There has long been curiosity and conjecture surrounding the murky relationship between Bollywood and the Mumbai underworld. Many have asserted over the years that the underworld has had a major impact on the Hindi film industry, allegedly extorting protection money from well-known celebrities, influencing casting choices, and funding films with unreported funds.
According to News18, in an old interactive chat with fans on Rediff, actor Suniel Shetty addressed these claims when asked if Bollywood stars lived in constant fear due to underworld threats. A curious fan posed the question, “Tell me, do Bollywood stars live under constant threat from the underworld? I have heard that Aamir Khan always carries a pistol. What about you?” Suniel Shetty dismissed the rumours, stating:
“It’s all nonsense — what you hear and read is not always true. We are absolutely safe out here.”
While Suniel Shetty downplayed any present threat, earlier icons of Indian cinema have offered a different perspective. In a 1998 chat on the same platform, veteran actor Dev Anand was asked about the possible underworld links in Bollywood during his time.
When questioned, “Mr Dev Anand, lately everybody talks about the connections between the film industry and the underworld. How was it back in the old days in this matter?”
The legendary actor responded:
“I have really never bothered, because sometimes when there is finance coming from a certain source, it could be an underworld source. It’s always very difficult to find out as an outsider.”
His remarks seemed to acknowledge that such connections did exist, at least indirectly, during the earlier decades of the industry.
South Indian superstar Kamal Haasan also weighed in on the issue during an interview with India Today in 2017. Reflecting on why he didn’t do many Bollywood films, the actor said:
“The times… those times were like that. I was a poorer cousin of Hindi cinema. I had to do my own laundry and stuff like that...”
He continued, “The other reason was that there were too many underworld connections. I didn’t want to stay there to either oppose it or succumb to the threat. I was one of the actors to decide that I would not have anything to do with black money.”
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While some like Shetty dismissed the fears, others like Dev Anand and Kamal Haasan offered a more candid glimpse into the complicated and murky past of Bollywood’s financial and moral landscape.
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