When fame’s a liability

Don’t worry. I am not going to launch into the “Saif Ali Khan is a Nawab. He’s a good boy. I have known him and his highly refined family for three decades. Rinku has raised her kids so well. Saif could never have done this” spiel. Yes, he could. And he may have. Did he? The point is not about Saif’s illustrious lineage. It is not about class. Or breeding. Or education. It is simply about this: Did Saif do it? Did he really assault a man in public at one of Mumbai’s fanciest, priciest restaurants? Can it be proved that Saif was acting in self-defence as he claims? Was the attack unprovoked? Who hit whom first? Can that be established? Were there witnesses? Will they talk? Should we give Saif the benefit of the doubt and let the law take its own course?

Let’s be perfectly honest, none of this is important. Saif’s public trial has already begun. Nobody is interested in facts. At this point, there is a feeding frenzy on and unless something bigger and juicier erupts, Saif will continue to hog the headlines and be “judged” by hungry journos competing for scoops. That’s how celeb brawls are covered across the world. Deal with it.
Saif is no stranger to skirmishes with the law. Yes, he does have a history of violent public conduct. He can be astonishingly arrogant. And his fists do talk. That still does not mean he is guilty this time. Celebrities do have it tough. They really aren’t like you and me — they are famous! Dizzyingly so. Often, that fishbowl existence leads to erratic, irrational behaviour.
Saif obviously cracked under pressure that fateful night and lost it. And possibly, he let fly. It can happen. No amount of rationalising or deconstructing his celeb status can condone or justify an assault — if an assault did take place. The scenario isn’t pretty. And it isn’t loaded in Saif’s favour, either. Iqbal Sharma, the person accusing the actor of breaking his nose, is an influential, well-connected man with powerful friends in high places. Who knows what exactly happened? It could have been something perfectly trivial but as the evening got into fifth gear, tempers may have risen… and the rest is now a police chargesheet.
Bar brawls take place all the time. If the people involved are sensible and, more importantly, sober, they settle the issue on the spot, shake hands and get on with their lives. Since that did not happen with Iqbal and Saif, the entire drama will be played out over and over again, eclipsing all other news. Too bad. That’s the flip side of celebrityhood. Had the unfortunate incident taken place between two unknown parties at the same venue, would anybody have cared?
Saif has a lot to lose if the case goes against him (seven years in the clink). Iqbal Sharma has shot into the limelight overnight by claiming to be the victim. It has become an ego issue (“I will not accept Saif’s apology”). Iqbal’s wife Tareena and Saif’s girlfriend Kareena, will get dragged into the mess, too. Tareena used to be a small-time starlet before her marriage. Now, after her prime-time debut, she may get lucrative offers from TV shows like Bigg Boss and hit the big time that has so far eluded her. Her name and foxy appearance have both registered. That’s a huge bonus for someone who failed to make it. Kareena’s status as “Bollywood Princess” and the future Begum of the Pataudi family, may remain unblemished if she steers clear of the scandal. Saif is the one who has the most to lose if things accelerate. His ambitious movie, Agent Vinod, may receive a boost at the box-office. But it is absurd to suggest Saif staged the assault story to garner publicity for the film. Nobody in his or her right mind would take such a risk. Saif has been hospitalised earlier and his health scare was serious enough to cause concern to his producers. If the current imbroglio backfires, Saif may pay a gigantic price for breaking someone’s nose. This isn’t going to be fun.
Celebrities are hugely vulnerable. Their fame does not insulate them. Far from it. Often, fame is the biggest liability they have to deal with. Being watched and judged 24x7 is the price movie stars pay for being successful. They neither deserve nor should they be idiotic enough to “demand” immunity. Most don’t. The law makes no distinction. It is said that cops treat famous people with kid gloves and genuflect in their presence. Not true. If anything, cops go to the other extreme to prove how impartial they are by giving celebs a much harder time.
“Fixing” VIPs by humiliating them in public provides its own thrills. Fans can also turn celebrityhood on its head pretty ruthlessly. I have seen superstars (movie and cricket) being mocked, jeered, taunted and harassed for no apparent reason. I have watched celebs being subjected to rude comments and nasty potshots. Being that famous is awful! And there is really zero protection, zero privacy and zero sympathy. Celebrities qualify as soft targets. But that’s not a story anybody is interested in. It’s easier to slam, condemn and convict movie stars for “behaving badly in public”. But what about us? Our behaviour? Often the naked envy and hostility on parade against the rich and famous reach unbearable levels. People may say, “Oh well… that’s the price you pay.” Is it?
It is entirely possible that Saif and friends were loud, noisy, boisterous and disruptive. Remember, they were celebrating in a glamorous five-star restaurant. How many times have we ourselves been over-exuberant in restaurants ourselves? Or put up with other people creating a mighty ruckus? Irritating? Totally. But irritating enough to trade insults and punches? That’s obviously what Saif and Iqbal believed when they slugged it out.
Moral of the story: Better to be “Saif” and say sorry!

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