arrested, Salman was denied a bail though Saif was granted an anticipatory bail. Another case against him was connected with the killing of Chinkara (Indian gazelle) . Local Bishnoi villagers consider wildlife sacred and worship the species as their deity. On Oct 12, 1998 Rediff.com reported that when the unit came in, a local told them that poaching was not allowed and that the blackbuck was an endangered species that should not be harmed. There were even notices put up in the jungle, saying we shouldn't poach. Despite this the stars moved ahead with their decision. The World Wildlife fund for India also called for a boycott of the stars from all the sections of the society. The driver who accompanied the team to the forest, Harish, initially testified against Salman . He said that the actor was the prime accused since he killed all five animals with a .22 rifle and a revolver. The others were said to be onlookers. Things took a nasty turn when Rajasthan’s forest manager alleged that the actors later on feasted on the meat of the killed animals. But later, Harish backtracked from his earlier statement. Prosecution witness Dayal Singh, during cross examination by Khan’s counsel Hastimal saraswat, also denied before the Chief Judicial magistrate that he made any statement to the police. Later, about a dozen witnesses turned hostile in the case. There are still widespread belief that they were either threatened or bribed.

After a week long stint in jail, Salman recounted how life in the jail was very scary. Speaking to Subha Shetty-Saha in bharatwaves.com, (http://www.bharatwaves.com/news/Life-in-jail-was-very-scary-9546.html) he reveals “It looks all very cool to an outsider. The state of the jail is so bad and when I offered to take care of some amenities, I was not allowed. I think some human rights guys should go there and check on these things. It is horrible for humans to stay in such places.”

Vivek Alleges

Not even two years have passed after the Land Cruiser incident and Salman came out of prison, one event came to the forefront which resonated memories of a turbulent affair between Salman and Aishwarya Rai. A then newcomer in the industry, Vivek Oberoi, son of actor Suresh Oberoi called a press conference on April 1 2003 to inform the public that Salman had made 41 calls to his mobile on the 29th of March. He accused the actor of threatening him with dire consequences in an inebriated state, and claiming that Vivek was “having physical relationships with Aishwarya rai, Diya Mirza, Rani Mukherjee and Somy Ali” (as written in Salman Khan : The Hall of Fame.) At that time the young actor was the new beau in Aishwarya’s life. Vivek even went to the extent of saying that “Salman’s career is over which is why he was reacting so badly” Coming from a fresh entrant in Bollywood, this step against Salman came as a shock to the industry. While most of the industry people trashed Vivek’s argument, there were some who believed it. When Mid-Day asked Salman whether or not Vivek had over reacted, the actor made his views clear.. “That’s his reaction. I don’t know the guy.”. In countless interviews that followed, Salman Khan appeared stoic and amused at his colleague's bitter recriminations. "Don't worry, it is nothing, nothing at all. Please don't write anything about it. Vivek Oberoi is a kid who has just discovered the joys of stardom. He will learn with time. I will cope with this problem, just like I have with all my other problems." (Subhash K Jha April 03, 2003 rediff.com.) The Industry members stood rock solid in support of Salman and criticized Vivek’s action as juvenile. In an article in Rediff.com ( April 4, 2003) Kareena Kapoor reacts by saying that, "If he had a problem with Salman, why could he not solve it instead of going to the press?” Actor Suneil Shetty also expressed his disgust- “I thought it was in very bad taste. Everyone believes Vivek has done it for publicity.” Others like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Abhishek Bachhan also wrote off Vivek’s press meet as disgraceful. Four years later in August 2007, Vivek publicly apologized Salman in the 10th Rajiv Gandhi Awards function by bowing down and catching his ears in front of the latter but Salman was not ready to forgive him. Even Vivek’s gesture to patch up relations with Arbaaz khan during the shooting of Shootout at Lokhandwala and his visit to the Lilavati hospital when Salman’s mother was unwell and admitted to the hospital were not able to shake the actor from his stance.

Underworld

If those were not enough, Salman also had his brush with the underworld. He was the lead actor of the 2000 flick Chori chori chupke chupke. It was alleged that the film was funded by the underworld. Producer Nazim Rizvi was arrested on December 13, 2000 for his links with the underworld. On 20 august 2002, rediff.com carried an article which mentioned that the actor received telephonic threats from the underworld. According to police sources, Khan received a call from a Chhota Rajan aide demanding Rs 30 million. His brother, Sohail khan also received extortion call from the underworld demanding “goodwill money” for his debut film as an actor, Maine Dil tujhko Diya.

