"Humari police humesha late aati hai aur galat insaan ko hi arrest karti hai," superstar Salman Khan's dialogue in his last film "Kick" proved almost prophetic today as he was pronounced guilty in an over 12-year-old hit-and-run case.
The 49-year-old actor, known for his macho, informidable avatar on-screen, broke down as the judge pronounced the fateful verdict. However, in the film he put up a brave face when he was being imprisoned.
The court convicted him of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the 2002 case with all charges proven against him. The actor may now face upto 10 years in jail.
It is ironical to see the actor on the other side of law in real life because Salman in the recent years has effectively mastered the art of playing a crusader for justice in his films.
Be it his cop act in "Garv", "Wanted" and "Dabangg" franchise or his role as the self-appointed do-gooder who helps people and overcomes criminals single-handedly in films like "Jai Ho" and Kick", the actor has amassed huge fan following for his virtuous image in films.
Whether as a lover boy or an action hero, Salman's box-office glory is the envy of most of his contemporaries. He is also Bollywood's one of the most loved stars and it is perplexing, taking into consideration the fact that he has grabbed headlines more for his notorious antics off-screen than his movie conquests.
The court ruling is not favourable for the film industry as a big sum of over Rs 200 crore is riding on the superstar, including two upcoming films, "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" and "Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo", which are currently in shooting stage, along with several endorsement deals.
Salman is also facing trial in a Rajasthan court for hunting a black buck during the shooting of "Hum Saath Saath Hain" back in 1998.
