An Actor, A Gandhian And A Twist In The Tale

2002, July 10th

Headlines in the leading newspaper Morning Herald

Mega Star surrenders in the road accident case An exclusive report by Madhu

I am a movie star, and my name is Salman Khan. I understand that my financial worth is Rs 6000 million or more. In India, movie stars get worshipped. I have thousands of fan clubs. Senior ministers and other bigwigs pay obeisance to me. During elections many parties- leaders meet me and would expect me to endorse one of them or the other. They believe that my thousands of fan clubs would vote for a party should I give a cue to them. I create traffic jams where ever I go. Police and security agencies get into a spin whenever I travel. Editors of newspapers and magazines thrive on my stories confirmed and unconfirmed. There are also entire joke series and puns created out of my movies and the dialogues.

I am primarily a simple guy at heart. That nobody wants to know. I keep the advertisement industry at a distance. I don’t like to endorse any products. What I consume is as a human being and not as a movie star. The world outside thrives on my image as a go-getter icon. I am also from a humble background, which nobody knows about much. My father and mother had died very early in my life. My grandfather was a freedom fighter, and luckily, I have his journals which guide me at times of trouble. These journals are the most cherished memento from my family.

Each day I go to bed all lonely. Each day when I am out of my house, people meet my image. Nobody has ever attempted to meet the real me. Whenever I go abroad, I have some freedom to be myself. Sometimes in the summers, I go to the Himalayas and get lost there. Sometimes I drink to alleviate my loneliness, but deep in my heart, I know it is no solution.

Then one day, I got caught up in an accident, the headlines of which you read, and please sit on the judgment seat as you read this story further.

My name is Krishnamurthy, and I am 75 years old. I was what you call a freedom fighter and get some money from the government for my past service to the nation. I am living with my son Maheshmurthy who is working in a government post as a clerk, and we live a middle-class life. I have a grandson who is now ten years old, and my daughter-in-law Rukmini is a school teacher in a nearby school. While I spend my time reading, my son’s family is fond of movies, songs, and television. I often hear them talking about the movie star Salman who is larger than life. I wonder if the Mahatma could match him in mass appeal. Usually, I would find my grandson mimicking Salman, and his parents would laugh at his pranks. I often meet my other old friends some of whom were also freedom fighters and wonder if this is the nation we wanted to build, what would Mahatma say now, and if ever our country would become what Mahatma had envisaged. I didn’t know that a day will come soon when my life will cross with that of Salman, and I will be meeting him in our humble dwelling. 

My name is Mohan Kumar, and I am like “Mr. Jeeves of PG Wodehouse fame” for the mega movie star Salman Khan. I take care of his daily schedule, movie contracts, investments, keep a tab on his health; in short, nothing reaches Salman without me knowing. I am incredibly loyal to Salman as he had supported my education till I completed my MBA and offered my services entirely to Salman. I am from the same village as Salman, and we have family connections. I don’t talk about Salman’s background to anyone. If a day comes maybe, I will write his biography. I stay with Salman in his bungalow on the ground floor while Salman stays on the first floor. But we respect our privacy, and I attend to him only on his call when we are both at home.

Salman’s public image and his private persona are entirely contrasting. I know both, and I take care that his real being does not harm at any cost.

One month earlier

Salman

It was a roller coaster ride for me at the orphanage. The Secretary had invited me as the children were fond of my movies and songs and wanted to spend an evening with me. They had contacted Mohan Kumar, and I had readily accepted the invite. Many children sang my songs, and a few among them mimicked my dialogues. I became a child myself and was thoroughly engrossed. As I left the place, my heart was heavy, and I felt very sorrowful. I wept all along during my drive back home. My driver had an emergency in his family and requested an evening off, and I had taken the car after a long gap. Somehow, I was thinking of Karna as he too was orphaned, and on the battlefield, his charioteer ditched him at a crucial moment. It was at the signal the accident happened. As I accelerated my car and turned at the signal, I heard a loud sound, and I saw a bike rider being tossed up. The helmet flew off his head, and he crashed to the ground. It was instant death. I did not realize I had hit him.

