Web Desk ;Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has offered a detailed account of Bollywood’s turbulent period between 1995 and 2002, recalling how superstar Shah Rukh Khan stood up to Mumbai organized crime networks during a peak era of extortion and forced film castings.
Speaking on the Hussain Zaidi Files YouTube channel, Gupta highlighted the severe atmosphere of intimidation that gripped the Hindi film industry during the late 1990s. The era was marked by high-profile underworld attacks, including the non-fatal shooting of director Rakesh Roshan in 2000, the murder of actor Manisha Koirala’s secretary Ajit Dewani in 2001, and the 1997 assassination of T-Series founder Gulshan Kumar. Gangsters frequently forced top actors into mob-financed projects and extorted filmmakers.
Amid these widespread threats, Gupta revealed that Shah Rukh Khan refused to comply with demands from underworld figures, allegedly declaring: “Pathaan hoon, goli maarni hai maar do” (“I am a Pathaan, shoot me if you want”).
Gupta noted that Khan’s firm refusal earned him a measure of respect from the extortionists, as he refused to sign onto their films or stage shows despite the surrounding danger. While police and court records from the era confirm that Khan and several other top stars were targeted by mobsters—including Abu Salem’s syndicate—Khan himself has never publicly addressed this specific exchange.
Gupta previously referenced this interaction on social media in 2023, but the new interview expands on the structural pressure faced by artists at the time. The account is supported by broader industry recollections from the era, including director Farah Khan’s past comments confirming that severe security threats targeted major Bollywood figures and filmmakers during the late 1990s.
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