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| By Nishi Khan in Mumbai |
"This movie (Bajrangi Bhaijaan) needed sincerity and innocence which I had lost. Both, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo will bring back my sincerity and innocence," Salman said, sharing his Eid wish-list.
Salman is, obviously, not talking about the loss of 'innocence' of his screen avatar. On screen, he has stuck to the sterotype of a sweet-talking, doe-eyed do-gooder with a heart of gold, arms of steel and a 56-inch chest. Forget dark, villanous characters, Salman's reel-life avatars haven't even had a hint of grey.
Salman is a clever artist. He rarely accepts roles that draw attention to his real life and its numerous controversies. On screen, you rarely see him drinking, philandering (No Entry and Biwi No 1 are rare exceptions), getting into brawls with women (when he quarrels with wife, he gets dutifully slapped into contrition by his mother) or breaking the law (he is invariably a Dabangg protector of law and justice).
If there was ever a male equivalent of Sati Savitri, Salman's on-screen character would be among the top contenders for the tag with his moral rectitude and righteous devotion to duty and love. Sati Salman, if you will.
Mission Being Human, clearly, is for real life. The quest for innocene is for the man, not the image.
Unfortunately, behind the smokescreen of the 70-mm veil lurks a Mr Hyde - a man notorious for breaking the law with impunity and getting away with it because of the fruits of labours of Dr Jekyll: money, fame, influence and public sympathy.
Salman has killed protected animals for fun. He has mown down people sleeping on a pavement while driving drunk. He has allegedly harassed women after break-ups. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan went on record about this. And instead of being resentful or penitent, facing the consequences of his criminal acts, Salman has resorted to every kind of trick, taken advantage of loopholes in the law, to delay punishment.
Naturally, Salman is craving for his lost innocence.
There is a memorable scene in Amitbah Bachchan's cult classic Agneepath that could be a metaphor for Salman's quest. In that film, after being called a 'woh goonda' by Commissioner Gaitonde's son, Vijay Chauhan takes his wife Madhavi to a ghetto, where hundreds of people scream and shout their adulation for their Bhai and redeem his reputation and ego.
Politicians and stars have their personal yardstick for justice. They believe that the mob is the ultimate arbiter of their destiny, their judge and jury. For them, victory in an election and box-office success of their work is more credible proof of their innocence than a court.
So, Salman too would be hoping that a theatre full of shrieking, dancing, whistling fans will pass the final verdict on the question of his culpability. That the box-office will overturn his status of a convicted criminal, a man found guilty of snuffing out lives.
Sorry, Bhaijaan, I refuse to be part of this jury that will pay for your redemption.
When Maine Pyaar Kiya was released, I was there among the front-benchers who should ideally have been at school. When Hum Aapke Hain Kaun hit the theatres, I was among those faithful millions who bought tickets on the black market for the entire family. I cried when Aishwarya left you in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and screamed with joy when you responded to Rakhi's plaitive plea 'Mere Karan-Arjun Aayenge.' And when Dabangg was released, my son and I competed with each other for the loudest whistle.
Before you were a convicted criminal, I was both liberal with my money, love and appreciation for your work.
But, when your film is released tomorrow, I won't be among those whose applause and hysteria will lift the burden of guilt from your conscience.
I know my two bit or Rs 200 will not make any difference to the Rs 200-crore your film will earn. But, if the outrage we witnessed after your delayed conviction and instant bail in the hit-and-run case is an indication of India's conscience, I think the queue for Bajrangi Bhaijaan will be a little shorter.
If it isn't, I would gracefully accept hypocrisy as one of our collective virtues.
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