Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Rajinikanth Invited to Narendra Modi's Swearing-In...

Salman Khan with Narendra Modi on the kite-flying festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti in Ahmedabad (January 14, 2014)

New Delhi: Film industry stalwarts Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Salman Khan and veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar are in the list of those invited for the swearing-in ceremony of prime minister-designate Narendra Modi, BJP sources said.

They are part of a long list of 2,500 guests for the oath-taking ceremony, which will be held in the gravelled forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan on May 26.

All Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs will be invited, which alone add up to 777. These MPs have been invited by Rashtrapati Bhavan. However they cannot bring their spouses, according to these sources.

Former presidents Pratibha Patil and APJ Abdul Kalam are also invited. Outgoing prime minister Manmohan Singh will be there along with some members of his cabinet. 

Mr Modi's mother Hiraben and his three brothers are also expected to attend the event, though it is not yet confirmed.

The incoming prime minister can invite upto 20 guests, while ministers who will be taking oath can bring upto four guests each.

A number of BJP leaders from Gujarat are also expected to arrive in Delhi for the function, scheduled to be held at 6 pm on Monday.

From the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, Suresh Soni is expected to attend the ceremony.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been limited to 1,250 guests, while another 1,250 guests will be invited by the president. The party will also invite the chief ministers of all National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ruled states.

This is the first time leaders from SAARC nations have been invited for the oath-taking ceremony of an Indian prime minister. The external affairs ministry today said eight heads of state and government were invited and seven have confirmed, while a response from Pakistan was awaited.

Rashtrapati Bhavan will also show the ceremony live on its website.

Mr Modi will be the third Indian prime minister to take oath in the open forecourt instead of the ceremonial Ashoka Hall after Chandra Shekhar (1990) and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998).

Salman Khan's father invited to Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony

Salman Khan and Narendra Modi

Salim Khan was one of the few in the film industry to openly support Narendra Modi when some in the fraternity backed a campaign against the then prime ministerial candidate. Now Modi is set to be sworn in as PM and Salim is among the special invitees to his swearing-in ceremony that is scheduled for May 26 in Delhi. 

During the promotions of Jai Ho, Salim's star son Salman flew kites with Modi during the Uttarayan festival in Ahmedabad on January 14. Their meeting grabbed headlines.


READ: Modi need not apologize for Gujarat riots: Salman Khan


Then, in April, Salim Khan launched Modi's official website in Urdu, at his Bandra residence. 

Thereafter, Salman and sister Alvira were invited to dine with the then Gujarat Chief Minister at his Gandhinagar home. 

When contacted, Salim told Mirror, "Yes, I have been invited to the swearing-in ceremony. Our friendship with Modi is not new. In the past, I wrote articles in a Hindi newspaper which were translated to Gujarati. Modi happened to read them. That is how our acquaintance began." Salim reveals that he had told Modi that there were far more renowned writers in Urdu who would be better qualified to launch his web site, but the latter insisted he do it. "His team visited my house on the appointed day and I did the needful. Following this, he invited Salman over for lunch. It was a nice gesture on his part."


READ: Salman Khan meets Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad


Salman congratulated Modi on his big win, post the elections and the bonhomie continues. "We are in touch and chat at least once in a fortnight," says Salim. "He is a good leader. If my health permits, I will be in the capital on Monday to watch him assume office."

Fake posters of Kick circulated by Salman Khan's fans...

Who can deny the huge fan following Bollywood's superstar Salman Khan has. It seems his fans can't wait any longer for their actor's next film Kick.

Sajid Nadiadwala, who will make his directorial debut with Kick, has been bombarded with umpteenth requests to release the poster of Kick soon. So much is the hype for the film that the actor's fans have started coming up with their own versions of the first look poster of the film. 

Salman Khan and Jacqueline shooting for Kick

These posters are doing the round on internet and even Sajid has also received different posters from Salman's fans. It seems that it's because of this pressure that the director has now decided to advance the date of releasing the official poster of Kick.

