In Defense Of Salman Khan Fans

A guest blogger takes up the fight on behalf of Salman Khan’s fans and makes several persuasive arguments in favour of the Bollywood star, and sometimes, against Shah Rukh Khan.

There is not only a lot of Salman Khan bashing but even bashing of his fans that is going on
in the cyberspace and some things need to be made clear on that ground. Two blogs by some
Asher Madan have prompted me to write this.

In my opinion, Salman fans are left with no option but to retaliate in this fashion.
They are pushed to the corner by the media and SRK fans and I think they have every
right to fight back. When things far from truth are being shoved down your throat, when the
 unfairness of it all becomes hard to ignore, the unrest and anger is going to surface
 somewhere in some way.

The Media Bias

Salman Khan

Media religiously writes false negative stuff about Salman and when the fans protest, they are criticised or attacked by some totally unwarranted vicious comments. There is never a neutral, matter of fact kind of a report about Salman. Everything is given a decidedly negative turn. To add to that there are bloggers who are constantly telling people why Salman Khan shouldn’t be liked and why his films are bad and why he has no business to be successful and popular. Then you have SRK fans who can’t praise their idol unless they run down his biggest and probably more popular rival, Salman. The anguish of Salman fans or this ‘fan-war’ angle can never be understood unless this media bias is considered.

Shah Rukh Khan: The Great Man Who Can Do No Wrong

Irrespective of the quality of Shah Rukh's films, they get four stars.

There is this inexplicable stand by the media and an all out effort to tell people that they shouldn’t like whom they (people) like but they should like the person of the media’s choice. That’s SRK. I have been observing for the past many years how the media is supporting Shah Rukh and glorifying him as if he is the greatest person to have ever walked the face of this earth.

The qualities Shah Rukh doesn’t possess are plastered on him, his failures and wrong doings are masked and each and every action of his is explained and praised. Irrespective of the quality of his films, they get four stars. No matter what the calibre of his performance is, it is praised with the choicest of superlatives.  He is always mentioned with loads of positive adjectives and even a casual mention of him comes with a 2-4 lines tribute. Whenever his films seem to be getting unfavorable response from the audience, the entire media gets into action and starts telling people why and how that film should be appreciated and what a great job he has done by making such a film. This has been observed for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, My Name Is Khan, Ra.Oneand Don 2 in the recent past. Then there are reports of the film doing very well which do not necessarily match the real picture. The moment the public opinion seems to be getting even slightly negative, there is bombardment of stories attaching all sorts of elements of ‘greatness’ to him.

Salman Khan: The Bad Boy Who Can Never Do Anything Good

Now just reverse all of the above and you get the coverage on Salman khan. In the past 20 years, the media has made all possible efforts to present him as the monster which he obviously is not.  His good qualities are never talked about. His perfectly normal and even well intentioned actions are attached a negative motive and presented as examples of his highhandedness.  When they don’t find anything, they actually cook up stories and bash him on the basis of that. They deliberately create controversies around him and his films. Presently, he is supposed to be having an affair with every pretty newcomer and a fight with anyone who happens to pass by. He is never praised even when he has given many praiseworthy performances now and then. He is probably the most charismatic Bollywood star ever. But an honest effort to analyse his appeal or to salute his uniqueness is never done. His success is never recognised. He is never given credit for anything.  When it becomes impossible to ignore, there is only a grudging acceptance of his success and popularity. Now, please don’t tell me that media reports things as they are because my point is, they don’t.

Pour The Black Paint And Then Slam As ‘Black’

Media and SRK fans take great pleasure in calling him a murderer, criminal etc. Now, thousands of accidents happen every year all over the country. Which driver is called a murderer? Thousands of youngsters are caught driving drunk. Who amongst them is labeled a criminal? Has Salman really done things that he is accused of having done? Nobody knows the truth of these cases. But media and SRK fans have given the verdict and have declared him a criminal. None of the allegations on Salman including beating his girlfriends etc. have ever been validated. But people write with so much conviction and passion as if they have actually witnessed these things happening.  They also add other imaginary stories as they please.

The media keeps adding new details every time they mention the old controversy which itself is their creation. They totally avoid writing about his good Samaritan acts for industry people, his helping nature, his unparalleled generosity and the acts of charity that he has done all these years. They never praise his loving, caring nature and his helping ways. There are so many positive and interesting aspects of his personality that never seem to catch media’s attention. It’s always the ‘bad boy’ stories for them. He may not be a saint but he definitely is not a criminal and a goon that they like to portray him as.

