Truly Devdas

Salman Khan! A devdas???

Why do people still consider him as being innocent. He was drunk and ran over a homelss guy. What is there to defend about him!!?? Dont people see that what he did to Aishwarya Rai? I mean what kind of man loses his temper infront of so many people and embarrases someone (referring to what Salman did to Ash when she was shooting for a film) and WHY do people think that he is a good actor???????

I think the authorities are right in booking Salman for culpable homicide not amounting to murder (is that the same as manslaughter? too much American TV law in the system!) The point is when you run over somebody in the wee hours, are proved to be dead drunk at the time, run away from the scene WITHOUT YOUR VEHICLE (how smart is that ---duh) , fail to inform the police about the incident--- you look suspicious enough as it is. Add to that, the fact that you`re a much-hated pub-brawler whose hobby is killing exotic wildflife while not bashing up exotic birdlife so rare in Mumbai anyway---and you get away with a pathetic fine of 950/- (police should have let him off for free-- it would make less news), and what do you expect? Public outcry. There you go.
SOB comes out of jail and has a booze party at his place where press are invited and offers juicy ones like ``I wasn`t driving`` and ``I will never change`` and a little plug in there too- ``Salman is the greatest actor in Bollywood`` --- to misquote Ian Chappel, I don`t even think he`s the best actor in his family--- SOB deserves to get lynched--- not jailed....
Whatever, at least Ash is safe now!

Because he got bail after ``allegedly`` killing a person and injuring 2-3 others in no way proves that there are two sects of laws. The fact is that more than 500 people died in road accidents last year in Bombay. And guess how in how many of these accidents were the drivers booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder (a non-bailable offence under which Salman is now booked and had to spend these days in the jail)???? Not even one. In all the cases the the drivers are charged for committing a rash and negligent act and the punishment under this is mostly a fine and at worst 2 years imprisonment. It was under this act that Salman was initially charged as well. So the law was the same. In fact if anything his being a celebrity has been a liability for him if anything. I am not a Salman fan, far from it. But in this case I genuinely feel he has had to pay a heavier price for being a known face then say I would have paid for the same crime.

what`s there to argue about, if a guy commits a crime, he should be jailed?

why are people getting so defensive about a criminal?

The fact that he`s been released on bail after allegedly killing one person proves that there are two sets of laws in India: one for the rich and one for the poor (of course, our politicians are totally above the law but that`s another story). I am sure this episode will be forgotten in a few months and it`ll be business as usual.

If Salman Khan wants to redeem himself, he should set up trust funds to help the families of those affected since the life of those who sleep on the streets in India is basically worth nothing. Also winning in court may be even worse for the affected families than losing since restitution will have to pass through the grubby hands of the legal bureaucracy and I`d be surprised if they will receive anything (just ask the victims of Bhopal).

Maybe the charities that have backed Salman can hep in this regard.

And the man has something to say...........

I haven`t changed, says Salman

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2002 08:59:24 PM ]
S BALAKRISHNAN AND SWATI DESHPANDE

MUMBAI: His ground floor flat at Galaxy apartments on Bandra sea face is teeming with friends who welcome him ``back to civilisation.`` The man behind the bar counter in the living room is busy filling glasses with whiskey and soda. After more than a fortnight, it is party time again in the Salman Khan household.

If you expected a remorseful Salman to amble up to you then you are sorely mistaken. After more than a fortnight in jail, he has lost a couple of kilos. That`s about the only change in the most controversial actor in Bollywood. In between signing a few papers brought in by a police inspector and constant pecks on his cheeks from an unending stream of friends, the 37-year-old actor fielded several questions from Sunday Times on Friday night with commendable cool. Excerpts:

SALMANSPEAK
• I cried a lot. The accident keeps coming back like a filmy flashback.
• You pay the price for being a celebrity. Salman Khan is the greatest actor in Bollywood.
• I am not a brat. I`m just mischievous.
• In jail, I read the Ramayana and the Mahabharat.
• That chapter (Ash-Salman story) closed a year-and-a-half back.

What exactly happened on September 28 night?
I had gone to the Rain bar where I had a few Bacardis and was returning home late night when the Toyota Landcruiser suddenly swerved into the American Express laundry on Hill Road. The whole thing happened in a jiffy. The next thing I saw was that a man was dead and a few others were injured.

Who was at the wheel?
My driver Ashok Singh. I was sitting behind.

Kamal Khan, who was with you, has told the police that you were at the wheel. Eyewitnesses apparently told the same thing to the police.
That is not true. Ashok was driving. And he was not driving very fast as some newspapers have reported. I don`t know what happened. But I suspect that the brakes failed. I learn that Toyota had a similar problem with thousands of such vehicles manufactured by it.