Chapter-3

CHAPTER 3 : THE MEDIA REACTS

Salman and the Indian media have always been at loggerheads. The actor has been openly critical about the media and have time and again shown defiant attitude towards the industry. Getting into a number of scuffles and fracas, Salman became the gossipmonger and the pungent critic’s delight. Reporters turned opinionators. They seized whatever little chance came their way and their articles ripped apart the actor’s image. As it is people in the society, mediamen and the moral police were fretting and fuming at Salman’s erratic and irresponsible behaviour. At the slightest brawl by Khan, they pounded on the actor and trashed his intentions. Says Subhash K. Jha on sept 30,2002 in rediff, “No one can be blamed for being cynical about Salman's trespasses. It is one thing to err and move on in the first flush of youth. But to continue to behave repeatedly like a brat when you are 36 and then sheepishly ask for forgiveness will hardly work. Today, Salman is largely ostracized by the film industry. Right now, Salman is the most hated man in the film industry.” And there were people all over who bought the argument and agreed to it. Veteran scribe Vir Sanghvi supplements, “Largely as a consequence of the manner in which he is portrayed in the press, he is seen as being a rich, spoilt and successful brat.” He goes on to say that “ His manner is perceived as arrogant and self satisfied.” He also adds, “Given its frustration with our legal system, the middle class wants to see Salman suffer now.” (Vir Sanghvi oct 26,1998 rediff.com). Pritish Nandy openly expresses his disgust for Salman khan but also criticises the role of the Media in this regard. “I find the media’s obsessive hostility towards Salman sick, perverse, grossly unfair. Its not the media’s job to judge anyone.Their job is to present facts and to allow readers to make up their own mind.” He adds that when the actor is in question the media goes overboard criticizing him. He even admits that much of what he reads about him in the press in “plain bilge”. Taking a dig at armchair journalists, Nandy says ‘The man is not a monkey in a cage that you can take a steel tipped umbrella and prod him through the iron bar to see if he really bites.” Film critic and journalist Khalid Mohamed in Rediff.com (September 30, 2002) is more ruthless in his opinion. “Right from the start of his career over a decade-and-a-half ago, he has been mentally unstable, given to impulsive and rash behaviour on various fronts --- in the way he has dealt with the women in his life, the media and above all, with himself. That he has been on a collision course, a self-destructive spree, is a conclusion as simple as adding one and one to make two.” “He is a guy’s guy,” says Mumbai-based film critic Rajeev Masand. “He’s there for you and he wants you to know that. He enjoys his reputation as a 3 am friend and fuels that reputation himself. But there’s clearly a wild side,” he says. (The telegraph 15 April 2003) Sporting an unfazed attitude against the news men, He says “I have always been like this. The media could not make me when I was struggling nor break me when I was successful. I am paying a price for being a part of the film industry. And I don’t mind because I love the industry.” (Bombay Times, according to Biswadeep’s book). For Khan what matters to him the most is his fans’ unconditional support and love. “No matter what the crisis, I was always supported by my fans.” Speaking to Abhishek Mande of network18 on 24 July 2007, he clarifies his victimization by the media. “It's sad that they've got me on this one. I can't react any more. Because if I react to something, they just get more material. Sometimes they really, really piss me off. And there's nothing I can do because that is what their intention is... I react and they get something else out of me. It gets frustrating for me. So they got me. Congratulations.” But Salman Khan, people say, thinks from his heart and does whatever his heart dictates him to. The predicament remains that he attracts a lot of flak most of the times he does that. On repeated instances he his acts have proved to be a wholesome fodder for controversy hungry reporters. Way back in 1999, when Khan was courting Aishwarya, he was reported to have slapped director Subhash Ghai, when the latter spoke some unpleasant stuff about Salman and Aishwarya, while drunk. Reports were also published how Salman roughed up Ranbir Kapoor in a pub and acted macho with Adam Bedi and Aryan Vaid in discotheques. His antics of either ramming his car into Aishwarya’s car from behind on the sets of Chalte Chalte (which led the producer, Shah Rukh Khan to replace the actress with Rani Mukherjee), or emptying a bottle of cold drinks on ex flame Somy Ali’s head in front of a disbelieving crowd in a restaurant in Mumbai, or bashing up reporters catapulted on him very heavily. Delhi-based psychiatrist Sameer Parikh believes that male hormones and socio-cultural conditioning trigger aggression in men. “Expression of aggression could range from verbal abuse to physical fights or speeding on the road to killing other animals for pleasure, depending on an individual bent of mind,” he says. “The expression comes in different ways to different people,” he adds. Most celebrities get away with it, says Parikh, in the lack of a social deterrent. “The irony is that when the system gets back to a celebrity, it gets back very hard,” he says. The telegraph 15 apr 2003.

