Ah! at last the beleaguered actor Sanjay Dutt was awarded the sentence he had not wished for. For me that is not the news. The actual drama unfolded the next day when newspapers and websites carried a plethora of statements from Dutt's co-stars and other Hindi film personalities who said that Judge P D Kode's decision was too harsh and Sanjay didn't deserve it. The list includes Jackie Shroff, Saira Bano, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mahesh Bhatt, Suniel Shetty, etc. Yesteryears actor and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha went to the extent of saying that Sanjay was a victim of a conspiracy of circumstances. He he he!.

What a shame? They are supporting a criminal, who if released, would have become a great inspiration for many. They should remember that being film personalities doesn't guarantee them any special status. Why this outpour of sympathy especially if the punishment was given only for the crime he had committed? I feel this is irresponsible. Some might say, this is democracy and everyone has the right to voice his/her opinion. But that is just an excuse.

Supporting criminals and perpetrators is not new to Hindi film industry. A number of Hindi film personalities have come in support of the eccentric Salman and drug-addicted Fardeen.

Though Mr.Kode should be applauded for his bold judgment, the whole episode clearly shows how slow the process is. Hope at least Salman's case is solved quickly.