Shah Rukh Khan has seen the astronomical heights of stardom and received unparalleled love from the masses. However, it’s not always sugar and spice and everything is fine. Today, on SRK’s 5th birthday, we take you to the land of memory when you start receiving threatening calls from superstar gangsters Abu Salem and Chota Shakeel during the shooting of Dil To Pagal Hai in 1997. A certain image of a producer close to them. Shah Rukh Khan, being Shah Rukh Khan, handled it with all his myth and charm to spread the situation, but it cannot be said that he did not care where the threats would go.
Anupama Chopra’s The King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema, excerpt from a renowned film journalist and film critic, describes how SRK received its first call from Salem during the filming of Dil To Pagal Hai. . “Who is this?” Abu Salem threw out a volley of most Hindi vows. However, Shah Rukh realized in whom he was conversing and proceeded in pure English to create a clear boundary between himself and the world of Salem.
Apparently, the terrorist leader Shah Rukh Khan wanted to work on a film produced by someone of the Muslim community and questioned why he did not support his community. He retained that position. Later, after consulting with the Mumbai police, he advised the police to be polite if they receive more calls and do not exchange any information or ask any questions. When he received a call back to Abu Salem, Shah Rukh politely said, “I don’t tell you who to shoot, so don’t tell me what movie to do.”
Later, Salem said that he likes him as an actor and that his mother and sister are also fans of him and he will not harm his life. However, the police kept on protecting them as they did not take any chances. Shah Rukh Khan described the particular episode of his life as “depressing and horrifying”.