If you are not guilty, why did you run away from the scene? Why did you not rush the injured to the hospital?
That`s exactly what I wanted to do. Incidentally, the bakery in which the injured worked is where I get my bread from and laundry where the accident took place is where I get my clothes cleaned. But the crowd started throwing stones at me. I was hurt at several places all over my body. In the melee, somebody even snatched my wristwatch and my wallet. I wanted to rush the people to Holy Family hospital close by. In the past I had rushed accident victims to hospitals. But that night I had no choice but leave much against my wishes. I cried a lot. The site of the accident keeps coming back like in a filmi flashback.

It is said that your brother Arbaaz came to the scene of accident to take away the tapedeck. Also, why did you not visit the victims in the hospital and help them financially? Was it not callousness?
It is nonsense to say Arbaaz came looking for the deck. He did no such thing. As for my not going to the hospital, I was advised by my lawyers that would have been misconstrued as influencing witnesses.

Why did you not go to the police station immediately?
I want to make it clear that I handed myself over to the cops. In fact, between September 28 and October 7, when I was re-arrested, my lawyers advised me to apply for anticipatory bail. I said `no` to them. I said let the cops do what they want. I cooperated fully. If I wanted, I could have saved myself all the bother by making phone calls to a couple of really influential persons. I cannot name them, but they are really powerful people. But I did no such thing.

Did your celebrity status prove to be a handicap? There is a perception that you have some problem with Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who is in charge of the home department.
Yes, you pay the price for being a celebrity. Salman Khan is the greatest actor in Bollywood. As regards Mr Bhujbal, I have no problem with him at all. He did not interfere in my case at all. The cops were just doing their duty, I guess.

It is said that you were in a particularly depressed mood on the day of the accident since Bombay Times had carried an interview with Aishwarya Rai in which she talked of the end of her relationship with you. An entirely different rumour was that both of you actually planned to get married that day and even a kazi was readied, but Ash developed cold feet.
Ash`s interview did not affect me. And this thing about the marriage was ..well, at best.. a rumour.

But is the Salman-Ash love story still open or closed?
It was closed a year-and-a-half back. That chapter is now closed. (Pauses and takes a deep drag at his Marlboro).

Why do you have this image of a brat?
I am not a brat. I am just mischievous. I do in real life what I do in my films. If someone misbehaves with me I don`t keep quiet.

After being put in jail, have you become a changed man? What is the single biggest lesson you learnt from the accident episode?
I have not changed at all. I am the same Salman and will be the same. As for the lesson part, I learnt that ultimately, it is each to his own.
Were you singled out because you were a Muslim?
No. The cops were just doing their professional duty. My family is the best example of secularism. My father is a Pathan Muslim and my mother a Maharashtrian Hindu. Her maiden surname was Nadkar. My family members are married to persons belonging to different religions and we celebrate all festivals. While in jail, I read the Ramayana and the Mahabharat.

What was the jail experience like?
I had been to jail before too. I was strong. I had a separate cell for security reasons. In Thane jail cell which was about 8 ft by 6 ft I was given a blanket. All the inmates were living like that. In police custody, I had to share the toilet with a large number of people. I shared my home food with other inmates. I have no complaints.

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Mastram
you are right. He should be punished and should have been punished for the blackbuck incident. because you or i would have had our lives ruined. and i agree that he (or any other celebrity or rich person) will mostly suffer for a short duration before they move on.

but i don`t know his motivations for going on that shooting trip, none of us do. i can`t claim that he`s an idiot, just because he is also rich and famous. At best I would call him immature, rash, stupid, too romantic for his own good.

And yes, I have heard of and seen 38 (35+) men behave worse than some 18 year olds I know. It`s not the chronological age, rather the mindset.

salman khan does not have a mature mindset. agreed.
salman khan should be punished accordingly, and there should also be some sort of social component (though how effective punishments are is another matter - for example we could discuss Sanjay Dutt case where he was punished, his career took a dive for a few years, he came back and now there are allegations related to chotta shakeel case).

re Brat # 16

Celebreties have a right to privacy. But they should also avoid committing criminal acts in public. Also, people like Salman Khan get a lot of things merely because they are famous. Fame can be a double-edged sword. If you or I were being threatened by Chhota Shakeel or Abu Salem`s goons we would not get 24 hours police escort. We would either cough up or get killed.

