PremiumSanjay Gupta recalls how Jawan reflects Shah Rukh Khan's unwavering spirit during underworld threats in the 90s
Sanjay Gupta praised Shah Rukh Khan for always being a fearless actor.
Last Updated: 01.28 PM, Sep 09, 2023
After the release of Jawan, people are recalling how fearless Shah Rukh Khan has been over the years in his three-decade-long career. The superstar is riding high on the success of Jawan, and the Atlee-directed film has shown him as a brave actor who questions the system and the corruption happening around us. Now, filmmaker Sanjay Gupta took to his X page and posted about how SRK defied threats by the underworld back in the 90s.
Sanjay Gupta on Shah Rukh Khan:
In his post, the filmmaker claimed that SRK was the only star who didn't bow down to the demands of the underworld. Sanjay's post read, "I saw Jawan. I feel compelled to share this. Back in the 1990s, when the underworld bullying of film stars was at its peak, @iamsrk was the only star who never gave in. 'Goli marni hai mar do, par tumhaare liye kaam nahin karoonga. Main Pathan hoon,' he said. He’s the same today. (sic)"
Take a look below:
When Shah Rukh Khan faced underworld threats:
In her book, King of Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and the Seductive World of Indian Cinema, Anupama Chopra wrote that SRK was among the biggest stars who were getting threatening calls from the underworld. Rakesh Maria, who was a senior police officer back in the 90s, had called filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and raised the concern that Abu Salem was "going to kill Shah Rukh Khan." The superstar was targeted for refusing a film produced by the gangster's friend. Security tightened around SRK, as it was not just his safety but that of his wife Gauri Khan and son Aryan Khan too.
The Jawan star had also revealed that he was always under watch, and it felt like living under a telescope for him. Those conversations with Salem were quite scary for Shah Rukh back in the day.