Wanted to get 'hafta': When Shetty revealed gangster threatened him
What's the story
The supposed connection between Bollywood and the Mumbai underworld has been a topic of discussion for decades.
During an old chat with Rediff, actor Suniel Shetty was asked if actors lived in constant fear of the underworld. He was also asked if superstar Aamir Khan carried a pistol with him out of fear.
To this, Shetty replied, "It's all nonsense—what you hear and read is not always true."
Personal encounter
'Maybe they thought that if they scare him...'
Despite denying any link between Bollywood and the Mumbai mafia, Shetty revealed a personal experience from the '90s when his family faced threats from gangsters trying to extort money.
He recalled how he confronted a caller who threatened his father.
"Maybe they thought that if they scare him, then other Shettys will also start paying hafta out of fear."
Fearless retort
'I told him where his sisters live...'
Shetty didn't back down from the threat and gave a fitting reply.
He said he didn't let the gangster speak his part, "I also abused him. I didn't even let him speak."
He added, "I told him where his sisters live, where his four brothers are, and where his brother-in-law is."
"I said, 'I have more money and connections than you. And what will you achieve by shooting a 70-80-year-old man? What are you trying to prove by doing that?'"
Historical perspective
Dev Anand, Kamal Haasan spoke about underworld's influence in Bollywood
While Shetty denied the underworld's influence in Bollywood, veteran actors like Kamal Haasan and Dev Anand have spoken about it.
In an interview in 1998, Anand confirmed that some Bollywood films were funded by the underworld.
Haasan, in a 2017 interview with India Today, cited "too many underworld connections" to be one of the reasons why he didn't star in too many Bollywood films despite his fame in South Indian cinema.