Will Salman Khan’s ‘Jai Ho’ stand the test of time?

Zee Media Bureau/ Gayatri Sankar

Mumbai: Salman Khan returned to the silverscreen with ‘Jai Ho’, after a hiatus of one year. The hunk, who was tagged as the undisputed king of Box Office for delivering 5 back to back blockbusters- ‘Wanted’, ‘Dabangg’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ and ‘Dabangg 2’- has had a slow and an unimpressive start this year. ‘Jai Ho’ found tremendous support from Aamir Khan, who was actively promoting his friend’s film through his Twitter handle. Despite reportedly making it to the prestigious 100 crore club, ‘Jai Ho’ has failed to create much impact as yet. The film deals with common peoples’ problems. The film has a good theme but hasn’t really been able to capitalise on the same. What could be the reasons behind the film’s lacklustre performance in the first weekend? The superstar was embroiled in a couple of controversies just a few days before the release of ‘Jai Ho’. The actor received brickbats for participating in the Saifai Mahotsav organised by Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, a state that witnessed communal riots a few months back. The state govt splurged on Bollywood actors even as a number of riot affected victims were struggling to make ends meet and found inadequate support from the state machinery. Salman was also criticised for sharing the stage with Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate in Ahmedabad. Several groups were believed to have boycotted the film as they sought an apology from Salman Khan for heaping praises on the Gujarat CM. The actor’s absence at the Box Office last year may also have given his contemporaries enough time to steal the show and deliver blockbusters. Though it is too early to evaluate the business performance of ‘Jai Ho’, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the film failed to create magic unlike Salman’s previous releases. And the question is- Will Salman Khan bounce back stronger? Let’s wait and watch.