Just How Many People Know Salman?

How many people know of the extraordinary charitable deeds that Salman has been doing for past years?

How many people know that Salman has helped so many accident victims before and after he himself was involved in one? He has spent time and effort on taking these strangers to hospital and aiding in their medical treatment. How many people know how he has helped many artistes and technicians to find a foothold in the industry? How many people know how he has helped producers in difficult times? How many people know that he spends his valuable time which he can utilise to earn money, on terminally ill patients, orphans and people in need of financial help? How many people know that all of his income from participating and performing at various events goes directly to his charity ‘Being Human’? How many people know of the extraordinary charitable deeds that Salman and his father Salim Khan have been doing for past so many years?

Media’s Choice Of Convenience

People in the media obviously know all of the above things but avoid writing about them. They are happy to attack him for things which he has not even done or words that he has not uttered. His films are bashed left, right and centre. He is presented as a downmarket hero when he actually has a following in all classes and in all countries where Bollywood has managed to reach.

I have personally written letters to many publications requesting them to stop believing that the world is full of only SRK fans and to wake up to the fact that a large number of their readers are fans of other actors also. My letters and my advice are obviously ignored. Media has continued in this fashion for so many years now.  Why so? That is for people to think and find out.

Salman’s recent successes have only increased the frequency and intensity of attacks on him. Why should Salman fans keep tolerating this attitude of media and why shouldn’t they point out these things to them?  Nowhere in the world would you find a personality loved so much by people being targeted like this by the media.

SRK Fans Make It Worse

Then there are these so called SRK fans who think it is their duty to bash Salman. Their comments are never limited to the news or article that they are commenting upon. It is always the personal attack and character assassination for no reason.  The comments are crass, cheap, abusive and full of mindless accusations. Just because he is involved in two court cases doesn’t mean you can accuse him of just about anything and abuse him as you like.

After the controversial court cases, Salman has not really done anything that would anger people or invite any kind of negativity. He never boasts, never makes tall claims, never tom-toms about his success, never asks for accolades and is just happy to go about his life and work. His performances have only got better and his success, bigger.

When despite all the positive and right things done by the person, a totally unwarranted negativity is directed towards him on a huge scale, the intention of people doing so becomes totally suspect. Salman’s fans obviously get irked by all this and react. They may not understand the nuances of campaigns against him but they surely understand that their hero is being treated unfairly and is targeted unnecessarily.

Why should Salman fans keep taking this rubbish? Why shouldn’t they stand up for someone they love? Especially when he is being targeted for no reason and made to look bad just to make somebody else look better and appear bigger?

I totally support Salman Khan’s fans. In the absence of personal PR machinery and in the wake of the mean and hateful attitude of the media, it’s only his fans that are there for him. So, don’t worry guys! Don’t cross the limits; don’t go overboard but stick to your guns. You are not committing any crime by loving someone and taking up his cause.

By : Manjusha Patil 

IPL Auction Set For February 4

IPL 2012

The player auction for the 2010 IPL will be held on February 4, the governing council has announced. The players from the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise, which was terminated earlier this year, will be part of the auction. The venue is yet to be announced.

The council had earlier confirmed that the squad sizes for each team have been increased from 30 to 33, with eleven foreign players per squad, up one from the previous limit of 10. However, the number of foreign players that can be part of the final XI will remain at four. The teams will have an additional salary cap of $2 million.

Should any of the Kochi players fail to attract the bid, their salaries will be covered by the IPL through the franchise's bank guarantee worth Rs 156 crores that has been encashed by the BCCI. Among the leading players that will be part of the auction are Muttiah Muralitharan, Brendon McCullum, Mahela Jayawardene and Ravindra Jadeja.

The governing council also decided that the first window for trading players will be between December 15 and January 20, with a shorter window after the auction. There is no financial cap on trading, though each franchise can add only a maximum of four players to their squad through trading
.

Predictions for the Stars!

Renowned astrologer Bejan Daruwalla predicts what’s in store for these Bollywood stars in 2011. Here’s a look…

Salman Khan:
The best thing about Salman’s horoscope is the placement of Venus which is the official planet for film stars. 2011 is going to be a superb year for him. In the history of Indian cinema, there has been no competition to Rajesh Khanna’s female fan following. This year, I think Salman Khan is going to break that record. He will have a great number of female fans and will do even better business in 2011. In fact, according to me the next ten years belong to him. Can he retain his "New King" title? Well looks like he can.

