Bad boy’s back with a 120-cr vengeance

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. That’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 actor’s second major release after the accident, released nationwide this Friday. Tere Naam, which preceded Garv, was one of last year’s top grossers.

‘‘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,’’ said trade pundit Amod Mehra, forecasting a smooth run for the film in the interiors. Khan reacts to all the hype with caution.‘‘Whatever happened was destined and what will happen is also meant to be. Nobody can take away my destiny,’’ he says.

Ask him if seven releases aren’t too much and you get a characteristic reply. ‘‘I don’t care. I have no control on release dates and can’t help if they all come at one point. I just work. That’s it.’’

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

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

So what makes Khan tick at the fickle box office? Mehra thinks it’s the actor’s fanatical fan following and his on-screen image of a softie. ‘‘He’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, Salman’s on-screen personality is that of a fun-loving guy.’’

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

Nadiadwala says Khan has learned how to relax in the last one and-a-half years. But he still doesn’t talk about anything personal. ‘‘He doesn’t show whatever he has gone through. One thing he keeps on repeating is that life’s a cycle and something good has to come after something bad.’’