God.. what's ails Salman Khan

Many of Salman Khan's fans will be distressed with the court pronouncing the star guilty and sentencing him to a year in prison in the black buck poaching case.

However, controversies and the Bollywood beefcake have never been too far apart.

On September 28, 2002, Salman Khan was charged with killing a man and injuring four others in an incident of rash driving in Mumbai. The accident triggered off a storm of protests against him.

He has made it to the headlines for roughing up scribes, manhandling his ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai, entering into a tiff with Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan on film sets and verbally assaulting Viveik Oberoi.

Fortunately or unfortunately, his acts of misdemeanour have not marred his popularity and Salman continues to have a huge fan following - not too surprising, as most celebrities involved in legal battles have come out unscathed in terms of their popularity.

For instance, Sanjay Dutt scaled new heights in Bollywood after he was released from jail following his arrest under an anti-terror law for his alleged involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

Similarly, Fardeen Khan and Saif Ali Khan also have had brushes with law, but it didn't affect them or their celebrity status.

Salman made a phoenix-like rise after the controversy related to the hit-and-run case, beginning with Satish Kaushik's Tere Naam, released in 2003.

This was followed by a guest appearance in Ravi Chopra's super hit Baghban in the same year. Though the film centred on the Bollywood icon, Amitabh Bachchan, Salman was a big hit with fans for his goody-goody role.

In 2004, Salman's Mujhsey Shaadi Karogi did brisk business and in 2005, lady luck smiled on him again with his films No Entry and Mainey Pyaar Kyun Kiya shining at the box office.

In the black buck poaching case, Salman also has a month to appeal the verdict.

If he fails to obtain bail, those most affected would be the directors currently working with him. According to Salman's secretary Vikas Kapoor, the actor is involved in projects worth Rs.1 billion.

His upcoming films include Salaam-E-Ishq: A Tribute to Love, Babul, God Tussi Great Ho, Hum Ko Deewana Kar Gaye and Janeman.