 "The many controversies of Salman Khan")
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is often dubbed 'controversy’s favourite child.' On Tuesday, the Supreme Court officially admitted a plea challenging Salman's acquittal in the 2002 hit-and-run case, where his lawyer Anand Desai said that the superstar himself wanted the Supreme Court to hear the case against him on merit.
As his much talked about movie, 'Sultan' hits theatres on Wednesday, Business Standard looks back at the many controversies surrounding the superstar.
1. Salman Khan got himself into hot water recently when he compared his physical training for ‘Sultan’ to a woman who had just been raped. He 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. I would eat and then, head right back to training."
2. Last month, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced Salman as the Goodwill Ambassador of the Indian contingent for the Rio Olympics 2016. This, too, kicked up a storm across the nation. His appointment drew criticism from some sportspersons, experts and analysts, who felt a sportsperson would have better suited the job.
3. In 2015, his open disapproval of terror convict Yakub Memon's death sentence landed him in trouble. He posted a series of tweets suggesting Yakub was innocent and should not be hanged for the acts of his brother Tiger Memon. There were huge protests outside his house and public criticism from his father for making such comments.
4. The actor’s acquittal last year by the Bombay High Court in a 2002 hit-and-run case did not go down well in the public eye, either. While the session court held him guilty, the High Court acquitted him of all the charges.
The verdict surely brought relief and happiness to Salman and his family but it was widely criticised by many as being too lenient, and suspicion that his celebrity status had contributed to the decision.
In 2002, one person was killed and four were injured after Salman's SUV allegedly ran over the stairs of the American Express Laundry in the night of September 27 and 28.
5. In 2014, according to a report in Hindustan Times, Khan flew kites with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and had lunch with him, which also drew flak, given the cloud over Modi’s role as CM during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
6. In 2010, he was criticised for his comments on a Pakistani TV channel about the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. According to IANS, in an interview to Pakistani channel Express TV, Salman had said: "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targeted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."
He later apologised for his remarks and said that his words were twisted.
7. In 2008, his infamous fight with actor Shah Rukh Khan, at Katrina Kaif's birthday party led to a cold war between the two actors for years. It was years later that the two apparently made up at an Iftaar party in Bandra.
8. In 1999, Salman Khan and his co-stars from the movie ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ were accused of hunting endangered Chinkara and Black Buck deer while shooting in Jodhpur. The verdict in that case is still awaited.
As his much talked about movie, 'Sultan' hits theatres on Wednesday, Business Standard looks back at the many controversies surrounding the superstar.
1. Salman Khan got himself into hot water recently when he compared his physical training for ‘Sultan’ to a woman who had just been raped. He 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. I would eat and then, head right back to training."
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He drew flak from across the country for being so insensitive and reckless in his remarks. He was asked to officially apologise by many women organisations and activists. His father Salim Khan proffered an apology on Salman’s behalf.
2. Last month, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced Salman as the Goodwill Ambassador of the Indian contingent for the Rio Olympics 2016. This, too, kicked up a storm across the nation. His appointment drew criticism from some sportspersons, experts and analysts, who felt a sportsperson would have better suited the job.
3. In 2015, his open disapproval of terror convict Yakub Memon's death sentence landed him in trouble. He posted a series of tweets suggesting Yakub was innocent and should not be hanged for the acts of his brother Tiger Memon. There were huge protests outside his house and public criticism from his father for making such comments.
4. The actor’s acquittal last year by the Bombay High Court in a 2002 hit-and-run case did not go down well in the public eye, either. While the session court held him guilty, the High Court acquitted him of all the charges.
The verdict surely brought relief and happiness to Salman and his family but it was widely criticised by many as being too lenient, and suspicion that his celebrity status had contributed to the decision.
In 2002, one person was killed and four were injured after Salman's SUV allegedly ran over the stairs of the American Express Laundry in the night of September 27 and 28.
5. In 2014, according to a report in Hindustan Times, Khan flew kites with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and had lunch with him, which also drew flak, given the cloud over Modi’s role as CM during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
6. In 2010, he was criticised for his comments on a Pakistani TV channel about the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. According to IANS, in an interview to Pakistani channel Express TV, Salman had said: "Too much hype has been created around the 26/11 attacks because elite people were targeted. Attacks have happened in trains and small towns too, but no one talked about it so much."
He later apologised for his remarks and said that his words were twisted.
7. In 2008, his infamous fight with actor Shah Rukh Khan, at Katrina Kaif's birthday party led to a cold war between the two actors for years. It was years later that the two apparently made up at an Iftaar party in Bandra.
8. In 1999, Salman Khan and his co-stars from the movie ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’ were accused of hunting endangered Chinkara and Black Buck deer while shooting in Jodhpur. The verdict in that case is still awaited.