In an interview to bollywood.allindiasite.com he expresses his disgust for the Indian media – “There were people who said that I should be sent to a mental asylum, that I should be hung… those with the power of the pen, who have now weakened it so much. It is they who should get themselves mentally checked — the ones who have made their powerful pen so weak. They did not even listen to my side. Didn’t want to know my side. Maybe I didn’t want to talk about it. So my silence was taken as being rude, rash, selfish — like I have something to hide. So what defence has Salman Khan for these attacks? “God is with me, nobody can stop me. Nobody.”, he signs off.

Chapter-5

CHAPTER 5 : THE SILVER LINING

All said and done, Biswadeep’s book presents a wonderful, comprehensive and almost disbelieving side of the actor-The actor with a heart of gold and tears in his eyes at the slightest exhibition of pain and sorrow in front of him. Whether it be silent charity, or helping the beggars on the Mumbai streets, or aiding terminally ill patients or propping up so many nobodies in the industry who now swear by him, Salman has been there and done it all. Govinda still recounts how Salman has always been a buddy and a true friend in need. "After a series of flops, a bad political career, when I was completely down and out from the film industry and had no work Salman bailed me out. There cannot be a better friend than Salman who is always there in your time of need. I am very happy that I will finally get a chance to work with him." Remembers Govinda when Salman lobbied for his inclusion in Nikhil Advani’s Salaam e Ishq when his career was going through a rough patch. He even included Govinda in his home production Partner which was a hit and catapulted the career of Govinda. When the latter refused to accept his pay check for the film, Salman presented him with a Mercedes Benz to show his love. In the rise of his career when once Govinda had proclaimed that he was way ahead than the Khans of the industry, Salman humbly accepted his views even when the industry people were hailing him as the next superstar. “Govinda is right. He is certainly much more talented than the rest of us.” Biswadeep feels that the actor was speaking straight from his heart as he always does. It was not an affirmation tinged with satire. Salman even went up to Ranbir kapoor the morning after he entered into a brawl with him in a nightclub and presented him gifts. He even apologized to Adam Bedi after a fracas with him, as said earlier. Mohnish behl who is Salman’s friend for almost 25 years, adores the actor. He says how they bonded right from the time they worked out together at the Hotel Sea rock in Bandra. That was before they joined the industry.He remembers, “Salman has a heart of Gold. He told me ‘I have signed a film with Rajshri productions (Maine Pyar Kiya) and I want you to play the villain. Go and meet them.” Salman even suggested Mohnish’s name to the makers of Baaghi and helped him to bag a role in the film. Bhagyashree was a new comer in the industry when he worked with Salman in her first film, Maine Pyaar Kiya. She says how Salman was a perfect gentleman in the sets of the film. He immediately backed away from doing an intimate scene with her when he saw that the lady was feeling uncomfortable being a part of it. “It was such a sweet gesture.” says Bhagyashree. At the time of her wedding she got a great deal of support from Salman. “He was very concerned and kept on asking me if everything was okay. It was almost like he was my elder brother….It felt very nice to know that there was someone who cared”. The actress had been exposed to the sensitive side of Salman and still relishes those memories. Sajid Nadiadwala recalls how one night while returning from a shooting they saw a couple of teenagers stuck in a car which met with an accident. The doors were jammed so Salman broke the glass and tried to bring out the boys. “He was bleeding and crying because he felt that he couldn’t help the boys.” When he rushed the kids to the hospital, they refused to treat them until a police case had been registered. Sajid narrates how Salman lost his cool and started screaming at the doctor. “ Salman was behaving as those boys were his family members” says Sajid. Says Biswadeep that whenever Salman had backed a person, he has done so completely and unconditionally. Nilofer Amrohi, an amateur fashion designer in the industry in the 1990s was a family friend of Salman. She rewinds as she remembers how Salman agreed to give her the assignment of designing his clothes at one go for his movie Baaghi. In The Hall of Fame, she is quoted as saying “I was quite astonished….Salman blindly trusted me.” Long after the episode occurred, Nilofer cant help talking about her friend’s helpful nature. She discloses how many it has happened that he’s seen someone waiting outside his gate and he has asked his sister or someone else to find out if he needs some help. “He just doesn’t like to talk about these things. Salman’s still a child at heart.” She also wishes that “her two sons turn out to be half the person that Salman is”. Friend Bunty Walia is all praises for the actor.” I asked Salman if he would help me set up a company to organize concerts and he agreed. Just like that. Without thinking.” Another friend of him who is all gung ho about him is top fashion designer Vikram Phadnis. He remembers how he had to struggle a lot to reach the position he is in now. He attributes his success to the actor. He narrates how Salman gave him the project of his movie Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge. “ When I was in the dumps, he picked me up and gave me a new lease of life in the industry.” He says how even after a misunderstanding with Salman, he did not approach a new designer and stuck to him.” He has helped me overcome the biggest emotional problems. He is always there for his family and friends.” “Salman’s been a brother to me”, says superstar Hrithik Roshan. He was advised by Salman to build a good physique while on the sets of Karan Arjun. The Muscle man has even given tips to actors like Aryan Vaid, Suneil Shetty, Ranbir kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Govinda, Saif Ali khan etc. to tone up their muscles. Salman’s contribution to the careers of Music composers like Himesh Reshammiya and Sajid-Wajid has been phenomenal. Salman gave the composer duo their first big break in Pyaar kiya to Darna kya. Repeatedly, he has given the music assignments of his films to the two, right from Mujhse Shaadi karogi to the forthcoming Main Aur Mrs. Khanna. Himesh also swears by the actor (though the two have fallen off now) who was his Godfather in the industry and who gave a great push to his career with hits like Tere Naam and Pyar kiya to darna kya. Biswadeep observes how the actor goes out of his way to work for social causes. He even went to the extent of donating his bone marrow to a needy child and was extremely disappointed to know that their groups did not match. Recently, he also adopted about 35 very old widows from three villages in the foothills of Matheran. He used to see them begging around his farmhouse in Panvel. Initially he started giving them money every month only to realize that their relatives would take away all the money from the women. He also contributes regularly to St. Agnelo’s Home for the Aged in Mumbai and does countless other charity work. Recently, he has constituted a new charity called ‘Being Human’. He is using his contacts to accumulate charity and also through selling his self made paintings.

