There was a time in Mumbai when people associated with the Bollywood industry used to get threatening calls from the underworld. Actors and filmmakers were said to be extorted in the name of protection money. Something similar happened with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. In which he had received threatening calls from Abu Salem and Chhota Shakeel.
Film critic Anupama Chopra, referring to an incident in her book The King of Bollywood, has written that once Shah Rukh Khan was called by Abu Salem. In which Abu Salem pressured Shahrukh to sign a film with his favorite filmmaker. Then Shahrukh Khan had clearly told Abu Salem that if I do not tell you who to shoot, then you also do not tell me which film to do.
Anupama told in the book that this is from 1997, when Shah Rukh Khan was shooting for Yash Chopra’s film ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’. Shahrukh told Anupama that at first I thought that there would be a call from a filmmaker or director, but when he spoke, that experience was quite intimidating. However, during the conversation, Shahrukh gave a straight answer.
According to Shah Rukh Khan, after talking to Abu Salem, he had shared the whole thing with Rakesh Maria, who was the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) of Mumbai at that time. After this, Rakesh Maria told him how to deal with such phone calls, although Shahrukh was later given security by the Mumbai Police. At that time Rakesh Maria told Shahrukh not to share this thing with other actors.
It has been told in the book that Abu Salem never asked for money from Shahrukh but always used to pressurize him to work in films in which Abu Salem’s money was invested. Apart from Abu Salem, Shahrukh once got a call from Chhota Shakeel of D Company. However, shortly after Chhota Shakeel’s phone call, Shah Rukh stopped receiving threatening calls.