Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has opened up in regards to the controversy surrounding Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, revisiting how the film became entangled in alleged underworld links during its production.
Ram Gopal Varma recalls underworld links behind Chori Chori Chupke Chupke
Speaking in an interview with Hussain Zaidi, Varma recalled how financier Bharat Shah first got involved within the project. “At some extent of time, he (Bharat Shah) got a man who told him he has Salman Khan’s dates,” he said. To confirm the claim, Shah reached out on to the actor. “Salman told him, ‘Yes, I’ve given him dates,’” Varma added, explaining that this assurance convinced Shah to back the film.
The situation modified later when Shah became aware of producer Nazim Rizvi’s alleged links. “After a while, he got to know the producer, Nazim Rizvi, has some reference to Chhota Shakeel. But he thought he’s doing a legal business, and if the producer has some underworld connection, how does that concern him? He’s himself not even a criminal, but just related to a criminal,” Varma said.
He also described the broader environment within the industry on the time, where extortion threats weren’t unusual. Varma shared that an unnamed businessman received a requirement of ₹5 crore and approached Shah for help, hoping his indirect connections could resolve the situation. The quantity was eventually negotiated right down to ₹2 crore.
As more individuals reached out for similar assistance, Shah continued to intervene without personal gain. “But he wasn’t getting any money. He was just helping out. However the cops were tapping his phone,” Varma said, adding that Shah was “trembling with shock and fear” because the situation escalated. He further recalled, “The cops suggested possibly Shakeel was acting for you. So, Bharat bhai said, ‘Why would he act for me? I’m only a filmmaker.’”
The matter eventually led to legal motion in 2001, when Bharat Shah and Nazim Rizvi were arrested by the Mumbai Police. Shah was later sentenced to at least one 12 months in prison for not disclosing Rizvi’s alleged links, but was released soon after as he had already spent greater than a 12 months in custody throughout the trial. Rizvi, together with Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh Khan, was found guilty of getting underworld connections and involvement in extortion cases linked to the film industry.
Also Read: Ram Gopal Varma says he became Dawood Ibrahim’s “soul mate”: “I’m earning my living due to him”
More Pages: Chori Chori Chupke Chupke Box Office Collection , Chori Chori Chupke Chupke Movie Review
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