Aamir Khan:
Aamir also has quite a bright future in 2011. He will show great will power and fine acting in the next few years. In fact, my calculations say that in the period from 2011 to 2015 he may bring an Oscar for us. He will be successful as an actor, director and producer.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan:
The year will be good for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She will do good work and may give some of the memorable performances but after 2013, I can see a decline in her career. She will lose everything which she has gained over the years – international acclaims and big endorsements. She won’t remain the queen of Bollywood, the status that she is enjoying today.

Shah Rukh Khan:
I met Shah Rukh Khan once at a function and he was very nice to me. The coming two years will be good for him, but the transit of Saturn, the planet of limitation, will start from 2013 and he will be quite slow. His films will flop and the planet will supply sorrow and stagnation. There will be limited progress for the star and sadly, even his personal life will be affected.

Amitabh Bachhan:
Big B’s coming two years are very good in the film industry. He will give some good movies and entertainment in 2011 and 2012 but after that his health and career will be on the down slide. He is going to face a lot of flops and losses thereafter.

Kareena Kapoor:
The next three years, 2011 to 2013, belongs to Kareena Kapoor. Mars, Jupiter and Mercury are so well-placed in her chart that she will get all kinds of roles and will be quite successful in all of them.

Ranbir Kapoor:
Ranbir is a good boy. I have known his entire family for 30 years. Raj Kapoor had come to me for my prediction of Bobby, and his forthcoming marriage to Premnath’s sister Krishna Malhotra. I also have high regard for Rishi. Ranbir will do very well in the coming ten years. He will make his career like his father’s – Lambi race ka ghoda (He is in it for the long run). Though he is a solid actor, no one will come near Salman’s level of accomplishment.

Katrina Kaif:
Katrina’s chart shows tremendous success from 2011 to 2014. Her films will do magic at the box office and she will get some very good endorsements also.

Abhishek Bachhan:
I don’t see Abhishek emerging and shining like his father Amitabh Bachchan. He won’t do any remarkable work. Ketu and Rahu are badly placed in his horoscope so luck will not favour him in the film industry. 2011 is going to be an average year for him.

Saif Ali Khan:
Saif Ali Khan will emerge as the dark horse in 2011. His films will be very successful in this year and he will make his parents quite proud. I can’t predict about his marriage with Kareena at the moment but as far as his professional career is concerned, I can see he has a great year ahead.

Deepika Padukone:
Deepika has Lakshmi Yoga in her horoscope which means her movies will do very good business and she will earn a good name for herself in the industry. Though she will succeed in 2011, her greatness will rise after 2012 and carry on to 2016.

Rani Mukherjee:
I don’t see a great comeback for Rani in 2011. Her latest release No One Killed Jessica may do an average business but she doesn’t have any future now. She will not be successful in any lead role in 2011.

Ajay Devgn:
In 2011, Ajay Devgn will be among those actors who can give a tough competition to the Khans of Bollywood. Planets in his horoscope are very well-placed and they will give him a lot of confidence and success in 2011. His films will do very well this year and he may foray into directing after a couple of years.

Priyanka Chopra:
Jupiter is very well placed in Priyanka’s chart and it will give her a lot of success in 2011 and in the future too. She is in a very good time and place in Bollywood till 2015.

Vidya Balan:
Vidya Balan is on a rise in 2011. Her planets are rightly placed and she has a very good horoscope. She has a great future in the film industry and she will become another Shabana Azmi. She will deliver hits in 2011 and in following years as well.

Sonam Kapoor:
I don’t think Sonam has a bright future in Bollywood. Her movies will do just average in 2011.

Sonakshi Sinha:
Sonakshi has a great future in the industry. She will make her father proud with her work and will deliver an excellent performance in 2011.

West Indies last only 48 overs

India v West Indies, 2nd Test, Kolkata, 3rd day

November 16, 2011

West Indies 153 (Ojha 4-64, Yadav 3-23) trail India 631 for 7 decl. by 478 runs

West Indies 70-1 (2nd innings, playing safely) 

West Indies imploded in a fashion not entirely unexpected to get bowled out before lunch and last only 48 overs; Devendra Bishoo alone bowled 45 when India batted. India were expected to enforce the follow-on, but it was not officially confirmed as the last wicket fell exactly 10 minutes before the break.

Spinners were the usual suspects in the morning, but Umesh Yadav struck too, removing the two batsmen who got involved in any sort of partnership, Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels. The innings' duration was always going to be determined by how long Shivnarine Chanderpaul stayed at the wicket: MS Dhoni replaced the successful Pragyan Ojha for the sole purpose of bowling to Chanderpaul, and was immediately rewarded. In their current form, that seemed that for West Indies.

