Stories
Bollywood and the Underworld: A Long History of Violence, Extortion and Threats
- •Recent firing incidents targeting Bollywood figures in Mumbai highlight a decades-long history of violence and extortion by organized crime networks.
- •The relationship between the Mumbai underworld and the film industry shifted from alternative financing in the 1960s to coercive demands and high-profile attacks by the late 1980s and 1990s.
- •Prominent industry figures such as music mogul Gulshan Kumar and producer Mukesh Duggal were killed, while filmmakers like Rakesh Roshan and Rajiv Rai survived targeted shooting attempts.
- •Recent years have seen a resurgence of intimidation, including the 2024 shooting outside actor Salman Khan's residence and recent attacks linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
Key Questions Answered
Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan was shot outside his office in Santacruz West on January 21, 2000. According to Roshan, the underworld wanted his son Hrithik Roshan to star in a film financed by their associates, and the attack occurred after he refused to change his son's shooting schedule to accommodate their demands.
Gulshan Kumar, the founder of the T-Series music label, was shot dead outside a temple in Andheri on August 12, 1997. His assassination became one of the most high-profile cases illustrating the deep reach of the underworld into Bollywood and the music industry during that era.
On April 14, 2024, two motorcycle-borne assailants fired multiple rounds outside actor Salman Khan's Galaxy Apartments residence in Bandra, Mumbai. Although Khan was uninjured, Mumbai Police alleged the attack was orchestrated by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, leading to a chargesheet under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