Also, while his latest crime can be called a crime of negligence, acts like taking a gun, aiming it at an animal and pulling the trigger don`t sound like acts of negligence to me. You can claim that he was negligent in not knowing that Wildlife Preservation Act exists in India and most, if not all, wild animals are protected by it. By the way he got off for that case as it was shown by the post-mortem report that blackbucks died because of over-eating. I had never heard of wild animals overeating before.

Also, he should not be punished more because he is rich, but he should be punished inspite of being rich and famous. And I doubt people`s conscience bother them much after they kill someone (you might want to see Crimes and Misdemeanors, a wonderful movie by Woody Allen). Sameer Nanda recently had a well reported party in Bombay to put behind the recent unfortunate incidents and start enjoying again. I doubt if Hitler, or Pol Pot , or Togadia, or HKL Bhagat or even the bajrang dal goons who actually slit throats are bothered in the least by conscience. We humans have infinite capacity for rationalization.

As Aamir mentioned earlier, an 18 year old jilted lover going berserk is understandable but a 38 year old man doing so is unpardonable.

Prem # 13

Thank you, I tend to get carried away :)

mastram2:
as Prem mentioned he is definitely guilty of criminal negligence

you and i are not judges or lawyers - you and i are not witnesses to the incidents. Yes those instances need to be addressed.
Yes a message needs to be sent across that just being rich and famous does not meant that you are above the law.

But all this does not make one man we do not know a criminal. We cannot take our wrath against rich and their attitudes out on this guy. We do not have any basis to claim that he`s an irresponsible cold hearted son-of-a-bitch, let`s stone him. we do not even have the basis to assume to that he`s immature or whatever.

Like any other person who is famous, he has to bear the cross. If you or I were in a similar situation, no one else outside of our friends would know. We would not have all the world turn towards and call us idiots, or murderers, or rich bastard or whatever.

I agree with Prem that we all make mistakes, sometimes very rash ones. Someone I know was involved with the murder of someone else. Indirectly or whatever, I do not have the facts, I do not even know the whole story. He did a wrong thing. If the law had caught him, he would have been punished, perhaps he would`ve got away by connections or bribes etc. If he doesn`t get caught, then all one can hope for is that his own conscience will make him a better person.

What I am defending is the right that celebrities have of privacy and of being treated with compassion, whether they`ve made a mistake or whether they`ve been a victim (as in the case of Princess Diana)

re Prem #13
I do not know what your definition of a criminal is but according to Indian laws, as far as I know, the following are considered crimes :
1. Killing endangered animals
2. Voluntarily causing hurt (sec 321 of IPC)
3. Culpable homicide not amounting to murder/ causing death by negligence (sec 304/304A of IPC)

These are three well known crimes Salman Khan is alleged to have comitted and that I guess certainly makes him an alleged criminal. I am not sure if driving without a license and driving drunk are considered crimes or traffic offences.

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Dost-Mittarji and others,

I am not defending salman. The legal process must take its due course. A poor street-dweller is dead. Salman`s running away from the scene was an immoral and unpardonable act. He should pay for it. Finally, I have nothing but contempt for people`s money. It is the root of much that is evil and disgustingly shallow. But I do not dismiss a person just because he has or doesn`t have money. I was born quite poor. That was not a crime. By the same token, being or being born rich is not a crime.

Salman Khan has been criminally negligent, even a boor, but he is not a criminal. Sure, he must pay for his mistakes. But beyond that, the guy deserves our understanding as much as he deserves our condemnation.

It`s a personal thing. I have done some reckless things that astonish me in hindsight, Luckily no one was killed. But anyone who doesn`t intentionally kill or promote killings deserves a break, a chance to be rehabilitated AFTER paying for one`s mistakes.

All I am saying is that let`s not paint the guy as some sort of devil incarnate. I would punish him and then give him a chance to remake his life and his career.

Aamir:

``Lets not forget the famous case of Nanda the naval brass`s grand son in Delhi 2 years ago who drove a brand new Beemer unregistered while drunk without valid driving license on to dozen foot path dwellers in Delhi .Since Nanda made billins in Bofors & other defence procurement contracts he bought the victim families with MONEY. ``


The whole Nanda khandaan is Harami. Wasn`t just money, threats too were used. Only thing is Nanda did not make money in Bofors, at least not much. His break came during the purchase of the HDW German submarines.

dost-mittar:

your completely opposite view may be right, but i still stick to my belief. I don`t claim that he`s a great actor, but he`s done decent job in a few films -- Khamoshi and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam - both directed by the Sanjay Leela Bhansali mentioned in this article (see http://www.bbc.co.uk/asianlife/tv/east/east2002/bob/biog_sanjay_leela_bhansali.shtml) for an article about this. Salman`s role in either of the films was not acclaimed. I also liked Salman Khan in `Andaz Apna Apna` and `Pyar kiya to darna kya`. I think basically he`s your average film star.

