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Bhais & Bollywood Bharat Kukreti, Mumbai As Abu Salem was extradited to India, many cellphones belonging to the bigwigs of the film industry were switched off. No one wanted to talk on the issue to the media, and some didn’t want to take the risk of being tapped by the police. This, in itself, was an indicator of the terror this once upon a time blue dyed boy of the Bid D himself, had created in Bollywood. And now, when Salem is reportedly crooning during his interrogation, it is surely bound to give sleepless nights to a few. This sequence of events once again raises the pertinent question – what is the extent of the underworld’s penetration in the Indian film industry? Bollywood and the underworld have had a long, and often incestuous, relationship. From films like Deewar, where Amitabh Bachchan’s character Vijay was apparently styled after Mumbai don of the 1970s Haji Mastan, to Company, art has often imitated life. Initially, the dons started investing in films as they saw it as an avenue where black money could easily be circulated, and returns were often fast and handsome. Some filmmakers also opted to take money from the bhais as the money came thick and fast without any paperwork. However, what these filmmakers did not realize at that time was the fact that the underworld was in the business to make money, and had nothing to do with losses that came along with the flops. The defaulters were bound to be in trouble in more ways than one. As the dons came closer to the industry, they found out an avenue where there was no investment, only returns - extortion. In this context, music magnate Gulshan Kumar’s murder on August 12, 1997 was the gruesome peak of the underworld’s presence in film industry. Abu Salem, who was behind the killing, became a dreaded name and issued threats to many industry bigwigs. However, the police dealt a major blow to the nexus when they arrested producer Nasim Rizvi, allegedly Chhota Shakeel’s front in the industry, and his assistant Abdul Rahim Allah Baksh. Salem’s rift with Shakeel and his mentor, Dawood Ibrahim, also weakened his grasp on the industry. This proved a turning point in the film-underworld relations. Komal Nahata, a well-known industry observer, agrees that the industry started feeling more secure in the aftermath. “In the last few years, especially after the police crackdown on the organised crime syndicates, the industry has started believing that it makes more sense to approach the police rather than paying the dons,” he says. The general perception is that the film industry’s financial dependence on the underworld decreased after it received industry status. But Nahata does not concur. “I’m an advisor with the Industrial Development Bank of India on film finance, but even the IDBI finances only about 10 out of the 140-150 films released in a year,” he says. “Maybe even the underworld dons have realised that the industry is facing a drought of hits, and have therefore focused their sights on other avenues,” he says laughingly. The recent emergence of entities like UTV and Entertainment One have also encouraged the filmmakers to seek funding from regular channels rather than opt for unscrupulous means. However, it is still too early to rule out the presence of the underworld in Bollywood. A Brief History of Crime Subhash Ghai: Police kill five Abu Salem men reportedly on a mission to eliminate the film producer
Mukesh Bhatt: Issued extortion threats by Salem in 1997 Mahesh Bhatt: Received threat calls from Salem for speaking up against the don Salman Khan: Acted in Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, allegedly financed by Chhota Shakeel
Pravin Shah:
Allegedly featured Monica Bedi in his film Jodi No.1 after being threatened
by Salem Ajit Diwani: Manisha Koirala’s secretary, was killed by Salem’s men on June 30, 2001 Aamir Khan: Police allegedly killed four Salem men in October 2001 out to eliminate the star Sohail Khan: Received threats from Ejaz Lakdawala in September 2002 JP Dutta: Is reportedly on Salem’s hit list Manisha Koirala: Received threats in February 2002. Also, Chennai police claimed to have killed four men who wanted to kidnap her Sanjay Dutt: Police claim to have tapes of his conversations with underworld dons. Also acted in Vaastav, a movie allegedly produced by Chhota Rajan’s brother Adil Farooq: The Tum producer was arrested for allegedly having got the money for his film from Salem |
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