Much before the #MeToo wave hit Bollywood, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan came out in the open about being in an abusive relationship with Salman Khan

“I have always spoken out, I spoke in the past, I am speaking now, and I will continue to speak.” These were the words of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan when she was asked to comment on the Me Too movement in October, last year.

Every one credits ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne‘ actress Tanushree Dutta for being the harbinger of the movement in Indian entertainment industry but if we go on to see it was actually Aishwarya who carved the path for Dutta and many other women like her.

Because let’s admit it, speaking up against Nana Patekar is one thing and exposing a big Bollywood superstar like Salman Khan is a completely different ball game altogether. Today married in one of the most reverred families of Bollywood and being one of the highest paid actresses, Aishwarya has set an example that there is light after the tunnel for those who dare to speak up.

Here’s looking back at all the bold statements Aishwarya Rai made against Salman Khan 

1. Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan: How it all began

Salman and Aishwarya’s love story reportedly began in 1997. Salman was already a reigning superstar by then and speculations about his marriage to girlfriend Somy Ali were rife. However, their romance became known much later in 1999 during the shooting of ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam‘. It is said that it was Salman who recommended Aishwarya’s name to Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film ended up catapulting her to new heights of success and replacing Somy Ali as Salman’s girlfriend.

An article published in Stardust (magazine) during that time claimed that Somy Ali didn’t even have an inkling of what was cooking between Salman and Aishwarya. However, when she came to know the reality of their relationship, Somy Ali not only dumped Salman, but also left India to settle in the USA.

Somy Ali’s departure from Salman’s life brought Aishwarya even closer to him. Much like his previous girlfriends, Aish, too, developed a rapport with his family especially Salman’s sisters – Alvira and Arpita.

Author Biswadeep Ghosh has claimed in his 2004 book ‘Hall of Fame, Aishwarya Rai‘ that the green-eyed beauty rebelled against her parents for Salman. She moved out into a separate apartment in Lokhandwala’s Gorakh Hill Tower (in Andheri, north-west Mumbai).

2. The First Crack

But, the love eventually fizzled out. Their relationship started showing signs of inevitable doom in 2001. Tabloids have it that one November night in 2001, Salman reached Aishwarya’s apartment in a fit of fury. Eyewitnesses say he kept banging the door of her 17th-floor apartment for hours. Some say that the actor even threatened to jump off the roof of Gorakh Hill Tower if Aishwarya did not let him in.

Such was the rage of Salman that none of the neighbours dared to intervene or call the cops. The drama continued until 3 o’clock in the morning; Salman’s hands were bleeding by then from beating on the door. Eventually, Aishwarya had to open the door and let him in. Sources close to the actor then claimed that he wanted to extract a promise of marriage from Aishwarya. However, Aishwarya, who was experiencing a bout of success, wasn’t keen on settling down just yet.

In an interview to The Times Of India on February 12, 2002, Salman confirmed that the incident did happen.”The incident is true, but it was overhyped by the media. I have a relationship with Aishwarya. If you do not fight in a relationship, it means you do not love each other. Why would I squabble with a person who is a stranger to me? Such things happen between us only because we love each other. Now, even the police have barred me from entering that building.”

Some reports claimed that it was Aishwarya’s father Krishnaraj Rai who reported the incident to the police.Reacting to the same, Salman said in the same interview, “Her parents are very nice people. They are orthodox like my family. They have heard about my past affairs and they didn’t like me in the life of their daughter. It is my fault, not theirs. I should have understood it earlier. They never stopped me from meeting with Aishwarya despite the fact that I treated them badly. Aishwarya did not like my behaviour towards them just as I would not appreciate anybody misbehaving with my father. Aishwarya’s father is completely justified in complaining against me. I have no grudge against him.”

Salman’s brother Sohail Khan had later substantiated reports of Aishwarya not reciprocating Salman’s love by saying, “Now she (Aishwarya Rai) weeps in public. When she was going around with him, when she used to visit our home so often like part of the family, did she ever acknowledge the relationship? She never did. That made Salman feel insecure. He wanted to know how much she wanted him. She would never let him be sure of that.”

