Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan on underworld’s target: Bollywood under threat again!

The Mumbai police recently foiled a plot by underworld don Ravi Pujari's gangsters to kill Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and his family members. The police have arrested 13 men on suspicion, some

The Mumbai police recently foiled a plot by underworld don Ravi Pujari’s gangsters to kill Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and his family members. The police have arrested 13 men on suspicion, some of whom were also involved in firing outside the residence of Bollywood film producer brothers Karim Morani and Ali Morani. The reason behind the firing at the Moranis’ house was that Ravi Pujari wanted the Moranis to hand over the overseas rights of Shah Rukh Khan’s movie Happy New Year, but when he refused, the gangster decided to scare the brothers.

It has also been reported that gangster Ravi Pujari had asked his men to open fire at Shah Rukh Khan’s bungalow Mannat and his office, and director Farah Khan’s home to scare them as well. Shah Rukh is the producer and lead actor in Happy New Year and Farah directed it.

This is not the first time that Mumbai’s film industry Bollywood has come under threat from the underworld. In the past, many producers, directors and actors have been threatened by underworld dons. Recently, actor Jackie Shroff’s wife Ayesha Shroff registered an FIR after she received threatening messages from an unknown number.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been threatened several times. In an interview with a newspaper, Shah Rukh also accepted that don Chhota Shakeel forced him to do a film with producer Nazim Rizvi and film financier Bharat Shah.

Bollywood’s Dabangg Salman Khan has also received threat calls from the underworld in the past. In 2002, he sought a fresh arms licence from the Mumbai police after getting calls from gangsters. Likewise, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Govinda and Sonu Nigam have received threat calls from underworld.

Apart from actors, music king and T-Series owner Gulshan Kumar was killed by the underworld. Filmmaker Mukesh Duggal was also murdered by the dons. Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan too was attacked after delivering a blockbuster Kaho Naa Pyar Hai starring his son Hrithik Roshan.

It is also reported that some producers and actors have links with the underworld including Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anil Kapoor, etc.. Heroines like Mamta Kulkarni, Mandakini, Monica Bedi and Sridevi have also had links with the underworld with the likes of Abu Salem and Dawood Ibrahim.

Preity Zinta was the first actress who supported the prosecution in the Bharat Shah case and told the court that she received threat calls while she was shooting Chori Chori Chupke Chupke in 2000. However, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Rakesh Roshan, Sanjay Gupta, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anees Bazmee and many others have all turned hostile and retracted their earlier statements.

If the nexus between Bollywood and the underworld continues, how can the industry be safe?