Khan discloses pressure from underworld

[Guest guest]

Shahrukh Khan discloses pressure from underworld

KAAJAL WALLIA

 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

 

MUMBAI: "It is clear that today the entire film industry, especially

well- known actors, actresses, directors, music directors, producers,

etc, are under threat from the underworld." This significant

observation was made by judge A.B. Palkar of the Mumbai High Court

after perusing the 1,300-odd pages of the chargesheet prepared by the

Mumbai police against producer Nazim Rizvi and film financier Bharat

Shah.

 

The voluminous document reveals a grim picture of the underworld's

stranglehold over the

film industry. In fact, leading actor Shah Rukh Khan's detailed

statement to the police shows precisely how the gangsters, through

their moles in the industry, have been exerting pressure on film

personalities.

 

Interestingly, despite being continuously hounded by the mafia for

three years, the matinee idol told the police about the harassment

only when he was questioned in the Bharat Shah case.

 

According to Shah Rukh, he was approached by Nazim Rizvi in 1997-

98. "Rizvi was planning to direct a movie and wanted me to act in it.

Since I was not interested in doing movies with new producers and

directors, I gave some excuse," said Shah Rukh in his statement to

the police.

 

Six months later at Mehboob Studio, Rizvi "said Chhota Shakeel had

sent him to meet me and that the latter wanted to speak to me. He

then called a person and introduced him as Rahim, Shakeel's man.

Rahim dialled a number on his mobile and gave it to me to speak with

Shakeel. The man on the line identified himself as Shakeel and told

me that Rizvi and Rahim were his men. He further told me to work in

Rizvi's film. I was scared and told Shakeel that I would first listen

to the story and decide."

 

According to Shah Rukh, the duo met him in mid-1998 in Film

City. "They asked me if I had spoken with the director-duo Abbas-

Mastan. When I told them that I could not speak to them since they

were out of the country, Rahim started abusing me. `Agar aap ko

hamari picture nahin karni hai to sidha naa bol do. Hame c....a bana

rahe ho kya?'

 

"After about 20-25 days, while I was dubbing late in the night at

Empire Studio, Rizvi and Rahim came there with an agreement asking me

to give the dates for his project in June-July 1998. I refused. Rahim

got annoyed and gave me the agreement and asked me to tear it if I

was not going to sign. I then asked him as to why I should tear it as

it was not my paper."

 

He said he used to recieve threatening calls on his mobile from Abu

Salem asking him to work in his movie. Shakeel also called twice to

work with a girl called Nagma, he said.

 

(This is the first in a two-part series on the nexus between the

underworld and the Hindi film industry.)