Mumbai: Bollywood actor Salman Khan was convicted by a Jodhpur court on Thursday in the two decade old blackbuck poaching case and sentenced to five years in prison. The actor reportedly broke down after he was held guilty and as his lawyers pleaded for a two-year sentence. Flashback to the early 90s when no one, not even his critics, could imagine Salman in a weak moment. He was then the bad boy of the Hindi film industry, a title which he carried with aplomb.
Since his debut in the early 1980s, the flamboyant Bollywood star has been a mass hero, a trend-setter and an entertainer. Controversies didn’t deter him or his fanbase who would head to theatres every time Bhai’s film released. For the past decade, however, Salman has been deliberately choosing his public moves, image and even films to create a “humane” image and , in a way, nullify the previous image of a rich brat. The creation of Being Human Foundation in 2007 was clearly the biggest and one of the earliest step in Salman’s image makeover. Through the NGO, Salman began offering medical, health and financial help to the poor and kids.
From Wanted (2009) onwards, Salman became the role he portrayed -- a Robinhood character who is always morally right while staying strictly in the realm of patriarchy. He went on to feature in hits like Ready and Dabangg. In 2015, Salman set box office records on fire with hits like Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo, he was also acquitted of all charges in the 2002 hit-and-run case. And, this was also the year when his transformation from an erstwhile bad boy to, well, being human was complete. One of the most bankable stars in the Hindi film industry, Salman now craves for more.
Salman Khan gets 5 years in jail: How much money is riding on the actor
Salman Khan, without a doubt, is the biggest box office draw in India today. The 52-year-old star has delivered one blockbuster after another in the last decade or so with films such as the Ek Tha Tiger and its sequel Tiger Zinda Hai, the Dabangg franchise, Sultan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and many more. The rare dud, Tubelight, fails to deter his fans for whom his image is that of his character in Bajrangi Bhaijaan – a good man caught in a bad situation who always finds his way back thanks to his pure heart. Multiple court cases, a number of controversies and trouble with women in his life have not been able to stop his fans from thronging the theatres every time a Bhai film is out. Maybe that is the reason industry is wary as the actor was held guilty in the blackbuck case in Jodhpur today.
Race 3Salman has multiple films in his kitty. From the industry perspective – these are multiple superhits in the making. Remo D’Souza’s Race 3 -- where Salman is the major draw backed by an ensemble cast of Jacqueline Fernandez, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah and Saqib Saleem – has finished shoot. However, the film needs to be promoted and advertised. Salman is not only acting in the film, he is also a co-producer. The film’s estimated budget is over Rs 100 crore and it is expected to do massive business at the box office when it comes out this Eid.
BharatA lot is riding on this film given it brings back the Salman Khan-Ali Abbas Zafar combo. The duo has earlier given blockbusters such as Tiger Zinda Hai and Sultan. Official remake of Korean film, Ode to My Father, the film is mounted on a lavish scale and might mark the return of Priyanka Chopra to Bollywood. The film is in pre-production and the work started on Bharat in February. It is expected to release on Eid 2019.
Dabangg 3 and Kick 2Talks have been on about the sequel to these two hits that had Salman at the helm of affairs. While no dates have been announced when they begin shooting, they are very much in the offing.
Dus Ka DumAfter Bigg Boss, Salman Khan is returning to the small screen with his popular game show Dus Ka Dum. Sony Entertainment Television channel has already released the promo material and Salman has shot for teasers etc for the show too. This is supposed to be Salman’s answer to KBC.
Salman endorses multiple brands as well. In fact, the actor earned Rs 232.83 crore in 2017, backed by endorsements of several consumer-facing brands, according to Forbes.
During an appearance on chat show Koffee with Karan, Salman said in April 2014 that he was making his choices of films as well as humanitarian endeavours based on one principle: He does not want to be a movie star who has a great fan following in his life and is forgotten in death. Salman added he wanted to help others and do something that will not let him fade from people’s memories... a legacy.