Chapter-4

CHAPTER 4 : THE MAN, AND HIS WOMEN

Rarely has an actor in the history of Indian cinema faced so many tumultuous relationships mired with endless controversies. Salman khan is not branded as a Casanova for nothing. Time and again he has turned out to be the passionate lover and the doomed destroyer at the same moment. People say that if not for his bouts of extreme possessiveness and his high impulsiveness, Salman has that ability in himself to become a wonderful and a responsible lover. But records have it that the man has incessantly come under public ire due to his misdemeanors with his lady loves. Salman has had many broken affairs and detractors say that he is not capable of having a stable relationship and giving long lasting bliss to the lady of his choice because he is constitutionally different, observes Biswadeep in his book. The actor’s first major relationship was with Shaheen Jaffrey, when he was 19 years of age. Both of them were so deeply in love that even their family accepted their proposal to marry each other. So what made the relationship sour? As happens in Bollywood masala flicks, there entered a damsel in our knight’s life- Sangeeta Bijlani – in distress due to her recent breakup with his boyfriend. And no prizes for guessing that our valiant hero took charge. What started off as a friendship turned into a strong romance and the fact that our lady was older than Salman did not matter to them. Salman was to claim later that their relationship started after he and Shaheen had broken up, but the truth remains that he was caught between two fires and did not know how to deal with the dilemma, writes Biswadeep. Shaheen suucumbed to the betrayal and that was the beginning of the end of their beautiful relationship. Soon the Salman- Sangeeta affair cruised along and they became a hit pair in the town, with the families agreeing for marriage yet again. But alas, history repeated itself. The dreamboat in which the two had ventured capsized leaving a shattered Sangeeta and a Salman unavailable for comment. The woman who once went hoarse trying to defend Salman against his alleged relationship with actress Zeba bakhtiar, could not hold back her pain after the split. “Yes its true I have split with Salman…But our decision to part was a mutual one…My only regret about breaking off with him is that I have had to distance myself from his family…”. But wait a minute. Like a Hindi potboiler, the duo patched up again. And broke up again…After withstanding so many fluctuations in the relationship, Sangeeta finally gave it away. “I want Salman to know that this break is the final one. I have been fooled too often.” In what would seem unbelievable in its repetition, the reason for their final break up was yet another girl in the man’s life. Enter Somy Ali. Apparently, Salman lost his heart to the suffering, stumbling girl next door who was ill treated by her family. He helped her to bag leading roles in movies like Bulund. Falling into Salman’s charms, Somy left her father and started staying with Salman in her newly bought flat. She tolerated Salman’s extremely suspicious nature with a smiling face and a time came when she proposed the legalization of their relationship. But Salman lived up to his non committal image and refused any plans of marrying her right then. He felt that Somy was childish and immature and she won’t be able to take up the responsibility. What spelled disaster for the remaining embers of the relationship was the appearance of the world’s most beautiful women in 1994- Miss Universe Aishwarya rai in Khan’s life. When Somy heard of this, heartbroken, she went away to United States to start a life afresh.

