What celebrities’ reaction to Salman Khan verdict says about Bollywood
A lot of celebrities spoke out in support of Khan.
As the law finally caught up with Salman Khan and he was sentenced to five years in jail, social media was witness to a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. Fans of the actor duly trotted out arguments of him being “targeted for his celebrity status”, and of possessing a 24-carat gold heart.
But more telling were the reactions from Bollywood, where apart from singer Sona Mohaptra, not one person recognised Khan’s conviction as justice being served. While many remained silent, a lot of celebrities spoke out in support of Khan, and reminded us of him, after all, Being Human.
So, what new inane defence will Madhu Kishwar sprout now? Nafisa Ali? RJ Rishi Kannan? Will daddy say sorry on his behalf? What will the suck ups in the industry do? When's bail? When's the next block buster release? Dabangg'concert' tour dates? Big Boss? Charity drives? ??
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) April 5, 2018
Salman Khan after 20 years convicted of killing a Black Buck that he never killed ! He was man enough to take the entire blame and only his name registered in the FIR . The reason way all the other were acquitted . Salman we know the truth. Hope justice will be done tomorrow.
— Nafisa Ali Sodhi (@nafisaaliindia) April 5, 2018
I respect the law but must confess the verdict saddens me. My heart goes out to @BeingSalmanKhan & his family members. 5 yrs is too harsh! I hope they review the decision, in lieu of his great humanitarian work & grant him bail tom ??#WeSupportSalmanKhan #BlackbuckPoachingCase
— Rahul Dev Official (@RahulDevRising) April 5, 2018
I am extremely shocked to hear @BeingSalmanKhan being convicted by session court but also having full trust in indian judiciary which has many other doors to appeal for final justice whatsoever. Since He is most loved person by industry N people for his human reasons too.
— Subhash Ghai (@SubhashGhai1) April 5, 2018
I feel bad. He should be given relief. He has done a lot of humanitarian work: Jaya Bachchan, Rajya Sabha MP on #SalmanKhan #BlackBuckPoachingCase pic.twitter.com/VUEM0RIweE
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2018
This is not new. Bollywood hardly ever calls out one of its own. Despite the obsessive scrutiny it is subjected to, the industry manages to hide its dirty secrets, or at least pretend they don’t exist.
So why does Bollywood live by omerta?
Mainly because more than an “industry”, it is a club of the advantaged protecting each other, hoarding their privileges, where breaking ranks can make everyone vulnerable.
It is this milieu which makes a star out of a Salman Khan, and then firmly keeps him up above the world so high.
This milieu is the reason Bollywood churns out regressive, patriarchal movies, despite millions treating them as instruction manuals to life.
This is the reason there seems to be no sign of a #MeToo movement anytime soon, even though casting couch stories abound.
Law of omerta
Killing two deer – snuffing life out of endangered animals for sport – is not the only thing Salman Khan is guilty of.
He has been accused, though later acquitted, of running over pavement dwellers while intoxicated and not stopping to help.
He has traits of every abusive Bollywood boyfriend. Aishwarya Rai and Vivek Oberoi went on record detailing harassment by him, he reportedly slapped Katrina Kaif on various occasions, he once allegedly poured a bottle of coke over then girlfriend Somy Ali, he got into fisticuffs with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of Rai’s movie (Chalte Chalte, in which Rani Mukerji replaced her).
He is petty and allegedly uses his clout to derail careers – he reportedly got singer Arijit Singh’s already recorded songs removed from a few movies over a 2014 “insult”. The singer later apologised, and posted on Facebook: “Please do not remove the song that I sang for you in Sultan… I want to retire with at least one song of you keeping in my library. Please do not take away this feeling.” But apparently, Bhai doesn’t forgive or forget.
Yet, in movie after movie, he is cast as the bad guy-basher Chulbul Pandey (Dabangg franchise), the goodhearted simpleton Bajrangi (Bajrangi Bhaijaan) or Laxman (Tubelight) and of course, the virtuous lover Prem (far too many movies, including the tribute to his own Prem-hood, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo) – all characters people would idolise, with swagger and soul, warmth and “cool”-ness.
All his misdemeanors, his troubles with the law, have added to his persona, reel and real life merging till he is the alpha male who fights for the right, but also the relatable human who makes mistakes, the heartthrob women swoon over, but who is a shy, passionate lover.
Bollywood has petted, marketed its brat well.
Before Salman, it was Sanjay Dutt - tainted with charges of drug addiction and helping terrorists, but immortalised as the lovable tough guy Munna Bhai.
Rajesh Khanna, the onscreen “god of romance”, was reportedly abusive to wife Dimple Kapadia.
Rishi Kapoor the chocolate boy would allegedly turn violent towards Neetu Kapoor.
But they all remained respected, loved members of the industry pantheon, never asked to mend ways, offered one big project after another, their popularity never in danger.
Even the “nicknames” for Salman and Dutt – bhai and baba – show how the kinship of patriarchy operates: they deserve indulgence and forgiveness, it’s all in the family, after all.
We deserve better ‘heroes’
Bollywood operates like a traditional Indian village, where a few men with inherited privileges call the shots. But in the process, the industry, a monumental influencer in a very populated nation, fails its audience in more ways than one.
First, the closed, inter-connected ecosystem makes it very difficult for outside talent to break through, and we see Sohail Khans and Sanjay Kapoors get chance after chance, while those with more talent but “lesser” surnames either never get a break, or are quickly forgotten. Not only is this fundamentally unfair, it robs the audience of quality content.
Second, the Mafiosi-like operations make it difficult for people to raise grievances – recently, several actors, such as Nimrat Kaur and Swara Bhaskar, have said that naming and shaming the Harvey Weinsteins of Bollywood could potentially destroy the career of the accuser.
Third, this crony creativism means Bollywood never really feels the need to raise its standards. Movies produced by brothers and starring cousins while presided over by beaming, benign patriarchs continue to recycle “blockbuster formulae”, not upgrading on levels intellectual, progressive, or creative.
Worst, it gives the society terrible role models. In its bid to protect its “bad boys”, Bollywood not just condones, but galmourises their behaviour, and endorses the culture of silence around such conduct, the last thing a country struggling with shackles of patriarchy and misogyny needs.
A powerful PR machinery works to create the public persona of a star, and fans can to some degree be forgiven for swallowing that. But celebrities are surely aware of what goes on in their backyard? Many Bollywood stars have featured in campaigns on social issues and animal rights. When will they feel the need to spread those messages within their own industry, by calling out powerful perpetrators?