Seeking to fill a literary vacuum in Salman Khan's eventful career, journalist Jasim Khan has come up with a biography of the mercurial star, who is as much a controversy's child as he is a crowd puller
Shiela cinema near New Delhi Railway Station. Friday. First day, first show: Lucky: No Time for Love is playing at the cinema that is clearly past its prime. Salman's fan following shows no sign of recession though. Among the hundreds of viewers are two guys; one from Kota, the other from Jodhpur. They were on their way from Bihar to their respective home towns when they realised that by the time they would reach home by train, the first day shows of Salman's film with Sneha Ullal, then said to be the lookalike of Aishwarya Rai, would be over. That was an unthinkable scenario for them. Never had they watched any of Salman's films in any shows except the first day-first show. So, the two young men, the guy from Jodhpur, showing Salman's autograph on his shoulder, decided to watch Lucky in Delhi. That was in 2005. And if it must be said, not quite the best time of Salman's career.
Golcha cinema on Netaji Subhash Marg. Friday. First day, first show: Saawan is showing at the cinema that a few years earlier had attracted houseful crowds for Salman's Tumko Na Bhool Payenge, a film that failed at most stations. Tumko rode on the support of Walled City youngsters who turned up in hordes to watch their bhai. Saawan, director Sawan Kumar Tak's film starring newcomer Kapil Jhaveri in the lead role with Salman doing only a special appearance, opens to thunderous response at Golcha. Soon, the housefull' sign comes up outside. The guys from the Walled City cannot have enough of him.
Odeon cinema in Connaught Place. Friday. First day, first show: Satish Kaushik's Tere Naam is playing. It is an out and out Salman starrer. The hero outdoes himself in a larger than life role. The crowd teems over. Some viewers go back humming the film's songs; most decide to come back to watch it again after a week or two when the rush would subside. In the bargain Tere Naam reduces Emraan Hashmi's Footpath to a non-starter.
That is the magic. That is the power of Salman Khan. Like what one said about Amitabh Bachchan in the late 70s and early 80s, Salman is good in bad films. And often better than good films. Like the fans everybody has his favourite Salman Khan moment, his favourite Salman movie. Mine came early. It goes back to the time when he announced himself to the world with Sooraj Barjatya's Maine Pyar Kiya. He seemed endearing innocent, credible and affable. The film, backed up by super hit music, and first experiment with surround sound was a blockbuster. I had watched it at the conclusion of my first exams as a Delhi University student. Paras, as big a hall as any at any time in the city was brimming over with people. Black marketers made a killing. The craze for the film knew no ebbing for weeks with prints only being increased after the first few weeks rather than other way round which is the norm in the world of cinema.
This bout of nostalgia is caused solely by Jasim Khan's book titled "Being Salman", a book for which Salman "was not very cooperative", as Jasim puts it. Seeking to fill a literary vacuum in the superstar's life - there has been no worthy book on him even as there have been tomes on, say, Shah Rukh Khan! In fact, as Jasim points out in the introduction himself, this was one of the major reasons for his doing this book.
Written with the soft gloves, the book, in a way, progresses like a Hindi film of yesteryears. Then we used to have heroes who came from humble background, were a little mischievous in teenage, but always enterprising and morally upright. Here, Jasim wants us to play a fan boy. Writing about the superstar's birth, he says, "Safiya Khan was a witness to Salman's birth. The special thing was that Salman opened his eyes just after his birth. This is not the case with all children. Some infants do not open their eyes and fists for days. But Salman was gazing around as he had come to survey the world!"
Birth taken care of, the author moves to the star's early days. Says Jasim, "Bodybuilding started for Salman right from his Indore days. He was skinny as a child, but developed a flair for exercises by watching his relatives work out...Salman never stopped visiting his gym at Christian College whenever he was in Indore. Mubin Khan was his gym-mate for some time. He remembers that they would go to the Aggarwal sweet shop at Nasiha Chowk and gorge themselves on milk and jalebis after every session of exercise."
Happy? No, fan boys cannot go away. Bhai was not just all brawn, he had a way with girls too. According to Jasim, "Salman would often playfully tease girls and play pranks with them. But it was all in good fun."
