Bollywood has portrayed the world of the underworld on the silver screen in a highly dramatic and thrilling manner. Many films from the 1990s feature stories revolving around the underworld and the individuals associated with it. During that decade, the underworld held a firm grip on the ‘City of Dreams’ (Mumbai)—not just in cinema, but in real life as well. This saga—often described by the sentiment “it may be a dirty business, but it is a business nonetheless”—began with gangsters like Haji Mastan, and later saw the emergence of figures such as Dawood Ibrahim. Meanwhile, an incident that took place on Sunday, October 18th, has once again brought back memories of that terrifying era from the 90s. On Sunday, shots were fired at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in the Juhu area of Mumbai. This incident brings to mind past episodes in Bollywood when film stars were targeted with gunfire and subjected to threats. Particularly during the 1990s and the early 2000s, underworld gangs sought to extend their influence within the Bollywood film industry.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the connection between the Mumbai underworld and the Hindi film industry dates back to the 1960s. During that period, gangsters like Haji Mastan used to associate with prominent figures in the film industry and even invested money in films. However, during the 1980s and 1990s, this relationship gradually shifted toward coercion and threats. It is alleged that criminal gangs, in exchange for investing money in films, sought to impose their own terms. Their interference even extended to the point where they would occasionally dictate the selection of the lead actor.
Several alarming incidents involving the film industry came to light during the 1990s. In June 1994, film producer Javed Rizvi Siddiqui was murdered. In July 1994, film producer Firoz Saraf Khan was subjected to an attack. On March 7, 1997, Mukesh Duggal, the director of the film ‘Gopi Kishan’, was shot dead at his office in Andheri, Mumbai. On July 31, 1997, producer Rajiv Rai was attacked, but he managed to survive. A few days later, on August 12, 1997, Gulshan Kumar—the founder of T-Series and a singer—was shot dead outside a temple in Mumbai. This incident became the most widely discussed example of the growing influence of the underworld in Bollywood.
On January 21, 2000, actor and director Rakesh Roshan was shot outside his office in Santacruz, Mumbai. Although he was critically injured in the attack, he survived. In a media interview, he revealed that the underworld wanted his son, Hrithik Roshan, to work in a film financed by their associates. However, Rakesh Roshan rejected his demand. This is why such an incident occurred. Timeline of attacks on individuals associated with Bollywood
1994 – Javed Rizvi Siddiqui (Film Producer): Murdered
1997 – Mukesh Duggal (Film Producer): Murdered
1997 – Rajiv Rai (Film Director): Survived an attack
1997 – Gulshan Kumar (Music Director): Murdered
1999 – Manmohan Shetty (Film Producer): Survived an attack
2000 – Rakesh Roshan (Actor and Film Producer): Injured in a shooting
2001 – Dinesh Anand (Film Producer): Murdered
2002 – Lawrence D’Souza (Film Producer and Director): Survived an attack
2024 – Salman Khan (Actor): Survived an attack
2025 – Disha Patani (Actress): Safe from attack
2026 – Rohit Shetty (Film Director): Safe from attack
