The relationship between Bollywood and the underworld in the 1980s and 1990s remains one of the industry’s most contentious chapters. Former Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) D Sivanandhan revisited that troubled era, recalling how several leading actors and musicians were compelled to perform at private events organised by Dawood Ibrahim and his associates.
Speaking to ANI, Sivanandhan explained that while the glamour of Mumbai’s film world was flourishing, a darker reality operated beneath the surface.
Gangsters not only financed films but also dictated who performed, what roles were taken, and even which films were made.
“Films like Satya, Company, Daddy, Shootout at Wadala, Shootout at Lokhandwala were made to lift the image of the gangsters,” he said, referring to how the cinematic portrayal of Mumbai’s crime world often mirrored real underworld figures.
According to him, underworld financiers held tremendous sway over producers and stars. “Dawood Ibrahim could summon all the cinema actresses to Dubai and give them rewards and send them back,” Sivanandhan stated. He recalled witnessing “one of the top most actors along with 83 other musicians and actors, who went to Dubai to do an entertainment show for the daughter of Dawood Ibrahim. I saw them going on a special flight and coming back.”
During that time, refusal was not an option. “They (the actors) had no choice (of saying no) and we had no means of protecting them,” he admitted. The risk of retaliation from the underworld was real and widely understood across the film fraternity.
Sivanandhan also recounted actor Govinda’s admission regarding performing under coercion. “Actor Govinda admitted, ‘Hum kya karein? Jaake naach ke aayein hai’ (What can we do? We had to go and dance). We didn’t take any action,” he said, acknowledging the systemic helplessness of the police and the industry.
Producers were frequently caught in the same web. With the industry lacking formal recognition during that period, raising legitimate financing was difficult. Sivanandhan noted that producers often turned to gangster loans offered at extremely high interest rates of 60–80 percent. “If they didn’t give that, hell would break loose on the fellow who is a defaulter,” he said.
He pointed out that gradual police interventions and major encounters eventually shifted the balance of power, reducing direct underworld influence in Bollywood. “That status changed because of the operations we did,” he shared.
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