These kids fight and make up-Salim Khan

These kids fight and make up

Salim Khan talks about his son Salman's marriage plans and of course, Vivek Oberoi

Ram Kamal Mukherjee

You must be relived that Salman Khan has come back home…

Yes, although it comes as a shock to me when people call up and say that it's time to celebrate. Celebrate what? My son hasn't won any war. He has gone through a critical situation, and things could have got worse. I feel that five years of imprisonment is too harsh a punishment for Salman.


Despite all his controversies, Salman still has a huge fan following. How does that feel?

My son was overwhelmed to see so many admirers waiting for him since morning. As soon as he entered home, he said, 'I want to people all those people out there. I think he knows that these fans love him without any prejudice.


After his imprisonment, Salman Khan has started talking to the media. He has always been a media-shy person, so why this sudden change?

Salman was never media-shy. It's just that he only talked to people whom he trusted. He has been very open and honest about his stance. Now he is talking to the media because he feels that certain section of media has been fair to him, as far as reporting about his mother's news is concerned. So, when a couple of electronic media people barged into our house, he agreed to talk to them.


It has been reported that Salman has confessed to his jail mate at Jodhpur that he wishes to get married.

Really? He hasn't told me anything. Who doesn't want to get married? (Laughs) I am sure that Salman wants to settle down in life. Whenever he sees a kid or a family, he seems wistful. He is a family person.


So when will Salman Khan get married?

He is an adult and I don't think that I should interfere in his life. I would be happy to give him advice, if he asks me. But he'll have to take decisions about his life, himself. I have married twice – my first wife (Salma) is Maharashtrian and second wife (Helen) is Catholic. We all are big happy family. If Salman gets married, it will be the merrier.


Will Salman marry Katrina Kaif?

That's too personal a question for me to answer. I think you should ask Salman this question, not me. Katrina is a nice girl, but I have never asked Salman about his relationship with Katrina. He'll have to figure out the priorities in his life. I think Katrina is focussing on her career now. I don't know whether she wants to get married or not.

It was published that Salman is an animal lover.


How could an animal lover kill a black buck?

Yes, Salman is fond of animals. People are talking about Salman hunting, but no one seems to be bothered about those central government officers who took away two deer, one peacock and a black buck from my farm house in 1998. Later they tranquilised the black buck and he became so weak that he died. Why is nobody talking about that? Salman and I stopped the cutting of trees at Bandra Bandstand, but no one wants to talk about that.


How do you justify the hit-and-run case in which Salman was involved?

Salman was accused of driving his car at 90 km per hour that night, but practically speaking even Michael Schumacher would not be able to drive his Ferrari at that speed in Bandra. So what are they talking about? When he was freed with a bail of Rs 950 after the case, detractors said 'Salman was freed only at Rs 950.' But the fact is that anyone convicted under section 304(A) gets bail by paying that much. So you see, he gets caught in all these situations.


It seems that the animosity between Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi has come to an end after Vivek visited you at your place?

What animosity? I have known the Oberois for many years now. I appreciate that Vivek came to meet Salma, when I heard about it, I invited them over to my place. These kids (Salman and Vivek) might have had some differences between themselves. They fight and they make up. Salman and Vivek might have had some differences, but how does that affect my equation with Vivek or his father?