‘Bloody’ era of Bollywood and underworld: Ram Gopal Varma revealed the scary secrets of the 90s, why were Rakesh Roshan and Gulshan Kumar on target?

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) is known for his outspoken statements and films based on the underworld. Recently, in a conversation with crime writer Hussain Zaidi, he recalled the era of the 1990s, when the shadow of gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel loomed over the Mumbai film industry. RGV revealed that the motive of the underworld was not just to make money but also to establish its ‘control’ by scaring the big stars of Bollywood. ‘Kill one, extort money from ten’: The dreadful formula of the underworld. According to RGV, the actions of gangsters were not random. They deliberately chose influential names like Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Rakesh Roshan. He told that there was a famous saying in the underworld – “Kill one, extort money from ten.” His argument was that whenever he targeted a big star or filmmaker, fear spread throughout the industry. He used this fear to extort money from other people and exert his will in casting. Attack on Rakesh Roshan: Was Hrithik Roshan’s ‘dates’ the reason? Referring to the fatal attack on Rakesh Roshan in January 2000, RGV made a shocking claim. He told that this attack happened just after the blockbuster success of the film ‘Kaho Na… Pyaar Hai’. Reason: Chhota Shakeel allegedly wanted Hrithik Roshan’s dates for a film project. Result of the protest: When Rakesh Roshan flatly refused to give his son’s dates, on January 21, 2000, bullets were fired at him outside his office. Rakesh Roshan narrowly escaped the attack, but this incident shook the entire industry. Gulshan Kumar’s murder: Abu Salem and the battle of credibility. The public murder of music mogul Gulshan Kumar in 1997 had written the darkest chapter of Bollywood. RGV gave several reasons behind this: Protest: Gulshan Kumar was not a person to bow before the demands of extortion and he had protested. Show of strength: Gangsters like Abu Salem wanted to build their credibility within the underworld. Targeting a successful and influential person like Gulshan Kumar was a way for him to show his power. Shocking news: RGV recalled that when Gulshan Kumar was murdered, he was at producer Jhamu Sugandh’s house and everyone present there was deeply shocked by this news. From funding to casting: Underworld interference. RGV made it clear that at that time the underworld was not limited to just threats. The crime syndicate had a huge involvement in the funding of films, distribution abroad and even the casting of heroes and heroines. Former Mumbai Joint CP (Crime) D. Shivanandan has also confirmed that many films based on the lives of gangsters were funded by the underworld during that period.