Ram Gopal Varma recently spoke about a difficult phase in Hindi cinema during the 1990s, when the Mumbai underworld had a strong influence on the film industry. In a conversation with crime writer Hussain Zaidi, he explained how threats, pressure, and illegal funding affected filmmakers and actors during that time.
According to him, the actions of underworld figures like Dawood Ibrahim were planned and not random. He said they often targeted well known personalities to show their power. “When the underworld wants to show its power, it targets big names like Rakesh Roshan, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan,” he said. He added that many stars were seen as powerful public figures, which made them targets.
He explained that the goal was not only money but also control. By creating fear, they wanted to influence decisions in the film industry. Referring to actors like Hrithik Roshan, he said access to such stars was limited, so threats were used as pressure. “If someone refused, the idea was to create an example, ‘Look what happened to him; it can happen to you too,’” he said, adding the phrase often used, “Kill one, extort money from ten.”
He connected this situation to the attack on Rakesh Roshan in January 2000, soon after the success of Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai. He said gangsters allegedly wanted control over Hrithik Roshan’s film dates. When Rakesh Roshan refused, he was shot outside his office on January 21, 2000, but survived. Later, Rakesh Roshan also spoke about refusing such pressure during that period.
Talking about the 1997 killing of Gulshan Kumar, Varma said it may have involved jealousy, power struggles, and refusal to give in to demands. He suggested that figures like Abu Salem may have used such actions to build their reputation. He also recalled being at producer Jhamu Sugandh’s house when the news broke, which left everyone shocked.
Varma also explained that during the 1990s, the film industry was connected to the underworld in many ways, including funding and casting decisions. Former police officer D Sivanandhan has also noted similar links in the past.
He said that many of his films like Satya, Company, and D are inspired by real life events from that time.