"Sajid was initially planning to come out with it towards the end of next month or July, but because of the excessive demand by the fans, he will now release the first look of the film before mid-June. While he appreciates the love and eagerness of the fans, he wants only the authentic material related to the film in the market," a leading daily quoted its source.

Even during the actor's last film Jai Ho, there were ample of fake posters circulated on the web.

Take a look at a few fake posters:

These fake Kick posters are doing the round on internet

Sajid Nadiadwala has been bombarded with umpteenth requests to release the poster of Kick soon.

Sajid has also received different posters from Salman's fans

Salman Khan looked normal, didn't smell of alcohol, says witness...

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•                                    Salman Khan

The prosecution on Tuesday examined the seventh witness in actor Salman Khan's alleged hit-and-run case. The witness claimed that on the day of the incident, when the actor allegedly rammed his vehicle into the pavement dwellers in Bandra, he looked normal and did not smell of alcohol. The court, meanwhile, informed the advocates that in all likelihood, it would like to complete recording the witnesses' evidence by July.

A 63-year-old Bandra resident, Francis Fernandes alias commander, who claimed he knew the actor since childhood, came before the court presided over by judge DW Deshpande to depose as a prosecution witness. "That day, I was asleep... I heard a big bang and immediately got up. By the time I could move of my house, I heard someone pleading for help. I got out of my house and saw Salman Khan surrounded by a huge mob near American Express. I also remember that one man had a rod. I went to the spot and snatched the rod away from him," claimed Fernandes.

Fernandes added that by the time he snatched away the rod, Salman had recognised him and had pleaded with him (Fernandes) to save him.

When the defence cross-examined Fernandes, he claimed that after he visited the spot, the mob which had surrounded the actor, was furious. "I thought the mob would hit Salman and, hence, I went ahead to save him. At that time, Salman was looking OK and did not smell of alcohol. I advised him to go to my place. Meanwhile, my wife managed to stop a moving car and asked Salman to enter and he got in," he claimed.

The court has now posted the matter to June 23, 24 and 25.

Check Out Kick Posters By Salman Khan’s Fans!

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                                                            Check Out Kick Posters By Salman Khan’s Fans!

The demand for Salman Khan’s poster of his upcoming film, Kick, by his fans has reached a new frenzy.

Sajid Nadiadwala, who is currently working on his directorial debut, Kick starring Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez has been bombarded with umpteenth requests to release the poster of Kick soon.

The wait has become so tricky for the huge number of fans of Salman, that they are now making their versions of the Kick poster and sending it to the director.

Sajid is getting different posters of Kick from fans with messages requesting him to pre pone the release of the poster.

The director producer of the film, Nadiadwala was planning to release it in the end of June or first week of July but fans want it out by mid June.

The Dabangg Khan was recently snapped outside Mehboob Studio in Mumbai for shooting.

Salman who is struggling hard to get out of 2002 hit-and-run case, when reported a steward working in a bar of a five star hotel identified the superstar in the court. He told the court that Salman along with some friends had visited the bar a few hours before the accident involving the superstar had occurred on Hill Road, Bandra on the night of September 28, 2002.

Kick is an upcoming Bollywood action film, to be produced and directed by Sajid Nadiadwala starring Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez in the lead role. Also starring in the movie are Randeep Hooda and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

The film is a remake of the 2009 Telugu film of same name.

Kick is one of the most awaited releases of this year.

2002 hit-and-run case: Witness says Salman Khan wasn’t drunk as he didn’t smell of alcohol

The witness also said, “He (Salman Khan) looked normal and walked straight."

In a breather to actor Salman Khan, a witness on May 20 informed a local court that it appeared to him that the actor was not drunk at the relevant time after his car had rammed into a shop in suburban Bandra in 2002, killing one person and injuring four others who were sleeping outside.

