In a recent interview with spotboye.com, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan when asked about his gruelling schedule for his upcoming release, Sultan; said something so grossly inappropriate and insensitive that it has sparked an outrage across the social media spectrum.
Twitter users did not take what was meant to be ‘funny’ as a joke at all. Here is the excerpt from Salman Khan’s interview that has managed to infuriate all and sundry,
“While shooting, during those six hours, there’d be so much of lifting and thrusting on the ground involved. That was tough for me because if I was lifting, I’d have to lift the same 120-kilo guy 10 times for 10 different angles. And likewise, get thrown that many times on the ground. This act is not repeated that many times in the real fights in the ring. When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn’t walk straight. I would eat and then, head right back to training. That couldn’t stop.”.
Although later in the interview itself the actor tried to pass it off as a mea culpa but it was too late. The issue was already trending across social media and news agencies all over the world took notice of how a celebrity with millions of followers, some of whom idolize him beyond rational measure, could say something like that.
Twitter was abuzz with Bhai’s detractors and defenders alike. Salman’s fans trying to defend him by saying he was misquoted or misinterpreted or the very innocent ‘he didn’t mean it that way’.
U cant hate him, and if u hate, u need a doctor.
— Salman_ka_Fan (@sallufan2712) June 21, 2016
Don’t understand how this is #SalmanMisquoted this is clearly #SalmanKhan being insensitive! He MUST say sorry. pic.twitter.com/9elhm290SB
— Rashi Kakkar (@rashi_kakkar) June 21, 2016
Media is really helping him n making him strong by targeting him.. Now Sultan will do 50-60cr more business.. Accha hai. #SalmanMisquoted
— Sad Boy (@BeingSK_Soul) June 21, 2016
But the damage had already been done. One can’t help but notice the timing of this recent controversy considering Salman Khan’s ‘Sultan’ releases in a fortnight on Eid.
Was #SalmanMisquoted? #Bhaisexuals need to ask Oxford Dictionary to redefine the word “Misquote”
— Kunāl (@kunalmajumder) June 21, 2016
AIB rape jokes were okay..celebs tweeting swear words were okay…but just coz he is Salman Khan you misquote him…#SalmanMisquoted
— Śone Mone’s Faiza (@beingsalmanfaz) June 21, 2016
Was it an honest mistake or just a cleverly executed PR stunt. The collections will tell, for now it seems like a busy day for online media publications tracking the social media reactions to this controversy.