Bollywood superstar Salman Khan turns 51 today. In a career spanning more than two decades, he has won a lot of admirers. There are numerous fan clubs dedicated to him, who leave no stone unturned to show undying love for their bhaijaan. But, there are an equal number of haters who have reasons to dislike him. Well, they have their personal reasons to do so. In a democracy, we have a right to have an opinion about someone. But, admit or not, he SELLS, and sells big time!
Before proceeding further, let me give you an example. Around 13 years ago, a film called Tere Naam starring him had hit the theatres. Directed by Satish Kaushik, the film featured a college pass-out stalking a girl who later wins her over, only to end up in a mental asylum after a fight with a rival gang leads to serious head injury. Well, the plot might appear to be the same old cliche, but the film triggered a massive hysteria among people.
I could not watch the film in the theatre. Why? Not because I am a Salman hater, but the reason was simple. I could not get the tickets. The film ran for several weeks and I could easily spot few people who had been thronging the theatres for watching it again and again. When was the last time you saw such a fan following for any star?
Be it a torrid relationship with ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai, black buck case and the more infamous hit-and-run case as well, Salman has donned the image of a bad boy. Besides this, the acquittal in both the cases has not helped him in terms of changing image in the minds of detractors. But does he care? No. Neither do his fans.
Every year on Eid, the nation eagerly waits for his film to release. Such is his aura that other stars push the release dates of their films to avoid clashing with Salman bhai. If you cannot believe, see this for yourself. His films have romance, comedy and kick-ass action. These are the ingredients of a paisa-vasool movie according to a typical movie-goer. There have been surprise hits in recent years, but you cannot deny the adulation among fans for the 51-year-old actor.
Since Wanted, Salman has been at the peak of his career. Every year, his films surpass the box office collections of the previous venture. The other stars refrain from releasing their films alongside his, fearing they would fall flat before the mighty Khan. Salman’s 2015 flick Bajrangi Bhaijaan raked in around Rs 300 crore at the box office. Isn’t it huge? And mind you, the film did receive positive reviews from the critics as well. And this year’s release Sultaan was even a bigger hit. Isn’t it enough?
Thus to sum up, Salman Khan’s jalwaa is everywhere.