From the moment Pragyan Ojha pitched the first ball of the morning in front of leg and missed off, you knew from the evidence from Delhi that the batsmen would struggle. In his third over of the day, Ojha delivered the simple one-two of a big turner followed by the arm ball. Kirk Edwards neither read the arm ball nor came forward, and even though it was a marginal lbw, Edwards' being caught on the crease did him no favours.

Chanderpaul showed more intent, sweeping the second ball he faced for four. Ojha didn't bowl the next over. And it took the replacement Ashwin three balls to trap the big fish in front. Chanderpaul always leaves the lbw open by shuffling across, and it is a huge credit to how he keeps scoring and rarely gets hit on the pad. This time, though, he missed an offbreak that didn't turn as much as it held its line. Caught inside the crease, Chanderpaul provided the umpire no dilemma.

Bravo and Samuels batted positively, doubling the score from 46 for 4 before Bravo played a lazy shot: a push at a ball just outside off, without getting close to the line of the ball. Yadav took the inside edge, and Bravo's stumps were now only semi-furnished. A peach spread-eagled Samuels' woodwork soon. This one shaped like it would swing in, pitched short of a length, hit the seam and then held its line. India were into the tail now, with fewer than 100 on the board.

Darren Sammy hit Ojha for a six but Ojha responded with another flighted delivery. The extra bounce on that took Sammy's edge on the cut. Quick singles have hardly been the thought on the minds of West Indies' batsman, but for some reason Kemar Roach was caught backing up too far to replicate the Gautam Gambhir dismissal from Delhi. Just in case we didn't notice this was some kind of a repeat of a show seen sometime earlier; Carlton Baugh fell lbw trying a big sweep off a full Ojha delivery.

Fidel Edwards swung a few before the end, but all it did was deny India their biggest lead in Test cricket, which continues to be the 492-run difference they managed against Bangladesh in 2007.

Reasons Why Salman Khan Is Better Than Other Stars In Bollywood´

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Salman Khan - a name that Bollywood will remember forever. You may love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him. He is a superstar on all fronts, and his fans adore him. Despite all the flops he had, all the controversies he went through, he is still amongst the top actors in Bollywood. I can honestly say that HE is definitely India’s Most Powerful Star.

Having him turning 46 on December 27th this year, presenting you: 

‘27 Reasons Why He Likes Salman Khan More Than Any Other Stars in Bollywood’.

1) Launching the careers of many stars

He has helped many stars to achieve what they are today. Himesh Reshammiya, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Sajid-Wajid were brought into the industry thanks to Salman Khan’s help. Stars like Bhumika Chawla, Sneha Ullal and Asin rose in the industry through him. Katrina Kaif herself is a Salman Khan launched superstar in B-town. Even Hrithik Roshan went through training through our Sallu. 

2) Helped Govinda at the time of crisis

Govinda was practically forgotten in our industry, and was written off by the critics and media. However, our Sallu came and saved the day by giving him a hero lead in ‘Partner’. Although he had a role in ‘Bhagam Bhag’, Govinda was wasted in the film, and with ‘Salaam-E-Ishq’, he got appreciated for his role, but this time it flopped at the Box-Office. However, with the big success of ‘Partner’, Govinda got both a huge HIT and also the critics/audience appreciation. Now, Govinda is back in the running. It has also been written that Salman Khan gave Govinda a Mercedez-Benz car when Govinda refused fees from him.

3) His foundation ‘Being Human’

He is the probably one of the only star to start his own foundation for the kids and the poor. And look what he did - he knows that kids with some sickness or illness won’t go to watch a movie. Prior to the release of ‘Partner’, he had a special screening for the kids! Plus, every kid walked out with a special gift in their hands after the event! Wow, our Salman is truly great!

4) Always helping the needy

This man will always have a golden heart, despite the bad times he has been through. He gives bicycles to the kids, always gives money to the needy and even blankets to people who sleeps on the street at night. He always helps a certain foundation or an association, and the best part about it is that he does it privately and doesn’t involve the media into it. He is probably one of the few Bollywood actors today who does help a lot.

