New Delhi: Zafar Sareshwala, the chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University on Wednesday defended the actor over his remark comparing the tough shooting of his film ‘Sultan’ to that of a ‘raped woman’, saying that his choice of words was wrong but not his intention.
“Salman’s choice of words might be wrong but the intention is not wrong. This is not a statement because it has not been said deliberately after thinking. In this case this analogy came out just in a conversation,” Sareshwala told ANI.
“In order to express the amount of effort he has put in, he said this,” he added.
When asked to respond on the National Commission of Women serving a notice to Salman on the issue, Sareshwala said everybody has right to disagree in democracy.
Talking about the apology from Salman’s father, Sareshwala said Salim Khan has already expressed his apology in this regard and that the matter should now be closed.
“I have talked to Salim Khan and he said that if someone has been hurt by his comments, then he is apologizing on behalf of Salman, but to make this issue into a controversy is wrong and I think the chapter should be closed now,” he said.
Salman in an interview said he “felt like a raped woman” during Sultan’s shooting, drawing the wrath of fans and authorities alike.
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has demanded an apology within seven days from the Bollywood superstar.
NCW chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam sought a public apology from the Bollywood actor and asked for an explanation.
Dubbing Salman’s comment as ‘irresponsible and careless’, Kumaramangalam told ANI that the actor would be summoned if his explanation is unsatisfactory.
Salman made the comments during an interview with entertainment website spotboye.com to promote Sultan that tells the story of an ageing wrestler trying to make a comeback.
“When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn’t walk straight,” 50-year-old Khan said on Monday. (ANI)