3. When Aishwarya appeared at an Awards function with a fractured arm

The rift between the two was deepened further by Salman’s secret visit to USA. Startdust had then reported that Salman’s ex Somy Ali had asked Salman for some financial help for her father’s operation. Salman complied and went to the USA without informing Aishwarya. His decision understandably left Aish furious. He however managed to persuade her. She even agreed to do a cameo in his 2002 film ‘Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam‘. But, the truce unfortunately didn’t last for long.

Aishwarya appeared at the 2002 Filmfare Awards function with a fractured arm and black glasses, which fanned the rumours that Salman had assaulted her physically. Salman had reportedly went on a rampage during the shooting of her movie ‘Kuch Naa Kaho’ and had even damaged her car.

However, she clarified during an interview to Filmfare in May that year: “Why don’t people believe that I fell down the stairs? The same media portrayed me as a strong woman. Now it wants to paint me as a helpless one. I would never tolerate nonsense behaviour. Nobody can act savagely with me. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can get hurt in an accident. So, why can’t I? I would have retaliated if I were physically attacked. This news is baseless. My silence has further fuelled the rumours. But I don’t like to react on frivolous things.”

4. Aishwarya FINALLY spoke up: ‘I was at the receiving end of his abuse, infidelity and indignity’

Months later during an interview to The Times Of India on September 27, 2002, Aishwarya for the first time admitted being in an abusive relationship with Salman.

“Salman and I broke up last March, but he isn’t able to come to terms with it…After we broke up, he would call me and talk rubbish. He also suspected me of having affairs with my co-stars. I was linked up with everyone, from Abhishek Bachchan to Shah Rukh Khan. There were times when Salman got physical with me, luckily without leaving any marks. And, I would go to work as if nothing had happened. Salman hounded me and caused physical injuries to himself when I refused to take his calls,” she said.

In another interview to The Indian Express, she made it clear that it was all over:”I stood by him enduring his alcoholic misbehaviour in its worst phases and in turn I was at the receiving end of his abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), infidelity and indignity. That is why like any other self-respecting woman I ended my relationship with him.”

Was it a mere coincidence that Salman rammed his Toyota Land Cruiser onto the pavement in suburban Bandra (Mumbai) just a day after Aishwarya made her break-up public in The Times Of India interview? Well, your guess is as good as ours.

5. Salman Khan maintained: No, I have never beaten Aishwarya

A few months later, Salman responded during an interview to MiD-Day: “Obviously, she will not recite poems if she is disturbed. Every person reacts in his own manner and I do not have an objection to that.”

But Salman has never admitted to physically attacking Aishwarya. He told MiD-Day in an interview on September 18, 2002: “No. I have never beaten her. Anyone can beat me up. Any fighter here on the sets can thrash me. That is why people are not scared of me. I do get emotional. Then I hurt myself. I have banged my head against the wall; I have hurt myself all over. I cannot hurt anyone else. I have only hit Subhash Ghai. Yet, I apologised to him the next day.”

“There are times when you do get out of control. That person hit me with a spoon, almost broke a plate on my face, pissed on my shoes and grabbed me by the neck. I could not control myself. And see what happened. Next day, I had to go and apologise.”

6. Aishwarya vowed to never work with Salman Khan again

Soon after the interview, news broke out about how Salman created a ruckus on the set of her movie ‘Chalte Chalte‘. Salman reportedly shouted at Aishwarya. When the hero and the producer of the movie Shah Rukh Khan tried to intervene, eyewitnesses say Salman didn’t even spare his friend and held him by the collar. According to Biswadeep Ghosh’s book, Salman accused Shah Rukh of having an affair with Aishwarya.

Aishwarya eventually lost the part and ‘Chalte Chalte‘ went to Rani Mukerji. Rai even declined Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movie ‘Bajirao Mastani‘ because it was to feature Salman.

Later in a press release, Aishwarya said, “For my well-being and for the self-respect of my family, I will not work with Mr Salman Khan. The chapter of Salman Khan was a nightmare in my life. I am thankful that it is over now.”

People of Bollywood swear by the adage ‘Never say Never’ but Aishwarya did say ‘never again’ and stuck to it.