5) Stars turn to Salman Khan for help

This is another topic that makes Salman Khan a winner. Many celebrities have turn to him for help, e.g. when Sushmita Sen adopted daughter fell ill, no one was there to help her, and then she called Salman Khan. And within a couple of minutes, he showed up at her doorstep. When Dia Mirza mom fell ill, it was our Sallu who made the rescue. Saawan Kumar Tak came to Salman Khan – who thought he needed money. However, Saawan Kumar asked him to play a part in ‘Saawan’, which Salman Khan did for FREE. When no one was willing to play supporting role to ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, it was Salman Khan who ended up doing it for Karan Johar. Stars like Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar and Aamir Khan are great friends of Sallu. These are many examples why this man rocks!

6) Despite controversy, he still remains a top star at the BO!

I consider Salman Khan the most powerful star at the Box-Office because of this topic. Despite all the bad stuff he has done, he still remains a top star at the Box-Office - if that’s not power, then what is it then? Take for example, ‘Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya’ release at the Box-Office. Two days before its release, the tape controversy happened in India. And Salman Khan was accused, as they assumed it was his voice on the tape. Shows were cancelled, however, ‘Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya’ was recording 90%+ opening at the Box-Office. On top of that, Salman Khan was the only bankable star in the film. The movie according to the trade, was a Semi-Hit. Had that controversy didn’t happen, it would’ve done Hit business. That clearly shows you that our Sallu is probably the most powerful star at the Box-Office. Even today, despite flops, he can still surprise everyone with a ‘Partner’.

7) Despite what he goes through, his fans are still with him till the end

Now, you tell me, only few actors are blessed with this. Look at what Salman Khan has been through in life and all the bad stuff he has done – yet his fans are there for him through thick and thin. When he was in jail, people prayed for him, fasted for him, gave food to him in jail, they also tried to visit him in jail! This man is a rockstar in India. And the day he was released, there was a huge celebration at his house; likely over 1000 people were there. After all he has been through, fans are supposed to hate Salman Khan, yet they love him more and his fan base did increase. Well, Salman and Shah Rukh may both have the biggest fan base following in India, but Salman Khan has the most loyal fans in India. That’s why, as fans, we voted Salman Khan to be in the Madame Tussauds and deservingly, he won the poll beating the likes of Kajol, Madhuri Dixit, and Hrithik Roshan.

8) One of the only stars to give a great opening on an All-India Basis

Salman Khan, along with Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Akshay Kumar are the only stars to guarantee huge opening at the Box-Office. Despite flops he has encountered, his films still takes great opening from all parts of India! Where SRK and Aamir Khan rules A centres, Salman Khan is one of the few stars to guarantee a huge opening not only in the A centres, but in the B and C centres also. He is the hero of the masses!

9) More All-Time Blockbusters/Blockbusters than any other star in Bollywood and other BO records

Despite being the huge stars in the likes of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, and Shah Rukh Khan, our Salman Khan still have more All-Time Blockbusters than any other stars in Bollywood history e.g. ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, 'Dabangg', 'Ready' and 'Bodyguard'. The closest star to beat him is Shah Rukh Khan with two All-Time Blockbusters which even doesn't look possible after the 'Ra.One' debacle in India. Also, Salman Khan is one of the few stars to have other records at the Box-Office.

He is one of the few stars to have:

- Four or more releases in one year (1998), and were all HITS – ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hain’, ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’, ‘Bandhan’, ‘Jab Pyar Kisse Se Hota Hain’

- Top Grossers In One Year (1999) – ‘Biwi No.1’, ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’

- Most Hits than any other actor in the 90s

In 1994, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’ smashed ‘Sholay’ records Gross to become the biggest grosser film at that time and did excellent business in the overseas for a Bollywood film. It was the first film to do over Rs. 10 crores in the overseas market.

Maine Pyar Kiya broke records not only in India, but also in overseas market.

Out of the top 5 biggest hit of all time in Bollywood, Salman has 3 films in the list.  Aamir Khan's '3 Idiots'  (203cr nett) is at the No.1 spot followed by 'Bodyguard' (155cr nett), 'Dabangg' (145cr nett) and 'Ready' (122.5cr nett) at No.2,3 and 4 respectively. SRK's 'Ra.One' was a commercial & critical unsuccessful venture which is currently at No.5 with 121cr  nett apx due to its hype. 

Recent Box Office Status: 

Salman had one major Super Hit film in 2009 which was 'Wanted.' Khan's first release of 2010 was Anil Sharma's commercially and critically unsuccessful film Veer. His next release, Dabangg, was produced by his brother Arbaaz Khan, and released on 10 September 2010. It made a record opening at the box office and Box Office India declared it an all-time blockbuster For his performance in Dabangg, Khan received a Star Screen Award for Best Actor and a Stardust Award for Star of the Year – Male and was nominated for his sixthFilmfare Award for Best Actor. Anupama Chopra from NDTV wrote about his performance, "It's the role of a lifetime and Salman Khan bites into it like a starving man devours a feast. He inhabits it fully, strutting and swaggering and even, spoofing himself."

