Actor Shah Rukh Khan recently received Y+ security from the Maharashtra government due to death threats. The renowned actor has often been seen with heavy police protection during various events. However, this isn’t the first time he has faced such threats. In an old interview, the actor discussed the threats he received and the demands made.
In an interview with comedian-actor Ruby Wax, a clip of which recently resurfaced on social media, Shah Rukh spoke about the threats directed at him in the 1990s. He said, ‘They would set up a system, and they would say you do it. I may not have succumbed to it, but then they shoot you. So, sometimes it’s nice to do a film.’ Wax asked incredulously, ‘You’re seriously saying someone calls you and says, ‘Be in my film or I’ll blow your head off?’ Shah Rukh nodded and added, ‘Not as nicely as you’re saying it.’ He also mentioned that the film industry is an easy target and quite lucrative. When asked if he had ever had his life threatened, Shah Rukh replied, ‘Oh yes, on many occasions… I had a lot of security for three years.’
In addition to this, Anupama Chopra also mentioned in her book ‘King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema’ how he received frequent threatening calls from gangster Abu Salem, who was upset that Shah Rukh wasn’t complying with their demands. Shah Rukh recalled, ‘He would tell me that he could see me. It was like living under a telescope. It was very depressing and very scary.’ As advised by Mumbai police chief Rakesh Maria, Shah Rukh was told to be cautious in his interactions with the underworld, and he admitted that he was terrified. He said, ‘I’m not macho enough to say that I wasn’t scared of any of these guys. I was very scared.’
Shah Rukh also mentioned the impact on his personal life, saying, ‘I got very disturbed. Our house was small, my son was young, and their socks used to smell. It was just claustrophobic.’ However, when Shah Rukh started receiving advice from the gangster about which films to do, he found the courage to respond, ‘I don’t tell you who to shoot, so don’t tell me which film to do.’
Also Read: Pulkit Samrat Reveals Police Pulled Him Over Multiple Times On Drunk Driving Suspicion