Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; May 9, 2015)

Post his ‘guilty’ verdict in the 2002 hit and run case, the suspense and anxiety enveloping Salman Khan and his family had poured onto the street outside his Bandra house. Hundreds of fans from different parts of the country had been assembling outside Galaxy Apartments to express their solidarity with the star, who was out on a two-day interim bail and staring at uncertainty.

But, on Friday afternoon, as news broke out about the Bombay High Court suspending Salman’s five-year jail term, the crowd shrieked in celebration. Then many turned emotional while some folded their hands in prayer and others continued to pump their fists in the air.



A 20-something fan Nakul, who had almost been camping outside the actor’s residence for the past three days, looked skywards muttering something incoherently. He said, “Salman bhai is always known for creating records on Fridays when his films release and today is no different. We all are happy that our bhaijaan is back home. We had been praying for him since the court’s judgment came in and it seems our prayers have been answered.”

As the news started sinking in, Salman’s diehard fans began bursting crackers while singing and dancing to his hit tracks, the favourite being Jumme Ki Raat from Kick (2014). As the crowd started to swell, the cops stationed outside the star’s house had to use force to disperse the crowd. Yet, the fans, who had been braving the oppressive heat and hoping for a reprieve for Salman since Wednesday, remained undeterred.



Amidst all the fan frenzy and hullabaloo, the Salman case was an easy way for some to make hay while the sun shone. Bottled water, soft drinks and other fast food was being sold at double the rates. A few food stalls that had been set up in the vicinity also charged twice the usual amount.

At around 1.45pm, as Salman started from his house to his lawyer’s office enroute to the sessions court to surrender as per the High Court’s order, the fans turned hysteric at his sight. They jostled each other as well as mediapersons to catch a glimpse of their idol, who seemed relieved and relaxed yesterday with a soft smile playing on his lips.



Some of them flanked his car and went click-click-click. Manoeuvring through the sea of humanity, his luxury vehicle made its way out and when he returned, he got an overenthusiastic reception from his fans. In a few minutes, Salman went up to his balcony and waved at his fans, his expressions screaming gratitude.

“This has finally ended like a Salman Khan movie as all his fans are as happy as can be,” quipped Sahil, a college student, showing a photo of the star that he had just clicked on his phone.