And then Salman became a superstar. Jasim writes, "Today, Salman Khan is the superstar of Bollywood, the heart-throb of millions, a role model for many successful actors in the film industry. The Salman phenomenon can be understood by the fact that nine of his films released since 2009 - Wanted, Dabangg, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger, Dabangg 2, Jai Ho, Kick and Bajrangi Bhaijaan have each earned more than Rs.100 crore. His film Hum Aapke Hain Koun began the trend of the Rs.1 billion film club as early as 1994."
Ah, we have seen so many films. And now a book too. Just like the film. Of course, Jasim talks of Salman's numerous court battles too. The reckless driving case, the blackbucks case, everything. "As a human being he is very good but about the legal cases one cannot say anything." But he recalls right at the beginning, "Salman's grandfather Abdul Rashid Khan was once one of the most capable police officers of the princely state of Indore; he retired as DIG of police in 1948. Ironically, the grandson of the same man, who put innumerable criminals behind bars, is himself facing a prison." He though again shows those kid gloves. At one place the star is shown in a white vest in the Jodhpur case, in another, Jasim recounts the experience of Bhanwarlal Bishnoi who took him from Jodhpur railway station. Bhanwarlal was taking Salman from the airport to Khuri when the car broke down. "He asked for a screwdriver and pliers, and fixed it himself. Hotel Pokhran RTDC-Midway was our next destination. Salman came out of the hotel after some time and invited me for a meal. I thought he was just another rich man. But when I went inside the hotel, I came to know that he is a famous movie star. He seated me at the same table as himself." This was in 1999, a few years after the world had embraced Hum Aapke Hain Koun, and a decade after Maine Pyar Kiya.
As for his relationships with Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif, Jasim is clear. "With Aishwarya, you can say it was infatuation like any young man. With Katrina, it was actual love." Why didn't the relationship fructify? "Well, there are so many relationships that fail. In Bollywood there are so many factors at work all the time."
Clearly, for millions, being Salman is a privilege. Legal cases, flops, personal tantrums all fade into the background when one sees the massive fan following. Jasim is happy to reproduce a dialogue from his Ready, "Zindagi mein teen cheez kabhi underestimate nahi karna, I, me and myself'."
Updated:
Some more Important Facts about SALMAN 😳😃 [CREDIT to Readers who shared on twitter]
- Salman Khan was born at 10.45 am on 27 Dec 1965 in Kalyanmal Nursing home in Indore. #BeingSalman
The macho man of today was just 6.5 pounds at the time of his birth. He was very active and winced at the slightest sound. #BeingSalman
Bodybuilding started for Salman right from his Indore days. He was skinny child, but developed flair for exercise by watching his relatives work out
- One day his badi ammi tied Salman to a rope and tossed him into the neighborhood well 😲.That was his first lesson in swimming.(No Wonder He was a Swimming Champion👏)
- Salman would ride bicycle on roads of Indore for hours. He loved the moments of solitude in the wilderness of the forests n greenery of farmland
- Salman's aunt says he has the unblemished heart of a child. Is very simple n gullible. Loves children. He can't see tears in the eyes of any (Awww ❤️🤗)
- Salman was naughty and stubborn as a child. He had developed an early interest in stunts. At the age of 12 he could jump up to 3 mtrs on wheels 😲⭐️
- Salman loves nature. He loved to walk in the woods. Nights spent outdoors were special to him. Would love to drive his jeep on dirt roads
- Salman's childhood was full of fun. He loves remote villages,relishing Bullock cart rides & milking cows, he would then gulp down the raw milk
- When in boarding school Salman threw all kinds of tantrums to coax his parents to get him out.😆 . Arbaaz even threatened he would jump off from the fort wall 😲
- Salman's childhood friend tells 'Salman would often playfully tease girls and play pranks with them. But it was all in good fun' 😳
- Salman has never forgotten his childhood friends. All swear by how sharp Salman's memory is. He remembers all his friends and teachers even now 👏
- Salman recalls a incident n msg left by his strict principal whom he didnt like much 'My son, I love u very much' brought tears to his eyes (awww 🤗)
- Bhagyashree recalls her first photo shoot incident with Salman. The photographer took Salman in a corner n told to take the girl in his arms .Salman blatantly refused. Said 'ask the girl first. We can't decide for her. I m ready only if she is willing for the pose #RESPECT😳👏
- Hotel Sea Rock in Mumbai (no longer exists today) looks like an important part of Salman's life. Personally as well as professionally.
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