Bad boy146;s back with a 120-cr vengeance

Salman Khan is a few pegs down. His eyes have that had-too-much-to-drink look, his hair is dishevelled. Younger brother Arbaaz Khan issues a...

Salman Khan is a few pegs down. His eyes have that had-too-much-to-drink look, his hair is dishevelled. Younger brother Arbaaz Khan issues a warning. 8216;8216;Ab peena bandh kar8230; gaadi tujhe hi chalani hai Now stop drinking, you have to drive.8217;8217;

Bollywood8217;s most notorious bad boy smiles sheepishly. And the audience at Gaiety Cinema in the Mumbai suburb of Bandra goes wild. The screening of Khan8217;s just-out cop drama Garv: Pride and Honour is punctuated with raucous claps, whistles and shouts of 8216;8216;Oye Salman.8217;8217;

Reputation be damned, Khan has always been a big favourite at the box office. And this year, Khan will be seen in seven releases. More than Rs 120 crore is riding on him. That8217;s no mean comeback for someone who was given a public burial after his involvement in the 2002 hit-and-run that killed one and injured four.

Garv, the 38-year-old actor8217;s second major release after the accident, released nationwide this Friday. Tere Naam, which preceded Garv, was one of last year8217;s top grossers.

8216;8216;Garv has got an opening of 90-100 per cent in almost all centres. Salman has got the audience in the theatre. Now it depends on the merit of the film,8217;8217; said trade pundit Amod Mehra, forecasting a smooth run for the film in the interiors. Khan reacts to all the hype with caution.8216;8216;Whatever happened was destined and what will happen is also meant to be. Nobody can take away my destiny,8217;8217; he says.

Ask him if seven releases aren8217;t too much and you get a characteristic reply. 8216;8216;I don8217;t care. I have no control on release dates and can8217;t help if they all come at one point. I just work. That8217;s it.8217;8217;

Ironically, Khan8217;s recent on-screen escapades are a tad too reminiscent of all his real life dramas. If Tere Naam was publicised as Khan8217;s true love story with ex-flame Aishwarya Rai, the posters of Garv, that depict him handcuffed with the bare message 8216;Guilty or Innocent8217;, also look too real.

nbsp;	There 038; Coming to a screen near you

		nbsp;	8226; Garv: Pride and Honour July 8226; Mujhse Shaadi Karogi July 8226; Phir Milenge August 8226; No Entry September 8226; Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya Yaar November 8226; Lucky-No Time For Love December 8226; Dil Ne Jisse Apna Kaha December Story continues below this ad	nbsp;

Punit Isarr, director of Garv maintains that any reference to the accident is incidental. 8216;8216;I started my film much before the accident took place. It8217;s a mere coincidence that people are reminded of Salman8217;s personal life when he is questioned by the cops and judiciary in the film.8217;8217;

So what makes Khan tick at the fickle box office? Mehra thinks it8217;s the actor8217;s fanatical fan following and his on-screen image of a softie. 8216;8216;He8217;s a handsome guy and the only eligible bachelor in the established actors category. Shah Rukh, Aamir, Hrithik and Akshay Kumar are all married. Also, Salman8217;s on-screen personality is that of a fun-loving guy.8217;8217;

The actor8217;s father, Salim Khan feels his son is mellowing. 8216;8216;Everyone grows up with age and they should be allowed to. Salman8217;s decisions are on an emotional level. He takes everything in his stride. He never confronts, he withdraws,8217;8217; says the veteran scriptwriter.

Nadiadwala says Khan has learned how to relax in the last one and-a-half years. But he still doesn8217;t talk about anything personal. 8216;8216;He doesn8217;t show whatever he has gone through. One thing he keeps on repeating is that life8217;s a cycle and something good has to come after something bad.8217;8217;