Khan's first release of 2011 was Ready which released on 3 June. The film broke several box office records and is currently the fourth highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time. He next appeared in Bodyguard. Upon release, the film Became a Blockbuster at the box office,^[29] with Khan's performance receiving favourable comments from critics and is currently the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time.

10) His Don’t Give a Damn Attitude

This is one aspect that sets Salman Khan different from other stars in Bollywood - his attitude! Although you expect Salman Khan to grow up a bit, but the man doesn’t care! If the people who are interviewing him give him a dumb question, he will ask them back the same question. People who has done something to hurt our Sallu, he would ignore them. Despite critics are bashing him to do something different in his movie, he still doesn’t care. Sometimes his one-liners from interviews are too funny, but you would expect that from Salman Khan.

11) One of the few actors to make it on People’s Magazine

That’s right, our Sallu had made it in People’s Magazine for being one of the most handsome man ever in the world. Only three actors in Bollywood have achieved that; Dharmendra, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan. And to be honest, those are the three most handsome men ever in Bollywood history. Another news that made Bollywood and India proud.

12) Screw acting, its all about screen presence

Salman Khan is one actor we know who can sleepwalk through his role. But what stands out when watching a Salman Khan film is his screen presence. Once he enters the screen, you can’t help but notice Salman Khan all the time. He is one of the few actors in India and overseas when they appear the first time on screen, the crowds go wild and cheer for him. Out of all the stars making special appearances in ‘Om Shanti Om’, Salman Khan got the most cheers. It must be noted that when Salman puts his mind to a role, he will do a great job e.g. 'Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’, ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, ‘Karan Arjun’, ‘Tere Naam’ and ‘Kyon Ki’.

13) Screw Awards

Salman Khan is one actor who doesn’t care about an award. In fact, we know in the future Salman Khan will never win a Best Actor Award again. 'Dabangg' was the first film for which he grabbed the Best Actor Award in a lead role? Huh! He can play the hardest role to perfection in cinema history which none can, but yet, he will never win the award. Well, Salman Khan is one actor to prove you don’t need an award to prove yourself. Salman Khan has said one thing, “He cares more about rewards, than awards”. Well said, Sallu!

14) Style Icon to the youth Generation

Anything looks good on Salman Khan, that’s why it reflects on the youth generation. Imagine, a hair style in ‘Tere Naam’ becoming a huge rage in India. Well, that’s how our Sallu influence the youth generation. His look even in ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’ was a hit amongst the youngsters. In fact, most youths and elders want to have a body like Salman Khan. Salman Khan has definitely made an impact to the people of India. He is one actor who actually redefines ‘cool’. 

15) Style Icon to the Bollywood industry

Most recent stars are influenced by Salman Khan physique. Look at SRK so called “6-pack abs”, it’s not shocking that Salman Khan inspired him to get that. In fact, SRK asked Salman for tips. Plus, Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan were under his training to get a great body. He also influenced Govinda and Anil Kapoor to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In 2004, he was voted seventh-best-looking man in the world and the best looking man in India by People magazine, US. Khan has been involved in several charities during his career.

To be honest, if one were to conduct an article on the ten most memorable actors to ever grace Bollywood, Salman Khan would have to make it to the list (others being Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajendra Kumar, Jeetendra, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan). Nothing and I mean nothing affects this guy status or his fans. Salman Khan is a bigger legend in the making now, whether you like him or not.

16) Amongst the top ten ever
On 11 October 2007, Khan accepted an offer from Madame Tussauds wax museum in London to have a wax replica made of himself. His life-size wax figure was installed there on 15 January 2008, making him the fourth Indian actor to have been replicated as a wax statue in the museum.

17) Unique style of dancing

One knows that the best dancers today in Bollywood are Govinda and Hrithik Roshan for actors. But what sets Salman Khan different (even Shah Rukh Khan) is that whatever moves he does, it looks good. Points in case include ‘No Entry’ title track, Just Chill (Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya), O Jaana (Tere Naam), Oo Oh Jaane Jaana (PKTDK), You’re My Love (Partner), Tenu Leke (Salaam-E-Ishq), Hud Hud Dabangg (Dabangg), Dhinka Chika (Ready), Bodyguard (Bodyguard) and many more to back up this statement.

