It's nothing new. When Katrina Kaif was just his drop-dead beautiful squeeze, they said Salman Khan was squeezing her into ramp shows and also helped to get her some roles in good Hindi movies. That time, he perhaps had another agenda too, just to spite Aishwarya Rai.

So, her stunning looks did matter. And her English accent (actually, she couldn't speak Hindi at all) did NOT matter! So, Kats was also squeezed in between two brothers (Salman and Sohail) in Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya. It was Just chill, chill, chill!

All of a sudden, however, Kats struck up a sizzling chemistry with Akshay Kumar in Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. Though the film flopped, the pair was identified as hot. And now their second starrer, Namastey London, has gone on to become a runaway hit, and she has dubbed her own voice as well!

So much so that the media has already started planting stories that Salman is getting upset with Akshay -- and Akshay has gone to say that Sallu respects him and their onscreen chemistry, and that is why the Akshay-Katrina pair has another three films coming!

So, it is difficult to understand the whirling rumours again that Salman is using his not inconsiderable clout in the film industry to promote Katrina, much to the discomfiture of his friends and even Katrina herself.

When work on the magnum opus, Bajirao Mastani, got stalled the industry assumed Aishwarya had declined the film because ex-lover Salman figured in the cast and she would have nothing to do with him in the same film.

It later turned out Aishwarya wasn't the problem. It was Salman! He had wanted Sanjay Leela Bhansali to replace Aishwarya with Kareena! Salman's priorities have since changed and his focus is now on sweetheart Katrina. Determined to have her counted amidst the top three leading ladies of Bollywood he is now asking Bhansali to give Aishwarya's role to Katrina!

Bhansali has chosen to bat defensively for the moment and has deferred shooting the venture indefinitely. The Bollywood business is abuzz now with pointers to Salman's relentless recommendations for Katrina for all films -- including the earlier hit, Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya, directed by David Dhawan.

One of the clauses that Salman puts up while signing a film is that Katrina has also to be signed, and many directors are willing to play along. Incredibly enough, he is known to have even asked other actresses to opt out of a film so that Katrina could replace them!

He should not forget the example of his debutante heroine in Maine Pyar Kiya (interesting coincidence in the title!), Bhagyashree, who soon after the super-duper hit got married to Himalay, and made it a condition that she would only act with him as costar. We know what happened to both of them eventually.

In Rajkumar Santoshi's London Dreams, where Salman was paired with Priyanka Chopra, his requesting Priyanka to opt out -- by giving false reasons of unavailability of dates -- to make room for his beloved Kat is out in the open now.

Katrina, on her part rubbishes rumours that Salman is helping her career in any way. After the recent success of Namastey London, she is happy and busy shooting for many films, she says.

When Subhash Ghai cast her with Salman in his just announced film, Main Yuvraj, she was categorical that her success was derived from her own hard work.

"I am delighted to be in a Subhash Ghai film," she told the media, "Ghaiji has created great heroines. But the news that Salman has got me roles is ridiculous," she added. "Ghaiji offered me Kisna earlier, but it didn't work out. He saw me in Namastey London and confirmed my role in Main Yuvraj.

Do you think directors like Ghaiji would listen to Salman while casting for their films? I am where I am on merit. I work hard to fit into the roles I play and my hard work on acting and speech has got me my success. Also, Bollywood needs fresh faces and I happen to be that face." - (SAMPURN)