Photographers in Mumbai have boycotted Bollywood actor Salman Khan, but he claims he’s unaffected by the ban and may even learn how to take a selfie.
“These are matters that you should hardly worry about. Is it a big reason to worry that nobody is going to take a picture of you? I would rather have my fans take picture of me or I may even post selfies,” Khan said in an interview with tabloid! But he points to his old phone and says he will first need to upgrade his existing one as it takes “s*** pictures”.
A week ago, photographers declared a boycott when Khan’s bodyguards roughed them up during a promotion for Kick. Khan’s denial to pose for pictures and his volley of mocking tweets soon after the ban aggravated the situation.
According to Rajneesh Kakade, secretary of Bombay News Photographers Association, all they want is some respect.
“Reports say that he needs to apologise to us. We have never told that... it’s our official stand to boycott him because we want bit of respect. If you respect us a bit, we will cover you... we were just doing our job that day. Don’t invite us and then insult us,” said Kakade, adding that the action has resulted in financial losses for several freelance photographers. In 2007, his association, which has over 180 members, briefly boycotted the Bachchan clan during the Aishwarya-Abhishek marriage when their bodyguards allegedly mishandled them.
Khan says he respects their stand.
“It’s fine and it’s a stand that people have taken. People should respect their stance... There’s always some loss when a stand is taken. I want them to be united on this one,” said Khan, who wore a casual shorts-and-t-shirt look for his film promotion on Wednesday — a sartorial commentary on the situation, perhaps?
Image guru Dilip Cherian says Khan’s brand equity is unlike to fade.
“Salman Khan endures because he appeals to the ‘masses’. He is also among the most bankable stars in Bollywood, having delivered some of the most commercially successful films, despite playing himself in all of them. In fact, that is what his audiences expect from him. He has established a definite persona of an ‘everyman’, and leveraged his boy-next-door image to become a sort of cult figure,” said Cherian over email.
“In the marketing world, the real test of a successful celebrity brand is how he leverages his status outside of his business. Here, too, Salman has tried to soften his bad-boy image and recent legal troubles by turning philanthropist.
“It’s an extension of his screen persona. His brand equity is unlikely to fade soon, though age may dim his appeal to younger audiences. But then he has the example of Amitabh Bachchan who successfully reinvented himself when his film career went through a rough patch,” added Cherian. Khan’s films invariably show him as the larger-than-life hero. Even if he plays a corrupt cop in Dabangg, all forces are at work to show that he’s got a heart of gold. His fans buy into and often cannot differentiate between Khan and his characters.
“Even if media doesn’t capture his photos, we will all still to go to watch his films... He’s humble and I love his I-don’t-care attitude. He doesn’t care what people think about him. He believes in something and he stands behind it... he doesn’t mince words,” said Neelam Joshi, a Dubai-based fan. The 27-year-old who works in a marine company has watched Khan’s debut as a lead actor Maine Pyaar Kiya over 80 times and has a room filled with his posters.
“I watch his films to see Salman Khan. It’s icing on the cake if he’s doing a character role, but otherwise people just like to watch him.”