Francis Fernandes (63), a neighbour of Salman, who stays near the site of the mishap, told sessions judge D W Deshpande that he had gone to the spot after hearing shouts of people and saw the actor surrounded by a mob armed with sticks and stones.

Salman Khan’s 2002-hit-and-run case: What is at stake?

Fernandes said he knew Salman since his (the latter’s) childhood and stayed in the same area where the actor resided and also where the accident had taken place.

“Salman did not appear to be drunk as there was no smell of alcohol when I went near him. He looked normal and walked straight,” the witness said much to the relief of Salman, who was standing in the dock listening to the deposition.

Fernandes said this while replying to questions put by Salman’s lawyer Srikant Shivade during cross-examination.

The case of the prosecution is that the actor was drunk when he met with the accident. According to police, Salman had allegedly consumed a couple of drinks with friends at a bar in J W Marriot hotel at Juhu before he met with an accident on September 28, 2002, outside American Bakery.

“I got up on hearing the shouts of “Bachao Bachao” and went down to the place where people had gathered with sticks and stones. I went near Salman. On seeing me, he said ‘Commander mujhe bacha lijiye’(Commander save me from the people), “Fernandes told public prosecutor Jagannath Kenjralkar.

The witness said that he took Salman to the direction of his (actor’s) house. Fernandes said his wife asked the actor to sit in their car and go home. Salman then left for home in their car, the court was told.

Fernandes said he was successful in pulling out the actor from the scene of mishap and advised him to go home.

To another question, the witness said that the mob had become violent after the accident. After seeing the crowd armed with sticks and stones, I felt that Salman’s life was in danger. Police, however, had not arrived by that time and came after 10 to 15 minutes.

A clean shaven Salman, attired in a navy blue shirt and jeans, had come to the court along with his bodyguard and two sisters, Alvira and Arpita.

Did not smell any alcohol on Salman Khan, witness says...

Salman Khan made his third appearance in court this month as the seventh witness in the case deposed. 

MUMBAI: A witness who helped Salman Khan escape from "an angry mob" told the sessions court on Tuesday that the actor "looked okay" and he did not smell alcohol on him after he allegedly ran over at least five people sleeping on a pavement at Hill Road in 2002. Judge D W Deshpande adjourned proceedings to June 23, 24 and 25, due to the absence of the next witness. The court said it intended to complete recording the statements of all witnesses by July.

The actor made his third appearance in court this month as the seventh witness in the case deposed. Francis Fernandes, 63, who lived near the accident spot, said he knew Khan since childhood. Fernandes, who Khan reportedly calls 'commander', said on the night of September 28, 2002, at about 2.30am he woke up when he heard a big bang. "After minutes I heard (shouts of) bachao, bachao (save me, save me). I came out from the house. I saw that near the American Express Bakery, Khan was surrounded by a mob," Fernandes told the prosecution. He stated that the mob was angry and he sensed that Khan would be in danger. Fernandes told the court that as he pulled aside people, who were holding rods and stones, Khan recognized him and said, "Commander, save me."

"I separated him from the mob and took him towards A1 Bakery. I was with Salman for a few minutes. I did not smell alcohol on Salman. He was looking okay," Fernandes told defence advocate Srikant Shivde in his cross-examination. He said that he advised Khan to go to his house as the mob was still furious. "A car was passing and my wife stopped it, and told Salman to enter...," Fernandes said.

Fernandes also said there were 10-12 speed-breakers on the way to the bakery and laundry. He recollected that road repairs were under way near the bakery.

The court issued summons to Ram Pandey, owner of a dairy near the spot, as he did not appear on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the police told the court that they had recorded the statement of an injured witness, Muslim Shaikh, who alleged that his former lawyer had offered him a bribe to turn hostile in the case. Shaikh had also told the police that he had received a threat call. The court also told the police to investigate the matter and that it would not interfere.

The Bandra police said the lawyer's statement was also recorded.
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