18) Flops, Disasters don’t affect Salman Khan Status

Ask the distributors - they don’t affect Salman Khan. In fact, it strengths him, and that’s what scores with Salman Khan. Despite giving six straight flops, he is still in the Top 5 according to the trade and that’s remarkable. Yes, it made him drop, but the huge success of 'Partner' has put him back in the running. Plus, it has been written that he got a Rs.24 crore film deal. Imagine, if Salman Khan was that bad, would he get that kind of huge offer?

19) No Sad Endings, Please!

History has it that whenever Salman Khan dies in a film, it’s a flop at the Box-Office. ‘Veergati’, ‘Hello Brother’, ‘Phir Milenge’, ‘Kyon Ki’, ‘Baabul’ are examples to prove this theory. Even ‘Tere Naam’ which took a huge opening at the BO settled for Semi-Hit status because of the huge drop in the second week. That is due to the second half of the film where Salman Khan was treated badly in the film. It seems Salman Khan fans don’t want to see their hero in that state. What’s funny is that SRK, Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar can die in their movies, yet they can be HITS. However, if Salman Khan dies in his films, they don’t succeed. I guess we want to see Salman Khan have a happy ending.

20) Trends that were started by Salman Khan

Despite SRK being the ruler of the overseas market, it’s in fact Salman Khan films which opened Bollywood films to the overseas market. Yes, Amitabh Bachchan films in the 70s and 80s films succeeded in the West Indies, North American and UK territory, but it was ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ that made the huge impact. It broke records everywhere especially in the West Indies. It was dubbed in English ‘As When Love Calls’ and in Spanish as ‘Te Amo’. ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ was Rs.1 crore short of beating ‘Sholay’ record Gross. Then came ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’ that smashed records everywhere. HAHK was the first film to gross over Rs.50 crores, and settled for a Rs.65 crores run at the BO. Plus, it was the first film to gross over a $1,000,000 in the US market, and over 1,000,000 Pounds in the UK market. Since then, Bollywood has made a huge impact in the overseas market. If trade reports are to be believed, it was Salman Khan who started the bumper opening trend. That’s why back in the 90s, most of his films were HITS at the BO because they had took huge opening at the BO (he did it on a consistent basis). Even his flop films were nearly recoverable thanks to the good opening it received. 

21) Good Music is a Must in his films!

If one were to look at Salman Khan filmography, about 75% of his films has good soundtracks. It seems that great music is a must for a Salman Khan starrer - even up to today. He is one actor who can make a soundtrack sell because of his loyal fans, and even people don’t like him, they are aware that a Salman Khan starrer has good songs. The soundtrack of ‘Tere Naam’, despite being released four years ago, still sells to this day.

22) No One Gives an Interview like Salman Khan

One always knows when Salman Khan is on the mike, it will be memorable. As mentioned above, if the people who are interviewing him give him a dumb question, he will ask them back the same question. His one-liners are amazing and he is most of the time very funny or even serious, one can’t tell. Look at the ‘Saawariya’ music launch, if it wasn’t for Salman Khan, the music launch would’ve been a huge flop. Sometimes, even the interviewer gets scared when interviewing Salman Khan because he will give them his killer look. So word of advice to people who wants to interview Salman in the future - make sure you ask Salman the right questions!

23) Always Speaks From The Heart!

One characteristic that sets Salman Khan different from the other stars is that he speaks from the heart. Look at the 1999 Filmfare Awards, when he got the Best Supporting Actor, he clearly said on stage, “I don’t deserve this award”. And that takes a lot of guts to say it. Other stars, who clearly gets awards who doesn’t deserve it (cough cough, SRK), will brag how he/she is happy and this and that. He is one of the few people who clearly said that he hated ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’. He was honest as to why he didn’t take ‘Chak De India’ and ‘Baazigar’. Despite being close friends to Aamir Khan, he states why Aamir doesn’t want to work with him in the future.

24) First Commercial Bollywood Superstar to work with a Hollywood director

Despite being a Disaster at the BO as 'Marigold', still Salman Khan is the first commercial Bollywood star to work with Hollywood director (William Carroll), and actress (Ali Larter). A huge achievement for our Sallu.

25) Anything looks good on our Sallu

Whether he is in suits, wearing some goofy T-Shirt or some ripped up jeans, one must say, it looks good on Salman Khan. In fact, anything looks good on this man. When he is on screen or at any function, one can’t help but admire Salman Khan. 