Here’s a look at his transformation from the Bollywood brat to the saner, helpful Bhai that we see now:
Salman Khan – Bollywood’s bratSalman started his career with a supporting role in Rekha-Farooq Shaikh-starrer Biwi Ho To Aisi when he was in his early twenties. He took many avatars on screen over the years and ran into several major controversies.
He has a history of troubled relationships (Aishwarya Rai’s parents filed a police complaint against Salman in 2002, alleging that he threatened and harassed the ex-Miss World) and picking up fights with co-stars (he had a tussle with Shah Rukh Khan at Katrina Kaif’s birthday party in 2008 and once allegedly threatened Vivek Oberoi who was dating his ex, Aishwarya). His court cases also piled up -- Salman had four cases filed against him for poaching chinkaras and blackbucks and one under Arms Act. He was booked and acquitted for a fatal accident while driving under the influence of alcohol.
Salman Khan – Masses’ hero, trend-setterSalman has time and again appeared as the larger-than-life hero who can take on the system, beat up an army of goons and win the world single-handedly. Bizarre action sequences and movies steeped in chivalry are rampant in south Indian films. It was Salman who spotted the potential of such movies in the Hindi belt. With Wanted (2009), Khan started the trend of remaking Tamil and Telugu films -- with almost no additional inputs for a different cultural milieu.
When Salman proved that films with similar plot and scenes can still make the audiences flock to theatres, stars such as Akshay Kumar (in Rowdy Rathore and Boss) and Ajay Devgn (in Son of Sardaar and Action Jackson) thought of putting their bets on south remakes.
Salman Khan: Re-inventing his brandSetting up the Being Human Foundation in 2007 was Salman’s first major step towards re-branding himself. The ‘brat’ started investing time and money for philanthropic causes. The foundation runs a lifestyle brand -- royalty from which is allotted for children in need. Salman has now focused on medical care and education for children. To gather money for the cause, Salman has also set up a production house – Salman Khan Being Human Productions, which has produced the National Film Award-winner for best children’s film, Chillar Party (2011), and Canadian movie Dr Cabbie (2014).
Blackbuck poaching: The case that handed Salman Khan a 5-year jail term
Salman Khan is charged with poaching the endangered antelopes under section 9/51 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and can face up to six years in jail, if convicted.
Actors Saif Ali Khan, Sonali Bendre, Tabu and Neelam Kothari and a local resident, Dushyant Singh, were also among the accused in the case. They were charged with inciting him to poach the two animals under section 9/51 read with 52 of the wildlife protection act and illegal assembly under section 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
Timeline
October 2, 1998: Forest department registers a report against Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam Kothari, Sonali Bendre, Dushyant Singh and Dinesh Ganware for allegedly killing two blackbucks. The complaint was filed after an investigation.
October 12, 1998: Forest department arrests Salman, and keeps him in custody for two days. He spends four days in jail from October 15 to October 17.
November 9, 2000: Chief judicial magistrate of a local court in Jodhpur takes cognizance of the matter.
February 19, 2006: Charges are framed against the accused after the arguments are presented.
March 23, 2013: Revised charges are framed against all accused by the trial court. Repeated revision petitions, first by the defence in the session court and then by the prosecution in the high court, hold up the trial for seven years.
May, 2013: Trial in the case begins in the chief judicial magistrate court. At least 28 witnesses from the prosecution side are produced for examination. Statements of Salman and other accused are recorded.
January 13, 2017: Deposition is completed in the trial court.
January 27, 2017: All accused appear before the chief judicial magistrate court for recording their statements.
September 13, 2017: Final arguments begin in the trial court.
March 28, 2018: Final arguments completed. Chief judicial magistrate Dev Kumar Khatri reserves judgement for April 5.
April 5, 2018: Court convicts Salman. Gives benefit of doubt to other accused including actors Saif, Tabu, Sonali and Neelam, and acquits them. # Source: Hindustan Times
