Salman Khan just can't seem to say sorry for his rape remark

Maybe Salman Khan should realise that the solution to the current predicament he is facing involves doing something very simple: saying sorry.

On Wednesday, Khan responded to the National Commission for Women (NCW) via his legal representatives over the controversy created after he had earlier said that the physically exhausting shoot schedule for his upcoming wrestling drama Sultan left him "feeling like a raped woman".

News reports have said that the NCW is now assessing Khan's reply — which, apparently, does not contain an apology for the rape remark.

In fact, India Today TV reported that in his response, Khan has said that the "NCW should not have taken suo motu cognizance (of this issue)."

Yet again, Khan blew all our minds with his amazing Bhai logic.

Because of course, "the apex national level organisation of India with the mandate of protecting and promoting the interests of women" should take absolutely no interest when an actor with a huge fan following trivialises rape by comparing the trauma faced by a rape victim to the exhaustion felt after an intense shoot.

Reports have also said that the Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) has also now summoned Khan for a hearing on the matter on 7 July.

Because of his stubborn refusal to apologise, Salman Khan is actually creating more troubles for himself. But despite all the media outrage, summons by a government body, an apology from his father and even Bollywood's divided views on his rape remark, Salman Khan simply refuses to apologise.

This points out something very important: Either Khan actually believes that he did absolutely nothing wrong or he has such a big ego that an apology is simply not an option. Because after all, how can Bhai, the superstar, apologise?

Both these possibilities shows how arrogant Salman Khan is and what he thinks about the respect that should be (or should not be, as it seems with this case) given to women.

Most of us are not even expecting Khan to feel sorry about his remark. We have seen people issue meaningless apologies all the time. Politicians apologise to people and take 'moral responsibility' after defeat in an election all the time. And we all know how meaningful most of those apologies really are.But they issue it nonetheless, because a public apology is an attempt to try and convince the people one feels bad for hurting them, irrespective of its authenticity.

But Salman Khan has not issued even a meaningless apology. Why? Maybe because of his 'Bhai' image, because of the fact Khan can do pretty much anything and he will still have a huge fan following in this country.

According to India Today TV, Khan in his response to the NCW also said that this entire controversy has affected his image and he did not intentionally make insensitive remarks.

What he does not realise is that apologising will actually help improve his image by putting an end to the outrage over his remark without affecting his fan following, who will love him no matter what he does.

And yes, we all know that Khan had said, "I should not have (said that)..." after making the rape remark. But saying one should have done something is very different from apologising, which is acceptance of guilt and has greater impact.

As far as intention goes, we know that Khan did not literally mean he felt like a sexually assaulted person after the shoot. He meant that he was exhausted. And most of us use the F-word sometimes to describe exhaustion, frustration, anger or some negative emotion.

But the F-word does not focus on non-consensual sex, which is rape. Saying 'felt like a raped woman' is meant toespecially focus on the fact that the analogy was based on non-consensual sex, something which is a heinous crime and an act of violence.The fact that rape culture is common in our country, and other people also use rape as an analogy, should not be a defence for Khan. In fact, it makes him all the more liable. If our celebrities and VIPs start making remarks based on rape culture and then not apologise for the same, it will only worsen the problem in our society.

Salman Khan has to apologise because rape culture should no longer be tolerated in the country.