26) Classics Films to be remember in the history of Bollywood in his credit

Salman Khan has a lot of classic films in Bollywood – ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’, ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, ‘Khamoshi’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, ‘Tere Naam ‘(despite being a remake), and ‘No Entry’ (it's not one of those comedies these days where it tries to be funny- it's actually funny and will be remembered as a comedy classic) are classics and some will be classics in the future.

27) Irrespective to what anyone says, you are still the best Sallu!

Salman Khan, no matter what the critics, media, and people say, you are still Number One to us no matter what. We have been with you since the ‘Maine Pyar Kiya' days, and we stood by you when all the controversies happened. You may not be the best actor ever, but we still enjoy watching your films. You have been a role-model to us back in the days, and up to this day. Nobody in Bollywood has done much as what you do to the needy people. You may be termed as the Bad Boy of Bollywood, but you have proved numerous times that you are still a man with the golden heart. We hope as fans, that you continue to rule Bollywood and we all hope and pray that all of your upcoming films do extremely well at the BO. Box Office India even declared him as the No.1 star in Bollywood currently in India:  http://boxofficeindia.com/manage_stars.php?c=star_ranking_india

And Worldwide: 

http://boxofficeindia.com/manage_stars.php?c=star_ranking_world

You are a legend in Bollywood and will be remembered as amongst the top actors ever in Bollywood!

How ‘Big’ Is Salman Khan Today?

← Songs That Set The ‘Heartbeats’ Racing

Even Salman Khan’s worst critics recognize that he is the biggest star in Bollywood today. In what has possibly been the one of the most glorious periods ever in this industry, Salman has delivered three huge blockbusters between Sep 2010 & Sep 2011, in Dabangg, Ready and Bodyguard. Many of his diehard fans privately recognize that none of these were cinematic masterpieces. But they worked purely on the charisma of their lead star. Take Salman Khan out of them, and there will be no Dabangg, no Ready, no Bodyguard.

So exactly how big is the Salman phenomenon? How far ahead of the pack is he, today?

We started tracking star popularity through our product Stars India Loves (SIL) from November 2010 onwards. Every month, a large sample of cine-goers is asked to name their two favorite male and female stars each. Unlike some other star ratings based on the box office, SIL is based purely on the consumer’s preference for the stars at that particular point of time. Hence, it is future-oriented in nature.

Since the SIL research asks people to name two stars, the total percentage share of all the stars adds up to 200. The chart below shows Salman’s month-on-month progression on SIL. As can be seen, even two months after the release of Dabangg, he was at 34%, just 3% ahead of Shahrukh Khan at 31%. If we back-project, it is safe to say that till August 2010, Shahrukh would have been ahead of Salman. But since then, Salman has simply bulldozed his way to the top, widening the gap, month-on-month. Shahrukh is still no. 2 in October 2011, at 27% share. But the 3% gap is now a staggering 25%.

The chart illustrates that his journey over the last year has been in two parts. The Dabangg phenomenon gave him ascendency till February this year, where he peaked at 46%. And just as his share was beginning to saturate, Ready gave it another fillip, this time a huge one, taking him past the 50% mark. Bodyguard couldn’t take it further up, but even two months after its release, Salman shows no signs of losing share.

Who did Salman grab this 18% share from?
No one person lost a sizeable chunk. But four stars lost some share in this period. Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor (till Rockstar) have not had a major release for a while now. Amitabh Bachchan has had a very lean year by his busy standards. The only “real” drop in share has been Akshay Kumar’s, who moved down from 24% in April 2011, to 16% now, losing three ranks within six months, down from no. 3 to no. 6.

Which target audience is he the strongest in?
That’s probably the secret behind his success – he is appealing to every single target segment today, equally well. He crosses 50% share amongst males, females, youth, adults, and in each research market. All other stars are skewed towards a particular audience profile. For example, Shahrukh, Ranbir & Shahid are heavily female audience skewed. While Ajay, Devgn, Akshay and Aamir are male audience skewed. But not Salman. Evidently, everyone loves him. Just about everyone.

2012 is another big year for Salman. Ek Tha Tiger and Dabangg 2 release on Eid and Christmas respectively. It may be difficult to gain too much share beyond the 52% he currently controls, but it is safe to say that 2012 won’t end on a lower number either.

The best part about Salman’s success is that he seems entirely untouched by it. Though sometimes, I wish he understood the amount of people power that rests with him today, and used it to make better, more path-breaking films.

But then, if we don’t have four action scenes, five songs, six comedy gags and seven clap traps, it is not a Salman Khan film, right?

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