Lull Before The Storm: Gangster Terror Before Lawrence Bishnoi Cracked Silence With Guns – Gulshan Kumar To SRK

Guns, glamour and gangsters went hand-in-hand in the City of Dreams, Mumbai. Before a complete crime clean-up and the emergence of an absolutely safe space in the film industry, celebrities had a tough time with the underworld and mafia. Dawood Ibrahim and Abu Salem were commonly read and heard names in news and newspapers when digital media was unavailable to keep people abreast of what was happening in Bollywood. The fear, threat and terror were palpable. Gang wars and threats to celebrities changed the way the Hindi film industry was perceived. However, with police arrests and gang wars coming to an eventual end, the atmosphere changed. But not entirely.

In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, celebrities frequently raised an alarm against gangsters and death threats. It decreased drastically before the namesake successor, Lawrence Bishnoi, entered the scene and disrupted peace in Bollywood. Ten years after the 1998 Poaching Incident during the shoot of Hum Saath-Saath Hain, Bishnoi sent his first threat to Salman Khan, who was allegedly responsible for hunting and killing two blackbucks in Rajasthan. The community worships the blackbuck. Reportedly, when the incident happened, Lawrence was a child and was determined to seek revenge for the sentiments of the Bishnoi community after growing up.

Since 2018, Salman has been at the top of his hit list. Not just him; Lawrence, who is currently jailed, has vowed to settle his case with various other actors who are associated with Khan. From Shah Rukh Khan to Tiger Shroff, Bishnoi has given dreadful and terrifying warnings to celebrities.

Though underworld, mafia and gangsters’ threats are not new to the industry, their resurgence and the impact they have already made make many wonder whether the silence that prevailed for over a decade was an indication of the storm’s return.

Before Lawrence marked the comeback of gangsters in Bollywood, these celebrities were affected adversely due to rivalry. From Gulshan Kumar’s assassination to Rakesh Roshan narrowly escaping a fatal incident, their stories are shocking.

In 2011, Yash Chopra, the founder of Yash Raj Studios, received calls from an individual claiming to represent gangster Ravi Pujari. The caller reportedly demanded Rs 50 lakh in protection money and threatened the veteran filmmaker with ‘dire consequences’ if it was not paid. The Chopra family filed a complaint and requested the Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), to provide security outside his office.

Gulshan Kumar, the founder of T-Series and father of producer Bhushan Kumar, was shot dead on August 12, 1997, at the age of 41 outside the Jeeteshwar Mahadev Temple in Juhu, Mumbai. Reportedly, three assassins fired 16 bullets at him in the absence of his police bodyguard. Kumar’s driver was injured. His assassination was linked to the D-Company and extortion demands of Rs 10 crore, which he denied.

In 2000, Rakesh Roshan was shot at by two armed men outside his Santacruz office. Reportedly, the sharpshooters tied to the underworld shot the filmmaker in his left arm. Another bullet grazed his chest/sternum. Before going to the hospital, he went to the police station to register a complaint. This incident happened around the release of Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. According to reports, the underworld threatened him with extortion and also demanded a share of the film’s overseas/international profits.

Shah Rukh Khan bravely handled gangster threats in the early years of his career. The actor refused to sign a film made by a producer close to gangster Abu Salem. He confidently told him, “I don’t tell you who to shoot, so don’t tell me which film to do.” Chhota Shakeel was offended by the line ‘Paun jannat tale’ from Dil Se’s Chaiyya Chaiyya’. Eventually, his politeness worked in his favour.

Vivek Oberoi and his father Suresh Oberoi received threats in 2011. They filed a written police complaint with the Mumbai Police Commissioner and Juhu Police Station after receiving extortion calls demanding Rs 5 crore from a caller claiming to be associated with Ravi Pujari.

The Mumbai Police is currently investigating the Tiger Shroff Firing Incident that took place on October 18 in Juhu.