Being candid, not: Salman Khan on Padmavati, sexual harassment and media
Salman Khan may have made a brand out of “being human”, but the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2017 saw the Bollywood superstar also taking up the mantle of “being candid”.
Speaking at the summit, Khan was frank enough to acknowledge that he was nervous about sharing a platform with people who, in his own words, were “so well-read and dignified”.
On the media
During a casual chat with HT Café editor, Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi, the actor said: “I was really nervous; I did not know what Shekhar Gupta was going to ask me, but he was really kind with his questions, and I really enjoyed answering them.”
Asked what exactly made him nervous, the 52-year-old actor said, “I am nervous just about anything nowadays. Yes, I would rather be cautious than be sorry now.”
But is his nervousness justified? It’s arguable. While Khan’s career has been riddled with multiple controversies – including manslaughter, hunting and domestic violence – there is no doubt that in the business of entertainment journalism, everything is treated as fair game and stars are often punished for their fame. “I've led the most boring life; your fraternity [the media] has made it interesting. If I would've done half the things you write about, it would've been interesting,” said the star at the summit.
Of course, this seemed not to have perturbed him too much. After all, he added, “Nothing actually worries me, whenever a star says anything, good or bad, it creates employment for many people," although he did say that when his statements are taken out of context, his parents get worried and, sometimes even believe the reports.
Speaking about court cases and popularity, Khan noted: "Things gets weird when I have a verdict coming. A day before, if I have a film promotion, I'm dancing and smiling on stage. Now, that performance is seen by prosecutors and they think that I'm putting up an act when I am in court too. But when I am in court, I am genuinely scared. But it's hard for people to get the job that we actors do."
Sexual harassment in the entertainment industry
The Harvey Weinstein episode has opened a can of worms in Hollywood. Every day we hear tales of powerful men who have used their position to sexually harass co-workers and subordinates. These tales have been a dirty little secret in the entertainment industry for quite some time.
Despite the fact that news of these misconducts has reached India, their ripples have not so far. The Indian film fraternity is still maintaining a staunch silence on the issue, offering little more than statements of hollow solidarity for their Hollywood counterparts. Khan too added little to the silence when he said, "It is disgusting practice to use somebody to take advantage of any person in return of getting them work. I've never heard anybody say it out loud but if I do then I will take them to the cleaners.”
It is hard to believe that in an industry that has been known to condone several problematic practices, sexual harassment hasn’t ever taken place. It is harder to believe that someone like Salman Khan, who is a part of the upper echelon of the industry, is not privy to such happenings. But of course, overtly macho answers about taking harassers to the cleaners are as good a way as any to dodge tough questions.
Padmavati row
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmavati — written in the backdrop of a historical war and based on “Padmavat”, an epic poem penned by the 16th century Sufi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi — has seen more than its fair share of controversy, including a delay in its release, members of the ruling party (BJP) condemning its very idea without having watched the film, overenthusiastic Hindu fundamentalists threatening to mutilate the leading actress Deepika Padukone's body, and even a couple of bounties.
Salman Khan’s stance on the issue is far from a brave one, considering the kind of character hats he dons in his cinema. He said, "The Supreme Court and CBFC should take the decision and once SC says something, everyone should respect it. I've been respecting it for the past 25 years."
Khan further dodged questions about the film’s controversy – with respect to the Rajput community – saying, “I don’t know about everyone but he [Bhansali] has definitely offended me I gave him two hits but then he took SRK in the third one."
In fact, he even resorted to clichés in a situation that is, without a doubt, communally charged. "There is no religion in our industry. My dad is a Muslim, my mother is a Hindu and I call myself insaan (human)," he said.
Sure, he’s watching his back. Taking a stance on a politically charged controversy like that surrounding Padmavati, in a communally polarised nation that is India in 2017, is essentially dancing in front of crosshairs.
But one would think that the man who plays roles such as “Tiger” in reel life may have a little more substance to offer in the real one.
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