Bollywood celebs who were threatened by the Underworld

01

Shah Rukh Khan: It seems success has its pitfalls or so Bollywood's badshah Shah Rukh Khan will know. The superstar has received threats from the Underworld several times and the dons have forced him to do particular films. The Mumbai police on Tuesday have confirmed that security for Shah Rukh Khan had been beefed up following threats from the underworld. It is said that on Saturday four rounds were fired outside producer Karim Morani's Juhu. Reports suggest a note was founs at the skte of the shooting that said, “'SRK will be the next target.” However, this is not the first time that SRK has been threatened by the Underworld. In an interview to The Times Of India in 2002, SRK said that he was approached by producer Nazim Rizvi and film financier Bharat Shah in 1998 to do their film. However, the actor refused them. Six months later Rizvi approached him again and said the dreaded don Chhota Shakeel had sent him to meet the actor and that the latter wanted to speak to me. Speaking to TOI, SRK said that that they dialed a number and he spoke to a man who identified himself as Shakeel and asked him to work in Rizvi’s film. SRK said, “I was scared and told Shakeel that I would first listen to the story and decide." SRK added that he used to receive threatening calls on his mobile from Abu Salem forcing him to work in his movie. Shakeel also called twice to work with a girl called Nagma. 

02

Ali Morani: In what seems like his worst nightmare, two gangsters allegedly opened fire inside Bollywood producer Ali Morani's home in Mumbai on Saturday night. A Mid-Dayreport says that the producer had received extortion calls from underworld don Ravi Pujari a week ago. However, he did not take them seriously. Quoting sources, the Mid-Dayreport adds that two shooters, allegedly from Ravi Pujari’s gang, entered Morani’s house in Juhu, Mumbai, and fired five rounds. Luckily no one was injured in the incident. It seems the intention was not to kill or hurt anyone but just warn Moorani. The crime branch is investigating the case. 

03

Filmmaker Rajiv Rai, who has made several blockbuster hits like Tridev,Mohra and Gupt, had left India after an attempt was made on his life by the underworld in 1997. He is married to actress Sonam and the couple have a son. A TOI report says that after staying in Switzerland for a while, the couple moved to America and Sonam was spotted in Los Angeles at private film screenings. However, it has been recently revealed that Rajiv and his family are right here in Mumbai and they have relocated back to their homeland for quiet some time.
However, this is not the first time that a high-profile celebrity has got threats by the Underworld. Several B-Town biggies like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Govinda and Karan Johar too have got threats from the dons. 

04

Preity Zinta and Ness Wadia's controversial case has already caught the media's attention, but it seems like the underworld is also getting involved in it. Three days after Nusli Wadia, father of Ness Wadia, filed a complaint that they allegedly received a call from the Underworld, fresh reports suggest that Wadias claim they got four more calls. Sources reveal that Wadias have lodged a fresh complaint with the police saying they had got four more calls from the same number. The calls have allegedly asked them not to harass actress Preity Zinta. Security has been provided to Wadias and two of their staff members. Quoting police commissioner Rakesh Maria, a TOI report says the number from which the threat was issued was from Iran and that the call was made using VOIP (voice over internet protocol, a technology that allows calls over the internet). 

05

Salman Khan: It seems even Bollywood’s dabangg superstar Salman Khan was not spared from threats by the Underworld. In 2002, the actor had informed the Mumbai police that he had received threats from the underworld and sought fresh arms licence from them. Though the actor did not disclose the identity of the caller, he requested the police to issue him a fresh licence for arms that were confiscated from him due to the court’s directive in the Blackbuck poaching case. In fact a TOI report in February 2014 says that Salman received extortion calls from fugitive don Ravi Pujari and the matter was reported to the Crime Branch. 

06

Akshay Kumar: Bollywood’s original 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar received death threats over the phone last year from a man, who claims to be fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari. Quoting a crime branch officer, a PTI report said that the caller threatened Akshay and talked about a domestic help, who was sacked by the actor a few days ago. The caller identified himself as gangster Ravi Pujari, and he told the actor that he made a huge mistake by sacking his domestic help. First he didn’t take these threats seriously. However, after getting the threat calls for almost two years he made a complaint at the Juhu police station and was provided with round-the-clock security cover. Though the police later suspected that it was not a call from the underworld. 

07

Govinda: Actor-cum-politician Govinda was receiving life-threatening calls from the underworld in 2006, his brother had alleged. The actor was receiving threats along with his family and the actor had informed the police and union Home Ministry about the same. Though he had not revealed if the actor was getting threats from underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, he said that even the high command of Congress party were informed about the same. The threats were taken seriously and the actor was provided with extra security.

08

Sonu Nigam: Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam, who has also acted in several Bollywood films, had alleged last year that he got threatened by the underworld to cancel his deal with an event management company and sign up with another, supposedly chosen by them. Quoting the singer, a PTI report had said that the singer complained to the police that he has been getting a number of threatening phone calls and text messages from Chhota Shakeel, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. He alleged that Shakeel was trying to force him to cancel a contract with an event management company and sign up with another firm chosen by the don. These are not the only celebrities who received threats from the underworld. Filmakers Karan Johar, Boney Kapoor and Farhan Aktar too have received threats from the dreaded Underworld.