I think the trend was started by some idiotic news channel named India TV.
can't 'discriminate' between any of them; since the day the sessions court was to give its verdict, the melodrama had commenced on almost all these channels in unison. some movie channels have been showing salman's movies since. a day or two later when salman secured bail in the case, there was this one channel (IIRC, India News), which ran a few lines for salman at the bottom in the ultimate 'sadakchhaap shaayaraana' manner in order to attract viewers for its upcoming show, which could force dialogue-writers of B-grade movies to seriously consider honing their skills. then these channels showed how people from many places in the country had flocked in to Mumbai and salman's place just to have a glimpse of their idol and congratulate him, how salman communicated with them from his balcony and then later asked them to leave, himself leaving after giving them the 'Jai Ho!' lesson in his own style by motioning his hands.
years back, at a place here famous for its scenery, terrain, trek and hike trails, and for bollywood shoots, Harishchandragad lake near Malshej Ghat (Anorion must be aware), one of the helping hands at a nearby resort (one of the only 2 established there at the time) had described to me the demeanour of salman khan (and akshay khanna) throwing in some expletives in his recounting, while they had stayed there; all-in-all, about his addiction to alcohol, etc. though yes, salman has later admitted that he had fallen into some vices in his bad phase earlier. but all his humanitarian efforts, sung and unsung (his friends insist that he has been involved in them in someway or the other without beating drums about them, from much before than this case), all appear to be an exercise in portraying himself as one changed man, who has supposedly been a good samaritan much of his life. no qualms about it; all well and good. however, the intentions seemingly come out bare open in what they could be in actuality, when one learns about the sudden twist given to the case by a new pawn being introduced as the driver towards the end. tells that either all these exercises were to somehow overhaul his PR image (and which have been much successful, seeing his fan-following and the good relations with media-bosses), or/and that the erstwhile 'bad-good boy of bollywood', regardless of his 'macho' image, is afterall another celebrity fearful to accept the consequences of his intentional and unintentional wrongdoings, just like most other superrich /filthy rich people, other high-profile people, and even many of us of the 'cattle-class'. perhaps too much at stake to humbly and gracefully accept one's wrongs and face the consequences with courage, which could've actually showed that the surge of change within him was for real and stirring from head-to-toe. all that bodybuilding and all, it perhaps changed nothing much other than pumping up the body and inflating the ego (which are anyway the 'side-effects' of this pursuit). the whole bollywood fraternity, including Abhijeet, and the media houses, they are swayed away more by oodles of sentimentality than anything else i feel. Abhijeet had first tweeted and called on others to come out openly and support salman, then i think later deleted that tweet and retracted. bollywood loves its bad-good boy, has a lot invested in him, some have been mentored by him and have been given a break in the industry (including some film-unit staff-personnel too), much of the media houses' income comes from spinning off stories and speculating about salman's marriage (even now they are on air), hence much of it appears as emotional melodrama out of nature or/and compulsion. perhaps someone could've also thrown light on the life and the bitter latter phase & end of it of the late bodyguard (and a former Commando) of the 'bodyguard', but that wouldn't have been much fruitful TRPwise i surmise.