And then came Aish…

Before both of them met, they had their share of affairs with other people in their lives. So while Salman romanced Shaheen, Somy and Sangeeta off screen, Aishwarya was linked to Rajeev Mulchandani and Sabeer Bhatia. Aishwarya made her debut in Hindi films in the year 1999, but wasn’t able to get a success. That time Salman offered his help for her to choose the right kind of roles so that she could be able to showcase her talent. And then came the blockbuster Hum Dil de chuke sanam. Till now, people largely believe that it was during the shooting of this Sanjay Leela Bhansali film that the couple got drawn towards each other. It is said that Aishwarya used to drop by Salman’s home regularly in the pretext of rehearsing her lines for the film, even when he was living in with Somy. Soon our man got besotted with the diva and fell head over heels in love with her. Meanwhile Ash started doing what Sangeeta had once done. She started visiting Salman’s house and became a favourite with the family who was contended with Salman’s happiness. Aishwarya belongs to a close knit Bunt family and her family had some reservations against her decision to marry Salman who belonged to a different religion. As we have seen with other ladies in his life, Aishwarya too rebelled against her family and decided to live all by herself in a new flat in Mumbai. A great dent in the relationship formed when Salman came to Aishwarya’s flat one midnight, dead drunk. According to reports by neighbours, he started banging on her door because he wanted to get inside. On December 24, 2002, cities.expressindia.com reported that “A drunk Salman reached Aishwarya’s Lokhandwala house past midnight, banged on the door and reportedly broke window panes.” This incident got hugely publicized in the media and a lot of tales started circulating. Naturally, Aishwarya’s parents got very concerned and disapproved salman’s presence in their daughter’s life. In an interview to Bombay times quoted on salmanonline.net, Salman was at the epitome of penitence. He said, “Her parents are great people. They are a little conservative. They have heard about my earlier girlfriends and they don’t approve of Salman in their daughter’s life. It’s not their fault, but mine. I did misbehave with them. Her father’s grouse against me is totally justified, but I have nothing against him.” In another incident, when there was an Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate Investigation in Salman’s house, it was said that the officials had bumped into documents that belonged to his ex-flame Somy. When Salman admitted to Aishwarya that he was still in touch with Somy, the relationship began to develop serious cracks. Soon Salman began to feel the pinch because Aishwarya was not committing herself the way he wanted her to. Perhaps he also felt that she had reached such a stage in her career that she needed her no longer. Salman’s pals backed him and during this period a friend of his said that how after the midnight incident, Aishwarya took up only her cause but never spoke on behalf of both of them, knowing fully well that Salman does not speak too often in front of the media. “Salman was very hurt, though he never made an issue of it.” Said the friend. Biswadeep goes on to add further that Salman was always in the news for the wrong reason which involved his conflict with Aishwarya. He created a scene on the sets of Rohan Sippy’s Kuch na Kaho, when he drove inside the sets, banged Ash’s car and also the van belonging to her co-star Abhishek bachhan. The condition worsened when the hot-headed and highly possessive actor went to the sets of Shah Rukh Khan’s home production, Chalte Chalte in Malshet. At that time, Aishwarya was a part of the movie. He argued with Shah Rukh, held him by the collar and accused him of having an affair with Ash. SRK promptly replaced the actress with Rani Mukherjee. SRK explained his stance to Filmfare later saying that he has no personal enimity against Ash but for professional reasons, he had to take the decision. Soon, as expected, the relationship turned rancid and even though Salman did not confirm anything from his position, Aishwarya made it very clear that maintaining the relationship would be nothing less than self strangulation. Ash turned vocal about her feelings to the Bombay Times as written in Biswadeep’s book. “After we broke up, he (Salman) would call me and talk rubbish; he also suspected me of having affairs with my co-stars. There were times when Salman got physical with me, luckily without leaving any mark.” Just after the press conference held by Vivek (as discussed earlier), Aishwarya rai issued a formal statement affirming that she is not going to work with Salman khan anymore. This was the final straw. On april 6, 2003 Aishwarya made clear that for the sake of her sanity, dignity and her family’s self esteem, she will not work with the actor anymore. “Enough!...the Salman chapter was a nightmare in my life and I am thankful to God that it is over.” She said that she had been “enduring his alcoholism” and was at the receiving end of his abuses (verbal, physical and emotional). She claimed that she had ended her relationship with Khan two years ago . Biswadeep observes that amongst all this hullabaloo Salman remained absolutely silent about the issue. He has been demonstrative in his private life, but never turned his difficulties into fodder for public consumption. Salman and Aishwarya’s love story has been the most talked about relationship in Bollywood in the recent times. According to Biswadeep, every aspect of it got written about when it lasted and , long after the relationship is over and the protagonists have moved on with their respective lives, their fans continue to think and talk about it as if the couple fell in love only yesterday. He is presently dating actress Katrina kaif, who made it big in Bollywood with a little bit of a support from Salman. The media is tracking their relationship with utmost curiosity and alertness. There have been a handful of reports in the media linking the couple with other men and women, of how Salman again resorted to hitting the girl and other sizzlers, but they have not been able to create a breach in their bonding. But knowing the man’s history, No one can be so sure.

