Editorial: Salman surrenders with grace and dignity

By: Priyaranjan Trivedy
Tuesday, August 28, 2007

The Bollywood hunk Salman Khan has been hogging the media limelight for the past week, and amidst much hype and media publicity, has surrendered himself to the authorities after a Jodhpur court sentenced him to five years' imprisonment under charges of poaching a chinkara deer in Rajasthan while shooting for the Rajshri Productions' blockbuster Hum Saath Saath Hain, in the year 1998.

Even as the actor was struggling to regain his megastar image with a series of flops coming his way, with Partner providing him the much-needed respite, the recent court verdict seems to be the final nail in the coffin, as far as Sallu's acting career is concerned. An ardent fan of his can only hope and pray that poor Sallu is able to bounce back from his recent stroke of misfortune.

It is common knowledge that star has had troubled times in recent years, including a broken affair and public spat with ex-beau Aishwarya Bachchan, and allegations regarding him threatening another Bollywood actor, Vivek Oberoi.

Salman,on Saturday, became associated with the now famous tag "prisoner no. 343" at the Jodhpur Central Jail, after he was arrested straight from the Jodhpur airport, where he had landed in aJet Airways flight coming from Mumbai, and hastily taken away in a police jeep to prevent mobbing by the pressmen and his fans who had assembled at the airport.

According to the jail authorities, Salman will be meted out the same treatment as is applicable to a normal prisoner, and will have to wear the prison dress and get the normal food. He will only be allowed to meet three people in fifteen days, as is clearly mentioned in the jail manual. However, since he has been sentenced to undergo 'simple imprisonment', he will be spared from doing hard labour. It's really pitiful how the celebrity status works to the disadvantage of the film stars.

Salman is the second Bollywood star to be jailed in a span of a month. Sanjay Dutt spent 23 nights in Mumbai and Pune prisons after being convicted under the Arms Act in the 1993 Mumbai bombings. He is currently out on bail.