- Sanjay Gupta recalled how Shah Rukh Khan allegedly refused to work under underworld pressure despite being threatened.
- Shah Rukh had earlier spoken about receiving death threats and having heavy security for three years.
- Shah Rukh will be next seen in Kin
Shah Rukh Khan did not want to play by the underworld's rules, even when refusing came with a threat to his own safety. Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has now recalled how the actor responded when he was allegedly pressured to work on a film or show backed by people linked to Mumbai's underworld.
Speaking on the Hussain Zaidi Files podcast, Sanjay said Shah Rukh made it clear that threats would not decide the projects he took up. According to the filmmaker, the actor's response was simple: he would rather face the consequences than agree to work under pressure.
“The only guy in the film industry, Shah Rukh Khan, when he was threatened, he said, ‘I will never do the film or show, I am a Pathaan, just shoot me if you want'. I am not scared of you, but I will not work with you and not do shows for you. He actually earned their respect. They also must have felt that there's at least one person,” Sanjay said.
The account comes from a period when Bollywood was dealing with growing concerns over alleged underworld involvement in films. Producers, actors and other people from the industry were reportedly being approached over projects, money and other business matters.
For Shah Rukh, the issue was not just about saying no to one film. The actor had earlier spoken about the kind of pressure that could be placed on people in the industry.
In an old interview with comedian and actor Ruby Wax, Shah Rukh Khan discussed the threats he had faced. He explained how people could allegedly be pushed into accepting certain projects.
“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," he said.
Ruby Wax then asked him, “You're seriously saying someone calls you and says be in my film or I'll blow your head off?"
Shah Rukh nodded before replying, “Not as nicely as you're saying it."
When asked if he had personally received death threats, Shah Rukh said it had happened several times.
“Oh yes, on many occasions… I had a lot of security for three years," he said.
On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan will be next seen in King, directed by Siddharth Anand. Produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures, the film also stars Deepika Padukone, Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The movie will be released on December 24.