Chapter-6

CHAPTER 6 : THE ROLLER-COASTER RIDE CONTINUES…

Professionally Salman is going through a rough patch with his films Hello, Heroes and Yuvvraaj sinking in the box office without a trace. But with flicks like Main aur Mrs. Khanna, Wanted: Dead or Alive, London Dreams and Veer already in the making, Salman doesn’t look like an actor down and out. Different media reports predict that as it happened before, Salman has a tendency to bounce back with a big hit after a string of flops and silence his critics. Randy Lall in http://planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?id=112807120439 says that he is “probably the most powerful star at the Box-Office. Even today, despite flops, he can still surprise everyone.” He says that how in spite of the numerous controversies that shroud him, Salman remains the masses’ favourite. He writes that after he came out of the jail during the hit and run case, how his fans thronged the area outside Salman’s house just to catch a glimpse of the actor and show their solidarity towards the actor. Even when he was released from prison in Jodhpur (Black Buck case), his fans applauded their hero and scores of motorbike riders escorted him till the airport to showcase their support for the actor. The icon that the actor is, had made his fans vote for him to be in Madame Tussauds thwarting the chances of other actors like Kajol, Madhuri Dixit and Hrithik Roshan. Lall goes on to say that the actor is among the few Indians to be featured in the People’s magazine and voted the 7^th sexiest man in the world by the magazine. In his personal life, he has been in the news for his spat with co-actor and friend for many years, Shah Rukh Khan. But he is as usual keeping his private life undisclosed and concealed. Numerous articles and rumours about his tiffs with girlfriend Katrina kaif appears but the actor remains unfazed as ever. Still unmarried at 43, Salman is considered as the topmost and one of the most bankable stars in the industry today. Featured in Biswadeep’s book, is an excerpt from an interview of the actor to the Indo-Asian news service where he reflects, “We are all born with unhappiness. That’s the one ‘given’ of existence.” Perhaps there have been very few actors in India who have seen life in such extremities. It would not be exaggerating to state that Salman Khan has both tasted the joys in the zenith of superstardom as well as licked the dust of defamation and failure. Arguably, the most talked about cine star in the country, its doubtful whether the controversies surrounding him would ever cease to exist. What would remain reverberating in every person who has researched Salman Khan’s journey on and off screen would be in the words of Amitabh Bachchan- Salman Khan- as the “most misunderstood actor in the industry.” (http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=133433 , Biswadeep’s book)

The swiss scare

For a democracy to properly function, an existence of a strong opposition is very necessary. The disintegration among the leading opposition parties is very glaring, but still I believe the issue of Indian black money parked in secretive Swiss bank accounts, which has been raised is a progressive step towards the unmasking of thousands of such cheats and fraudulent malpractitioners in India.

