Salman Khan, often called Bollywood’s enfant terrible, finds himself in hot waters owing to a statement that he retracted.
Salman Khan, often called Bollywood’s enfant terrible, finds himself in hot waters owing to a statement that he retracted seconds after he made it. Here’s what happened.
There were a series of interviews lined up for the Sultan actor on Saturday evening (June 18) last week at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai. Almost 50 journalists were present to interview the star, and press interactions were divided in groups/batches.
It was in the second group interaction that Salman blurted out the rape comment. It was in response to a question on the hectic shooting schedule for his upcoming film in which he plays a wrestler.
While talking about the wrestling shots, Salman narrated how he had to pick up a man weighing 120 kg almost 10 times for five different camera angles. According to the actor, this routine went on for six to seven hours. “It is like the most difficult thing,” he said Salman, explaining what it was like when he walked out of the ring after the hectic shoot schedule. These are his exact words: “When I used to walk out of that ring, it used to be actually like a raped woman walking out.”
At this point – as can be heard in an audio file of the interaction in possession with IndianExpress.com – journalists present can be heard erupting into a slight chatter and laughter at the statement. It was clear the actor had made a faux pas. Realising that he shouldn’t have made a comparison to a rape victim, Salman added, “I don’t think I should have.”
Salman then proceeded to make sure he finished saying what he had in mind. “It feels like the most difficult….I couldn’t take steps. I couldn’t take steps.”
In an interview that has subsequently gone viral, the last two statements by Salman – spoken immediately after his ‘raped woman’ comment – went unreported, and that is where the social media uproar began.
There is no denying that the Dabangg actor made the comment – whether he should have at all, is another debate altogether, but he immediately saw the error in it and retracted it.
Here’s what he said, and what was reported:
What was trending: 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.
What he said (verbatim): When I used to walk out of that ring, it used to be actually like a raped woman walking out….I don’t think I should have (pauses). It feels like the most difficult….I couldn’t take steps. I couldn’t take steps.
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