Narendra Modi 'Deewar' between estranged Salim-Javed pair

Ahmedabad, Aug 2: 'Art imitates life' will always hold true but in the case of estranged script-writing pair of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar the reverse is increasingly becoming a reality. The duo who have scripted many a Bollywood blockbusters, have since long parted ways but call it a quirk turn of fate or whatever they now stand on opposite sides. And at the centre of them is Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Akhtar, an acclaimed poet, lyricist and activist is yet to forgive Modi for his complicity in the Gujarat riots of 2002. Salim Khan, on the other hand has been vocal about his desire to see Muslims make peace with Modi.

It can be recalled that in 2007, Javed Akhtar moved to the Supreme Court to seek a probe by a special investigation team into the alleged fake encounters in Gujarat. He claimed that the Gujarat government was targetting innocent people, particularly Muslims as terrorists.

But Salim Khan on the other hand has been publicly wooed by Narendra Modi to garner Muslim support for him. In a public function in Mumbai in 2010, Modi expressed his keenness to Salim to initiate a dialogue with even those Muslims who refuse to forgive him.

The report was corroborated by Salim Khan himself.

The Times of India quoted him as saying, "Modi was telling me that Muslims should come and discuss their grievances with him...they could even abuse him. I thought we should give him a chance instead of harping on a troubled past.Nobody can justify the killings of Muslims or Hindus though. But if riots is a reality then development is a reality too."

It was after this that Salim Khan took up the issue with Muslim intellectuals of Gujarat and asked them to decide as per their will. He reportedly asked them to meet Modi if they wanted more participation in development. His efforts seemed to have bore fruit as a group of around 20 prominent Muslims, was held in Gandhinagar recently.

With the two estranged friends and partners in numerous Bollywood money-spinners standing at opposite ends of the spectrum, there seems to be no imminent compromise between the duo while the same observation about Modi and Muslims can be held back for the time being.

OneIndia News