Ram Gopal Varma Exposes 1990s Bollywood Gangster Control and Fear Tactics
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has delved into one of Bollywood's most perilous eras: the 1990s, when the Hindi film industry was heavily influenced by Mumbai's organized crime syndicates. This period was marked by extortion threats, overseas funding, and casting pressures orchestrated by gangs led by figures such as Dawood Ibrahim. Varma provided insights into why prominent personalities like Rakesh Roshan and Gulshan Kumar became targets of violent attacks.
Ram Gopal Varma on How Gangsters Used Fear Instead of Chaos
During a discussion with crime author Hussain Zaidi on his YouTube channel, Varma clarified that gangsters did not engage in random violence but employed calculated fear strategies. "When the underworld wants to show its power, how does it do that? By targeting big names—Rakesh Roshan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan," he stated, noting that these criminals often perceived themselves as heroic, larger-than-life characters.
Ram Gopal Varma Explains Control, Not Just Cash
Varma emphasized that the motive extended beyond financial gain to asserting dominance. "To become a 'hero', they need to overpower someone bigger. These are big stars, you can't just get Hrithik Roshan's dates. So they create fear. The idea is: if the star refuses, what will happen to him?" He highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the perpetrators, whether Chhota Shakeel, Dawood Ibrahim's gang, or others. "Many people were not giving in to gangsters' demands, so they had to set an example—'Look what happened to him, it can happen to you too.' There's a saying in the underworld: 'Kill one, extort money from ten.'"
Ram Gopal Varma Links the Terror to Rakesh Roshan's Shooting
He directly connected this climate of fear to the shooting of Rakesh Roshan in January 2000, shortly after the success of Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai. "They wanted Hrithik Roshan's dates. The plan was to make a film together, there would be a front name, but Chhota Shakeel would control things from behind. Rakesh Roshan resisted that, and that's why shots were fired," Varma asserted.
The January 2000 Attack on Rakesh Roshan
On January 21, 2000, gunmen attacked Rakesh Roshan outside his office, widely believed to be underworld retaliation. He survived the incident. Reflecting on the gangsters' demands for Hrithik's filming schedule, Rakesh shared in a 2025 Bollywood Hungama interview: "I never gave any indication that Hrithik could do a film for them. I kept putting them off saying Hrithik had no dates, which in any case, was the truth. They then asked me to take dates away from other producers and give it to them. This again, I refused to do." He described that era as "full of fear."
Ram Gopal Varma on the Motives Behind Gulshan Kumar's Killing
Regarding Gulshan Kumar's murder in August 1997, Varma pointed to a convergence of factors. "At one point, Gulshan Kumar was extremely successful, people were jealous. He was introducing new talent and making money," he explained, noting how blame often fell on him unjustly. "If anything went wrong, the first reaction was 'Gulshan Kumar must have done something.' That was the mindset. Some people would meet Abu Salem and, out of jealousy, say things about Gulshan Kumar. Influenced by that, he might have thought that killing him would make him a 'hero'. I'm not justifying it, but that was one reason." He also cited unpaid extortion threats and Kumar's defiance. "He was not someone who would get scared. A man of his stature wouldn't be intimidated by a phone call." Varma stressed Abu Salem's ambition to break from D-Company and establish his own reputation. "He saw this as his 'film', his big move. After Gulshan Kumar was killed, Abu Salem became more famous than even Dawood Ibrahim for a while."
Ram Gopal Varma's Memory of the Gulshan Kumar Murder Day
Varma recalled the day of the murder, August 12, 1997, stating, "I was at Jhamu Sugandh's house when he got the call. He was shaken and immediately left for Gulshan Kumar's home." The filmmaker, renowned for depicting Mumbai's underworld in films like Satya, Company, and D, has consistently drawn inspiration from these real-life events.
Ram Gopal Varma on Bollywood's Deep Ties to the Mumbai Underworld
In the 1990s, Bollywood was entangled with Mumbai gangsters across multiple fronts—from extortion calls to alleged control over casting and financial flows. A pervasive sense of silent fear enveloped the industry. D. Sivanandhan, Mumbai's Joint CP (Crime) from 1998-2001, noted in his 2025 book that movies such as Satya, Company, Daddy, Shootout at Wadala, and Shootout at Lokhandwala aimed to "lift the image of the gangsters and were all funded and financed by them only." Photographs from that decade captured Hindi film stars alongside mafia leaders in the Middle East.
D. Sivanandhan on Star Summonses to Dubai
In his ANI interview, D. Sivanandhan revealed that top stars were compelled to travel to Dubai with little choice to decline. "Dawood Ibrahim could summon cinema actresses to Dubai and give them rewards and send them back." He further described how actors performed at shows demanded by mafia bosses, underscoring the extent of their influence during that turbulent period.
