Bollywood was already in the grip of an existential crisis—a lack of content had forced it to re-release old films in theatres, a complete crisis of talent and credible stars, with ageing superstars and no replacements in sight. Now, the shadow of the underworld has gripped the industry once again.
A series of extortion calls began with superstar Salman Khan, who also faced a violent threat from gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, locked away in a Gujarat jail. The menace has now spread to Shahrukh Khan. The threat is so present and real that security agencies advised him to forgo his customary appearance for his fans on his terrace on 2 November, his 59th birthday. Thousands of fans who had turned up were left disappointed, but security sources say the agencies were clear in their decision.
The threats to Salman and Shahrukh Khan were publicly known, but top security sources tell me two other very well-known actors—one hailed as a superstar—have also received credible threats. A female actor has likewise been targeted, with huge sums demanded as extortion money. Sources say the actors have been left badly shaken, especially after one call threatened to kidnap and harm one of the actor’s children.
The return of underworld threats has all the security forces on edge, given its massive implications. Last time around, Bollywood figures were forced to pay enormous sums in extortion, even coerced into working on “Bhai-bankrolled” films and projects at gunpoint. Some who refused to play along were shot at, attacked, or even killed, like music baron Gulshan Kumar, the founder of T-Series, who was murdered in 1997—shot 16 times in a brutal message to Bollywood.
Locked in internecine warfare
Bollywood has always been a lucrative source of income for the underworld and has seen bloody battles among criminal dons. From the days of Haji Mastaan, who was obsessed with the movies and even financed a film about himself, to the reigns of Dawood Ibrahim, Chota Shakeel, and now Lawrence Bishnoi—everyone wants a slice of the rich Bollywood pie. Sources say age has caught up with Ibrahim, and his empire is locked in internecine warfare, giving new players an opening to move in.
Security agencies are adamant that the so-called corporatisation of Bollywood is largely cosmetic. With films regularly failing at the box office and OTT content attracting controversy, corporations want nothing to do with Bollywood. Producers need funding, yet banks and corporates are reluctant to open the purse strings for the industry.
The daylight murder of politician Baba Siddiqui on 12 October sent shockwaves and a terrifying message to Bollywood. Siddiqui was a known mediator in the industry, famous for hosting legendary iftar gatherings, where Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan famously patched up their feud.
Clinical threat assessment
Right now, security agencies are focused on clinical threat assessments of Bollywood’s top faces, including well-known directors. Bulletproof cars and vans, closed sets with extensive security screening, armed police escorts, and private air travel have become the order of the day.
But even with these precautions, superstars perched atop their rarified heights are rattled. As one top actor confided to me, but only with a guarantee of total anonymity: “It’s not just us. We have families, friends, loved ones, large teams. If even one of us is targeted, it’s deeply unsettling. How do you do creative work under threat?”
It’s a critical and pointed question—one the authorities must find answers to, and quickly, because nowhere else in the world does a film industry of this size face such organised threats. The South Indian film industry, now on par with Bollywood in box office returns, does not face regular extortion threats, thanks to law and order being kept under control.
A senior Mumbai police official said, “We can’t afford the bad old days of ‘bhai’ to return to Bollywood. Mumbai is also India’s financial capital and cannot afford a lawless reputation globally. The minute a new government is sworn in, the Mantralaya will need to take swift and demonstrable action.”
The upcoming Maharashtra elections have created a vacuum, and the new government must ensure a swift crackdown on the threats to Bollywood and publicly answer how Bishnoi, sitting in a jail in Gujarat, can organise violent attacks.
Currently, the threat script reads wilder than even a Bollywood potboiler.
