Malayalam movie star Dileep is facing serious criminal charges, and if he's seeking counsel he may have no better advisor than fellow celebrity Salman Khan, who has repeatedly dodged the pain of serving jail time. Despite having amassed a string of criminal charges against him that includes domestic abuse and manslaughter, and several convictions and multi-year prison sentences that reach all the way back to 1998, Khan has never served time in prison.
The 48-year-old actor Dileep has been arrested in a case involving the abduction and sexual assault of an unnamed actress with whom he had co-starred in the past. Dileep, born Gopalakrishnan Pamanabhan Pillai, has appeared in over 130 films and is best known for his starring roles in slapstick comedies. He has been accused by the actress of conspiring to have her abducted by four men on February 17th, 2017 and held captive in a moving car for two hours. She said the men took nude photos while molesting her before dumping her on the road.
If he were to seek the advice of staying-out-of-jail expert Salman Khan, here are 5 lessons he might expect the Bollywood superstar to impart:
- Don't play the victim. No matter what trouble he gets himself into, Salman Khan always seems to be having a party. In photos he can usually be seen smiling his magnetic smile, cavorting around the world, making promotional appearances, and having a generally rambunctious good time. How can such a fun-loving guy possibly be a criminal?
- Leverage your fan base. For every person who is concerned at the seeming injustice of Khan's avoidance of punishment, there are at least two others who claim he walks on water. Khan's huge movie-going fan base gives him the advantage of widespread public support, which is a factor that should not be underestimated in criminal prosecutions. Favorable public opinionand fear on the part of magistrates in offending that public opinionmay be the best possible defense in court trials.
- Maintain strong political ties. Khan's ability to land himself time and time again in courts with sympathetic judges and reluctant prosecutors is not dumb luck, it's a benefit of his relationships with major political figures in Mumbai and around the country. Dileep has the advantage of strong ties with local government officials, especially Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who has repeatedly come to Dileep's defense and delayed his arrest for five months. But the Mollywood actor shouldn't take anything for granted and ought to be working overtime to leverage those friendships during his time of need.
- Keep working and win hearts onscreen. Even during his darkest days Salman Khan has maintained a rigorous work ethic, appearing in multiple films each year and remaining a ubiquitous presence in the public eye. He has especially made an art of playing sympathetic do-gooder characters, like the gentle-hearted savior of a mute little girl in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Film viewers constantly confuse onscreen heroics with offscreen integrity. Such positive onscreen associations can serve as a "get out of jail free card when you're in a pinch.
- Do good deeds. Even those who admit to Salman Khan's transgressions can often be counted on to protest that he is extremely charitable, and that to jail him would be to unfairly deny so many who are in need of his heart-warming largesse. If Dileep can find a way to spread around some of his wealth to those less fortunate, he could win himself some badly needed public support and sympathy.
If Dileep finds Salman Khan's advice to be lacking in any way, he might also consider making a call to another fellow celebrity, Donald J. Trump. The former TV reality show star has been accused over the past five decades of financial fraud, racial discrimination violations, antitrust violations, securities fraud, defamation, money laundering, sexual assault, collusion, illegal lobbying, tax fraud, perjury, breach of fiduciary obligations, conspiracy, oppression, cruel and inhuman treatment, cozying up to mafia bosses, dictators, human rights abusers and mass murderers, and providing aid and comfort to foreign enemies. Far from landing him in prison, all of this has gotten him is a seat in the most powerful office in the world, the Oval Office in the presidential White House of the United States of America. Dileep could certainly do worse for a role model.
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