I met a very different Salman Khan this time. A tad bit subdued and sounding a whole lot more sensible, Khan was not in his regular crack-joke-a-minute mood.Obviously under the clouds about the 5 year sentence that was given against him in Jodhpur jail, for the black buck case, Salman doesn’t hide his emotions. He says, “Sometimes, I feel I have let down my father. I should have been chilled out earlier like I am now. Those problems might have not happened. But we are fighting it….these are tough times but I hope they are not getting tougher. I really get worried about these jolts that my parents keep getting because of these constant court battles. At least, they know that I am not so much at fault that this is happening but because of the position that I am in. At times I feel that these things could have been sorted out so easily, but it’s been going on and on. We (Khan family) just want truth to prevail,” he says.
However, he says he has got more than his good share in life. “My parents are sahi salaamat,my brothers are doing well, and we are all fighting this together, so its great.”
Salman says this Democles sword hanging on his head is affecting him more because of his parents. He says, “I am 42 and my dad is 72. Eventually the case will reach the Supreme court. It’s been going on for so long, that any time in my life if a weird story about me comes out or something happens to me, the judge will start thinking, ‘This guy deserves to be behind bars.’ Just that thought scares me.”
What scared him more, however, was spending a week in jail, two months ago. He says, “It looks all very cool to an outsider.
I entered there and saw prisoners who have been there for 20 years and totally forgotten, and it was like hell. Seventy per cent of the prisoners today, I must know because I have already been to 3 or 4 jails already, are innocent. There are cases when a young boy about 14-15 is taken in for a murder case, and then he’s there for 20 odd years! They don’t even want to come outside because they are worse off outside. The state of the jail is so bad and when I offered to take care of some amenities, I was not allowed. I think some human rights guys should go there and check on these things. It is horrible for humans to stay in such places.”
“I never spoke about these things because I didn’t want to involve anybody. Now it doesn’t seem to matter. I am not the kind to start crying in front of the TV camera. If I have to go to jail, I will go with a blank face, because that’s my destiny and if possible, only I can change it. If I had done any uncool thing, I know I will have to suffer.
But if I haven’t I know I will get out of it.” However, Salman says he is glad that people’s perception of him has changed over the years. “Earlier people used to think I am arrogant and short tempered, but now they realise that I do things for a reason.
The younger generation understands me and my sense of humour better.” Perhaps it is easier to understand the new Salman better.
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