The other day, I was chatting with one of the more intelligent and informed stars of Bollywood, and we agreed that most A-listers have not evolved during the last five-ten years, mainly for this reason: they are not given the space to grow, crowded as they are with hangers-on and yes-men and oh yes, yes-women too who laugh at the Dummy-god’s most offensive jokes. These jokes, the Superstars don’t understand, sometimes boomerang and become fodder and fuel for MeToo allegations. I’ve seen it happen. Salman Khan cracks the incorrect ‘jokes’ which his cronies , friends and relatives (all interchangeable, I assure you) laugh hard at instead of telling him to zip it up. Some years ago, in 2016, he joked about rape at an event to promote _Sultan_ . It had got him into serious trouble with women’s organizations. Salman Khan is often accused of speaking before thinking. He did it in 2016 when at a media event he compared his wrestling scenes in Sultan to rape. As quoted in a section of the media, Salman said, “When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn’t walk straight.” The National Commission Of Women demanded an apology. Not surprisingly, all the important names in the film industry chose not to comment on the issue. Bhai is beyond reproach in the entertainment industry. When asked to comment on Salman’s rape comment, Aamir Khan said, “I am going by the media reports, I feel what he (Salman) said was unfortunate and insensitive.” When asked to comment on the issue, Shah Rukh Khan had chosen to be diplomatic. “I’ve come to realise that I’ve made so many inappropriate comments myself. I don’t think I am someone to sit in judgment for anyone else’s comment. It’s not about taking sides. I myself say so many things. Who are we to pass judgment, or to decide who should do what? Who has to do it, will decide themselves. Personally speaking, I don’t think I am anyone to make a comment on this. I’m so inappropriate myself. I’ve done some really wrong things too in the last two years.” Considering those who spoke up against the obnoxious rape remark were ostracized by Salman Khan’s camp, Shah Rukh did the wise thing. Kangana Ranaut , who referred to the rape analogy as “insensitive”, was struck off Salman’s friends’ list. Now it is some highly inappropriate on the casting couch. At the press event for the release of Godfather, which co-stars Chiranjeevi , Salman decided to be funny. He said , “Casting couch does exist. We were doing a commercial together of Thums Up in Thailand. We both flew down together. The only person apart from me who slept on my couch is Chiru garu (laughs). We landed at about 1.30 – 2.00 am and then we sat and spoke and he had to catch a flight, I told him to go to the bedroom and sleep and he said, ‘I will sleep on the couch’. Now, how to say I sleep on the couch? So, only one person apart from me who slept on my couch is Chiru garu… this is casting couch and because of this, I was cast in this film. He told me there is a small role in this film, I told him, if you make me stand behind you it is fine. He said, ‘I will give you a noble role.’ None of the above is even remotely humorous, or even coherent. But of course, everyone laughed at the gathering. Why? Because if it is Salman, you have to laugh at his joke. As simple as that. Priyanka Chopra Jonas didn’t. He stopped working with her. Deepika Padukone won’t. He won’t work with her. Some of our stars are so cut off from reality, they can’t tell their mouths from their other orifices. During the time when Salman made the rape analogy, film critic Raja Sen, who had decided to boycott the Superstar’s films, had said, “Salman Khan is a conundrum. He is an unquestioned superstar, but his past – and indeed, his present – are so chequered that I doubt he could have continued to have as prominent a career in any other country. The Indian media and, by extension, the audience, infantalises Khan, making it okay for him to be the “bad boy with a heart of gold.” It’s a bewildering indulgence we, as a nation, extend towards Khan.” It is time Salman Khan gets a reality check. Get some friends and relatives without benefits. That should do the trick. Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
At the press event for the release of Godfather, which co-stars Chiranjeevi Salman decided to be funny when asked about the casting couch in the industry.
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Written by Subhash K Jha
Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based journalist. He's been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. see more