Replying to the investigation plans, the Swiss bankers association has said that such fishing expeditions is not to be allowed according to the norms and policies of the SBA. Thus, clearly, we have been asked not to meddle in their and their clients’ affairs. Fair enough for a tax haven state with such liberal tax and finance regulations (if any) to say so. But it is also a fact that Swiss bank-client confidentiality had never been 100% absolute, not even at the time of its formal codification in law in the 1930s. Swiss legislators built in provisions for it to be lifted during criminal investigations and also in many civil cases. Moreover the UBS has entered into a negotiation with the US government to lay bare some of its clients’ accounts and transaction records to expose the tax evaders, according to a deal entered by both the countries.

So our country has a lot of chance to put its foot forward and demand for an enquiry. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has taken up the charges to gain a momentum in this operation and fortunately, the Swiss authorities have finally agreed to extract information on tax evaders who have stashed away money in Swiss bank accounts. Both the countries have also begun to negotiate the amendment of the double taxation avoidance agreement in respect of the exchange of information. The finance minister said India would approach the Swiss authorities for specific information that would help the taxman crack down on defaulters while ruling out any frivolous enquiry or the so called fishing expeditions. This, clearly, can unearth a humungous scam and can spill a can of worms in the public.

So, its time the ministers and the actors and the so called society developers may very well panic and head for Switzerland to flush out the hordes of black money that they are suspected to squirrel away in Swiss banks. But a fear still lurks around, given the fact that India has a dubious record of disengaging foreign affairs midway, the huge time taken in completing these operations. A thought may also be spared of the reluctance of some our esteemed MoPs whose cash might be stacked in those banks too. But one thing is for sure. If this operation is carried out and carried out successfully, then it will be an achievement for the UPA government nearing its 150 days of completion in office.

But yes, plain facts related to the amount of wealth stored in the accounts or tax evaded wont do much apart from adding to the already corrupt mechanism which is rampantly practised in India and for which it is notoriously held by the rest of the world. Bring out names in the open, if you can, That will test the real mettle of India, its strong opposition and its power in the arena of global relations. It will also provide acceleration to the much controversial bofors scandal.

Ah delectable thoughts. Swiss cheese.

Drugged

I am what you think. I am not what you think. Thus, I exist

Song 1: Sau Dard (Jaanemann)
Friends were good. Of course, they were. But maybe I wasnt.
Have you ever listened to the tempo before the song "aaja main hawaaon mein..." from 'Yuvraaj' starts? When what sounds like a host of violins break into an orchestrated melody echoing of a distant land, untroubled by the corruption of modern life. That's what I call pure. Ya, Rahman is magic.
I miss a few people in my life. very much, sometimes. Some of them were my friends. Now I dont know what to call them. Its strange. Very strange. When I look back (Well I dont usually lest it spoils my present equilibrium, but still when I do) I dont find anyone in fault. Neither me, nor them. At the next moment, I take on the blame, sport an evil smirk, brush aside my past and switch off the song, which seduces my heart, the deep recesss of my mind, tantalizes me to a old forgotten kingdom and to my utter horror, creaks open the rusty but loyal lid and shows me the glimpse of the lurking worms, which I had thought to be dead long back. Its horrific for me and illogical. I know I am hated, loathed even but loved too.

Song 4: Dilli (Delhi heights)
I have always felt very close to this song.
"Dekhe yahaan kahin mausam badalte hue
Dekhe jazbein kai yahan patthar bante hue..."
Ya I get high on songs. Its like smoking hash or snorting cocaine. I have seen my friends with a lost look in their eyes staring through you. Have you ever felt the joy of being dead? Some songs transport you to a different time zone.The joy grips you and you are free with tears spraying out in confusion and ecstasy shouting out loud, getting transported to the 15th or 16th century Italy miles away from the uprising brewing in the hearts of people. It drugs you, captures you in a moment where you lose yourself in a sunflower field and in a clear moonlit night and I can give you another thousand examples. good ol'bollywood songs. Ya I love'em.

Song 6: O re paakhi( Khoya khoya chaand)
Nowadays, my friends fear that I wont stay in touch with them. Two days back when two of my friends told me to socialize more, to maintain friendship, contact and feared that I might not keep in touch with them, I was surprisingly jolted to such an extent that I could not control my tears. Flashes and scenes fluttered across my eyes, a scary roller coaster ride which I have taken in one gulp. Those sunny mornings, the dew on the grasses, the rolling thunder in the skies, the sodden crevasses of my treasure trove carefully archived in my mind.
I feel blessed to forget.

