Justice catches up with Bollywood star Salman Khan

Mumbai's first Salman Khan-themed restaurant faces an uncertain future as patrons come to terms with the sentencing of Bollywood's most bankable action film star to five years in prison for killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run car crash.

Since opening in March in a neighbourhood close to Khan's home, the Bhaijaanz eaterie has lured diners and movie buffs with curry dishes named after the actor's many hit blockbusters. The decor is Khan-themed too, including a curious green mural of the muscular heartthrob depicted as the Incredible Hulk.

On Thursday, however, Bhaijaanz was closed. A piece of paper had been stuck to the front door, reading simply "We are shut for today", and appended with an unhappy smiley face.

The quiet shock felt by many Indian film fans over Khan's sentencing contrasted starkly with the media circus that engulfed Mumbai's sessions court on Wednesday, where a judge found the actor guilty of culpable homicide. India's rolling news channels are rarely restrained, but they became ever more frenzied as the verdict filtered out - creating a furore that recalled the manic coverage of the trial of athlete Oscar Pistorius in South Africa.

In common with that case, the intense interest in Khan's fate partly reflected a grisly fascination with the crime. The actor's Toyota Land Cruiser had run into a shop front late one evening in 2002, hitting five homeless men sleeping on the pavement. One died from his injuries. At the time, Khan said his bodyguard had been driving. That claim has often been viewed sceptically in India, and was not accepted by the judge, who also found him guilty of drink driving.

The nature of Khan's fame also lay behind the pandemonium. The 49-year-old was born into a family of Bollywood aristocrats and went on to star in about 80 Hindi-language films, playing everything from tough-guy cops to ass-kicking secret agents. His personal story won over many fans. Often viewed as an arrogant youth, he matured into a family matinee star with a talent for nifty dance moves. Along the way he developed an affable and charming persona that seems jarringly at odds with the crime for which he has been convicted.

I briefly saw Mr Khan up close last year, having spent an enjoyable day playing a small part in his latest blockbuster, an action spectacular called Kick , which went on to become one of Bollywood's all-time highest grossing movies. I was to play a minor British diplomat, with just two short lines, and definitely no place in the film's spectacular final song-and-dance routine. The director briefly praised my efforts at the end of filming, which made it all the more humiliating when my part was left on the cutting-room floor.

Yet this briefest of brushes with Indian film stardom did allow me to watch Khan on set, where he seemed both relaxed and personable.

Ultimately, however, the trial captivated attention for a different reason: the limited faith most Indians have in their justice system. The actor's legal team had managed to delay his court appearance for more than a decade. Many observers thought him guilty, but believed his wealth would allow him to walk free.

By contrast, his supporters feared his celebrity would see him singled out for unduly harsh punishment. Some, such as jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali, even deployed the questionable logic of blaming the homeless men, tweeting that Khan's conviction was "like penalising a train driver because someone decided to cross the tracks and got killed".

Anecdotally, I sense most Indians feel Khan's conviction means justice has finally been done, although many also seem to suspect that the actor - now out on temporary bail - will somehow avoid a lengthy jail spell. His case took 13 years to reach this stage, and he is expected to launch a series of appeals that could take many more years to complete. Khan has already had extensive experience with India's treacly justice system, dating back to the so-called "black buck" incident in 1998, in which he was accused of poaching deer during a night-time shooting expedition. That case is still pending - nearly 20 years later.

Khan's action films move at a rapid pace. He must now hope Indian justice doesn't suddenly follow suit.

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