Mohan

One of the first things Salman did was to call me and informed me about the accident. I took charge immediately and called upon the criminal lawyer. I rushed to the spot on my bike as it was close by and reached the dazed Salman within minutes. We then went to the police station by that time lawyer was also there. He was the best in the business, and police, in particular, were in awe of him. The ambulance also turned up by that time and informed that the victim was declared dead upon examination. I called up the private hospital and got Salman admitted for the night as he was still in a stupor. He was given a sedative so that he could sleep well for the night. I had arranged everything that was needed.

Krishnamurthy

It was around 11 pm that night I was woken up by the call. My number was stored as an emergency no in Maheshmurthy’s cell. Mahesh had earlier informed me that he would be late that evening and not to worry. Destiny had something else in store for him and us. It was only the second day morning since the accident I went to the police station, after completing Mahesh’s last rites, to enquire in detail about the crash.

The newspaper reported contradicting versions. In a nutshell, one version said that the driver was Salman Khan himself and speculated that he was drunk. The other version said that the driver had run away and is still absconding. At the police station, I got told that the Sub Inspector handling the case has gone to the field for some inquiries.

Mohankumar

The media is raging with contradictory reports of the accident. The crucial question “Was Salman at the wheels at the time of the accident”? I had ensured in a few days that the SI would do my bidding. A flat booked in his wife’s name, in an upmarket area took care of him. The judge who was to handle this case was also taken care of with a promise of the renovation of his ancestral property and a decent retirement corpus as he had only six months for retirement. A few witnesses were also taken care of with some cash payment and threats from the SI. Salman’s bail plea was accepted with a fee of Rs 1 million, literally peanuts. I had sent him to a destination in the Himalayas as he was found to be in a state of shock even after a few days. His shooting schedules were all canceled for a month.

But the case wouldn’t die down as Krishnamurthi, together with a group of Gandhians were doggedly waging a battle of their own based on non-violence and fasting for the truth to prevail in the accident case.

Salman

By a few weeks, I had recovered from my shock and was quite stressed out by the accident. Mohan had assured me all was taken care of but for Krishnamurthi. I had, in the meanwhile spent some time leafing through my grandfather’s journal, who was also a freedom fighter. His memoirs pricked my conscience, and it was then I decided to meet up with Krishnamurthi face to face and close the case.

Krishnamurthi

I heard the knock on the door at the appointed time. It was Salman and his secretary. My grandson was thrilled to see Salman, childlike he was, and did mimicry of Salman. My daughter-in-law prepared an aroma filled filter coffee for both of them. Then we moved to my room. Salman narrated the whole incident that fatal evening. He asked me what he should do? I recounted how some of us fought for our country’s freedom along with the Mahatma and took to non-violent ways of fighting. Our assertion was simple enough; you can sacrifice your life if circumstances warranted but never to take a life in any case. We had hoped that India would become free and lead humanity as a torchbearer in the world, where the truth will always prevail. It was not about just my son or revenge in my heart and further told him that fact should never get suppressed.

Salman

As I heard him, it was as if my grandfather was speaking to me what he had written in the journal. The same feeling I had that fatal evening enveloped me, but this time my mind was clear. I arrived at a decision. I asked Krishnamurthi to dress up and come to the police station with me. Mohan immediately understood what I had intended and called the lawyer. En route, I stopped by my bungalow, and I picked up the journal for my company.

October 2, One Hundred and Fiftieth Gandhi Jayanthi was celebrated with the enthusiasm that the country had never seen before as far as anyone could remember. The difference this time was that the fan clubs of Salman Khan all over India had taken a lead role in organizing the celebrations. Mohan Kumar announced on behalf of Salman that a 12- part TV serial on Gandhi’s life and times would get made with each of the parts anchored by a living Gandhian starting with Krishnamurthi.

The characters in the story are entirely fictitious and any resemblance to living ones are merely a coincidence.