“Dear Salim Khan, my brother is a very good wrestler. He is the best swimmer in the world I know. He has broken the records of Milkha Singh (in confinement). He is the best cyclist who can fly the bicycle like the helicopter. Sir, unfortunately, he could not compete in any competition on national or even state level. But, let me assure you that he is an A level athlete! Moreover, he is also a great actor, as far as I know. He will surely act better than your son Salman Khan if given a chance. Sir, can you please request your friends in Bollywood to ‘resurrect’ my brother before he fades away into oblivion?”
It was my personal appeal to Mr. Salim Khan. He is a good person, indeed, most of the times. However, we know something called human trait. Anybody will defend if his/her son is the target of eyeballs around. He defended his son, Salman Khan, who is feeling the heat after being appointed the goodwill ambassador for Rio Olympics 2016. My point is, did Mr. Salim think before he took on the son of millions of mothers, the mother India, the pride of the nation – Milkha Singh? You need to take a look at the words Mr. Salim Khan has used for Milkha Singh. Not only that, he has also eulogized the Bollywood industry ‘more than the reality’. Have a look at everything he said on twitter:
https://twitter.com/luvsalimkhan/status/724570897525284865
https://twitter.com/luvsalimkhan/status/724572129497223169
https://twitter.com/luvsalimkhan/status/724572347622023168
https://twitter.com/luvsalimkhan/status/724572664128368640
Do you feel the lurking sense of ego? Can you sense the ‘sense of pride’ that Mr. Salim has when he ‘threatens’ the sportspersons of the country that if the Bollywood will not make films films on sports, the ‘sports’ spirit from the nation will die? Salim Khan, do you have the guts to make a film on Sachin Tendulkar and claim that you have ‘resurrected’ Sachin? Have you ever made a film on P T Usha? Have you ever made a film on Yogeshwar Dutt? Have you ever made a film on Dipa Karmakar? Have you ever made a film on Vishwanathan Anand?
The Bollywood needs to understand that India is not a part of the great Bollywood; in fact, the ‘arrogant’ and deluded Bollywood is a part of the great India. India does not run because of Bollywood; Bollywood runs because of India. Salim, you need to understand that there are no Gods in Bollywood who have the power to resurrect someone. Milkha Singh is the son of the soil who does not need your certificates if he is popular or not. Salman Khan may be a good swimmer but we have seen him swimming only in his movies, flashing his muscles to the girls. He did not win a medal for the nation! Milkha Singh has brought pride to the nation. He did not hunt down a black buck; he set the world records in athletics.
Let’s understand the state of delusion that this Bollywood industry lives in. Today, they are making a film on MS Dhoni. Tomorrow, someone like Salim Khan will say to Dhoni, ‘Dhoni, we have resurrected you; you were just like a left-out sports person and this film has set you to the heights again’.
The movie Sultan is coming up. It’s about Salman Khan being a wrestler and this is the only reason that he is associating himself with Indian Olympics. Shout me out if I am wrong, but what else than making movies and swinging around controversies has Salman Khan done in his lifetime?
Milkha Singh, Yogeshwar Dutt, Gautam Gambhir and many other great sports personalities have come to the fore to oppose the appointment of Salman as a goodwill ambassador for Indian Olympics mission. Unfortunately, some politicians and the entire Bollywood fraternity have united to criticize Milkha Singh and other sports personalities. Do you think by doing all this we are propelling the spirit of our athletes? Absolutely not!
We need to introspect; we need to question ourselves today; we need to understand the things going around us. At the end, Mr. Salim Khan, you need to self-question. You and your son enjoy because of Indians who watch your movies. Stop your arrogance and don’t belittle the achievements of the greats of other fields.