But besides his acting ability there are a few issues being discussed here:

1. the rich and their behavior - like this Nanda case and also another bollywood film star - Raj Kumar`s son - Puru Rajkumar had apparantly killed a few people a few years back (1992) -- Yes the rich seem to do that, get drunk, behave like brats and idiots with utter disregard towards the poor? right? we can complain about the rich. But we cannot stereotype in this case based on this information. (I seem to have chosend to be Salman`s lawyer on this board...oh well).
2. Salman`s jilted lover behavior.
3. Salman`s very public life and the effect of that on his personal life.

I agree that driving drunk and driving without license was stupid - but don`t `the not so rich people` also do that? I may do that one day - although i`m not rich and i fully well know the law of the land and how dangerous it could be for myself or others.

I don`t understand the deal around shooting the blackbuck, it was stupid again. but don`t know the story, can`t comment on it.

can`t condemn some famous guy for being famous and also being human, and acting stupid for romanticized thing called love.

Anil Saab:

Thank you for the article. You`ve blended celluloid life and real life well. One does wonder how a person whose entire life is so publicized deals with their emotions and troubles. They are human after all. But we all love to criticize their behavior don`t we. Even if we don`t put the person down, there`s something inside us saying - look at what he did, can you believe him!

We`re all like that, we`re humans, we make mistakes. We don`t know what`s happened with Salman and Ash. Did he really beat her up? Did a friend of a friend of a friend of yours see it happen? Or did the story travel around and gain momentum?

We all do very stupid things for what we think is love. LadyAna it`s not easy to just pull yourself out of the mess and say to yourself - hey, so big deal this woman does not like me. I was voted as the 7th sexiest man in the world (by some magazine??). I will concentrate on my work, or spend more time at charities or with underprivileged people and see life from a different point of view. It`s not easy to shut off all that emotion. Like someone else said on a different board, it`s very hard to separate fantasy from real life. And in most cases love is enmeshed with the person`s self-image. So you never know what`s driving the person.

I hate to do an analysis like this, but even i succumb to it, as far as i can tell this guy has a very low self esteem. And it seems that he`d attached a lot more meaning to his relationship than any guy who was basically comfortable about himself would. That`s what`s brought about such rash behavior.

I hate Salman for hitting and beating up the Goddess Aishwarya. Anybody that could have that honey dripping ultimate babe and treat her like that is the biggest fool alive.

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Adnan#3
``Seriously? Who did he kill? Isn`t he like one of the biggest star of Bollywood? (Duh... that was a dumb question. After all, his name has Khan in it) ``

He ran his car over a few people sleeping on the pavement a couple of weeks back. He was found to be heavily drunk when taken into police custody.

Just what Chowk needs: ``Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous``.

Write about the pavement dwellers, Arora. At least, we will then have a slugfest about why India should cut its defense spending, get out of Kashmir, spend the money on social welfare programs, etc. Oh, yeah; and the vision of Gandhi and Quaid-e-Azam will also figure in hugely.

Sometimes corny daytime talk shows also have their moments of rare brilliance. Somtime back on Oprah Winfrey, that quack who calls himself Dr. Phil made a telling comment- ``Love is not a feeling, it is a behaviour``. So true. If Sallu-miya truly ``loves`` Ash-baby, there is no reason he should go around treating her like his portable punching bag, terrorising her family and assaulting her watchman--- that is not ``love`` it`s madness.
Ash did well to cut him off. Now if the jerk uses this as an excuse for mowing down pavement dwellers in the eraly hours, he`s not going to get much sympathy from anyone - except perhaps his high-society buddies, but then they forgive anything. It`s especially sad when people like the author mouth these same statements because then it gives legitamacy to what is frnakly an unforgivable set of actions from a guy who definitely needs more brain and less muscle.

Seriously? Who did he kill? Isn`t he like one of the biggest star of Bollywood? (Duh... that was a dumb question. After all, his name has Khan in it)

Ridiculous. He killed a fellow. Love or no love, that`s no excuse for murder. And a dumbo who can`t see when a woman is not in love with him anymore, is not worth a note of the love songs he croons. True love is sacrifice, understanding, ensuring the other person`s happiness. Not losing your senses and running over people.

Give the guy a break. All of us deserve our moments of irrational behavior. I only hope salman gets out of the legal tangles he has gotten himself into. It is frustrating to think that a man has been killed in all this stupditiy.