Some in Bollywood have lost the plot trying to defend one of their own.
On May 6, as the long-pending case against Salman Khan drew to a close—with the Bollywood superstar being sentenced to five years in jail—the film fraternity rushed out in over-the-top support.
Film stars reportedly first met Khan at his residence a day before the verdict. Among them was his arch-rival at the box office and the other ruling Khan of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan.
And then, once the verdict was finally announced, film stars took to Twitter to express their solidarity with the film star.
But it didn’t stop there. Some celebrities became so distressed with the verdict against Khan that they decided to berate the victim of the actor’s hit-and-run incident for sleeping on the street.
“I am feeling bad about it. I am very sad. My sympathies are with Salman. I will pray that he gets less punishment,” member of Parliament and former actress Hema Malini said.
“Heart wrenching, but law takes its course. But in past judges have reduced punishment keeping in mind humanitarian work,” another member of Parliament and Bollywood singer Babul Supriyo reportedly suggested. “People shouldn’t think Salman Khan is being given special treatment but humanitarian work shud (sic) be kept in mind.”
And here are some select samples from Twitter.