Songs and a good weather always dismantles me from my stance. As I notice an sms on my mobile, I am hurled back to reality. Fortunately. Usually I prefer not to be explicit in my blog. In fact, half the stiff mentioned above are bullshit and a figment of my imagination. I am not such a dukhi atma also! ha ha! Lolz ;)
(song **: Khwaja mere Khwaja)

Dekho baarish ho rahi hai

21 August 2009

Heavy Rains lash across the capital

It was a day when all the emotions and the heart wrenching feelings associated with the rains went out for a walk and we…never came back that day.

Delhi recorded 74 mm of rainfall in just 2 hours on Friday. And commuters like me were stranded in the city, clueless about how to reach home in the torrential downpour and the waterlogging, traffic jam, lack of transport, in short, the calamity that followed.

Here are some excerpts from the dampener of a day.

4.30pm: Howling is on full blast outside as strong winds lash on my office window and all of us queue near the window in disbelief and worry. Rumours travel in the department that Akshay has slipped and fallen while trying to run on the slippery road outside to return to the office. Meanwhile, in the congress headquarters, water seeps and literally pours from the ceiling, fans and from the AC vents also soaking the Sonia Gandhi photograph nailed on the wall.

5.30 pm: The rain recedes. But it’s a literal flood outside my office building. I set my mind clock to a late return back home. And I also leave the office a little before my schedule time.

5.45pm: Waiting for the bus, any bus in fact, Shuttling between both the sides of the road following the haywire diversion of buses from their usual routes due to a serpentine traffic jam near South Moti Bagh. I see my office colleagues leave one by one. And I envy the ones who are escorted by a car.

6.00pm: “Nahi saab. Dhaula Kuan ke wahan bahut jam hain”. A crisp 50 rupee note fails to lure the auto driver, thinking of petrol consumption and time-passenger efficiency ratio. Calamity. It seems diasater has struck. The sun peeps out after a dark afternoon. My mobile phone flies out of my hand, thanks to a push from a harrowed person in the bus stop. Nokia is a strong phone.

6.20pm: I start walking towards Outer ring road and after reaching there in 10 minutes I do get a bus to Dhaula Kuan. Thinking to compensate the disastrous ride which I foresaw, I called up my Dad and asked him to order a pizza for me.

6.45pm: the passenger standing on my left is carrying his dirty, wet and muddy pair of shoes in his hand and which is constantly brushing against my expensive formal trousers. Curses! Never ever I am going to wear formals to office during monsoon. I am not needing any support to stand. The passengers all around ma are quite supportive, physically. The bus is moving at a speed of 2 cms an hour. The only respite is the Salman Khan song blaring in the bus radio.

7:00 am: I reach Dhaula Kuan finally after what seemed like an endless ride. I would have been able to reach faster had I walked. An aerial view provided to me, while in the bus, atop a flyover made me witness an astounding sight. Below me were 3 or 4 huge flyover lanes, choc a bloc with car tops-a colourful sight but nevertheless threatening. And in front of me I could have an endless sight of cars honking away to glory.

7:15pm: Finally I board a chartered which was less crowded, although I did not get a place to sit. Again a Salman Khan movie, Judwaa, which was played on the Bus, accompanied me. I could not view the monitor though, due to the rows of heads in front of me, but the soundbox, poised near my sight was the only source of what I could follow from the film, assisted partially by my memory.

7:40pm: A dead duck! The bus has moved only around 3 to 5 inches on the last 30 minutes or so. I am crammed up again needing no support. My low back’s aching like mad. Dad calls me up and says they wont deliver pizza under a particular amount and no one else in my family eats pizzas. Mum says she has prepared Afghani chicken. Ahh at least something to look forward to.

8:00pm: The bus crosses the airport, where the roof shades had flown off, thanks to the gusts. And then it picks up speed and for the first time in hours, cool winds caress my face and I begin to feel a little comfortable.

8:30pm: In no time, I reach IFFCO chowk to my utter delight. Though the pain in the back is worsening. I tale a rick and head towards home after the end of a battling journey.

8:50 pm: Home at last!

I dedicate this account to those Calcutta dwellers, who constantly complain about the lack of proper maintenance in the city when it rains and also the poor traffic situation when it pours. Believe me, I have been also through that grime but Delhi is worse during the monsoon. The water level took hpurs to subside. Sewers overflowed. Traffic jams took everybody’s breath away. So the next time you complain. Go through this account before that.