Sunday Stir: When Salman Khan's misogynistic comments about women & rape created a storm like no other

If there is one Bollywood actor who enjoys a dedicated and loyal fan following, despite numerous allegations & court cases, it is Salman Khan. Even today, when a Salman film hits the theatres, it easily rakes in at least Rs 100 crore business in the first week at the box office. Usually action dramas and thrillers, Salman Khan's Eid release is quite an event in itself. The actor's popularity is proven on his birthday every year when all roads leading to Mumbai's Bandra are chock-a-block. With many waiting for hours or even camping out, just to catch a glimpse of the actor is testament to the fact that Salman's popularity is not going anywhere in the coming years. 

This popularity is not just witnessed on ground but on social media as well. With dedicated fan clubs and a massive fan following on Twitter and Instagram, the 'Bhai' of Bollywood is rather loved. While Salman's films are nothing to write home about, his controversial life since he first started off his career has gained more traction than his work on the silver screen. From his personal dating life to run-ins with the law, Salman has somehow managed to evade it all. But his statements and remarks from the past seem to stir up many emotions among his fans even today. 

While Salman is infamously known for his Blackbuck Poaching case and 2002's hit-and-run case in Mumbai, the actor is also equally popular for his relationships and the controversy surrounding those that filled gossip columns back in the day. Salman's relationship with former Miss World and actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan created the most noise in the early aughts. From being accused of being abusive to creating a ruckus in her building at 3 AM, the stories are many.

However, over the years, Salman Khan has worked hard to shed this image and dived himself into charity work. While that has met with success, given his steady fan base, the actor's misogynistic comments have raked up a storm often. The incident dates back to 2016 when Salman was busy promoting his film Sultan in which he co-starred with Anushka Sharma. 

At a press conference, Salman Khan, who is more often than not moody with the press, was asked to describe his busy shooting schedule for Sultan. For the unversed, Salman and Anushka both played wrestlers for the first time onscreen. Referring to his intense training, the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor reportedly said that when he walked out of the ring, he “felt like a raped woman.” 

In no time, social media, the public and women’s rights activists were riled up with Salman's insensitive comment. The outrage was massive with National Commission for Women demanding an apology from the actor and even summoning him. However, Salman maintained a stoic silence and later through his lawyer told the commission that they did not have the "jurisdiction to take matter of this kind". 

The outrage was such that instead of the actor, Salman's father rendered an apology and his brother termed his comments as 'not appropriate'. Eventually, the matter just died over a period of time. Not just that, Salman even said that he was able to quit every "vice" - like cigarettes, alcohol and coffee - except women. 

Salman's misogynistic comments irked many including celebrities in the Bollywood fraternity. Actress Kangana Ranaut did not shy away from speaking her mind and said, "We all agree that it is a horrible thing to say. It's extremely insensitive but I'd also like to say that we shouldn't encourage the tendency to point fingers at each other and feel superior by pulling each other down." 

She added, "As a society, we have to take responsibility and stand united. This is disgraceful for a society, not an individual. We collectively feel sorry for that thought process."  Actress and Salman's co-star Renuka Shahane also slammed his rape remark at the time and said, "There is no consent in rape. There is consent in acting & actors are also paid for it. A rape victim has to pay forever! Be human please!"  However, there were many others who sided with the actor like Pulkit Samrat, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pooja Bedi among others.