Extortion is passe, Lawrence Bishnoi gangsters target Bollywood to show who's boss

In the early 1990s, gangsters wielded considerable influence over the film industry, using threats, extortion and targeted killings to pressure producers, actors, financiers and distributors.

MUMBAI: In the past, the underworld targeted Bollywood stars largely for extortion. The alleged strategy now appears to be broader: high-profile shootings and threats aimed at projecting the Lawrence Bishnoi gang's reach, spreading fear and establishing its supremacy - with Bollywood celebrities, politicians and other influential people among those targeted.In the early 1990s, gangsters wielded considerable influence over the film industry, using threats, extortion and targeted killings to pressure producers, actors, financiers and distributors.Among those targeted were producers Mukesh Duggal and Javed Siddiqui, filmmaker Rajiv Rai, director Rakesh Roshan, Manmohan Shetty and music producer Gulshan Kumar. Rival networks associated with Abu Salem, Chhota Shakeel and Chhota Rajan competed for influence.Also, the city's underworld once had its own roster of gunmen. Men such as Maya Dolas and Firoz Konkani grew out of the city's criminal networks, their names becoming synonymous with gang rivalries and targeted killings. Today, investigations into a string of high-profile shootings in the city are leading police to young men from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, allegedly recruited to carry out individual hits.

Former police commissioner M N Singh said underworld activity appeared to be resurfacing after nearly 22 years. "The gangs that once operated in the city had been virtually finished,," he said. Singh said film personalities had historically been easy targets for gangsters seeking to establish their influence.A crackdown on underworld financing helped change the equation. D Sivanandan, former joint commissioner of police (crime), invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against underworld funding of Bollywood during the production of the 2001 film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke.

The government subsequently granted the film industry official industry status, enabling it to access formal bank financing.The current pattern appears different, with shootings and threats involving celebrities alongside violence against political figures.The firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff has brought the trend into focus. Investigators are examining possible links with the firing outside actor Salman Khan's residence, the murder of NCP politician Baba Siddiqui, the shooting outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty's residence and reported threats to actors Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan.Salman was reportedly targeted over the killing of blackbucks near Jodhpur in 1998. The motive in the other incidents remain less clear.

Investigators suspect relatively inexperienced shooters may be recruited for the attacks, while social media posts claiming responsibility help amplify their impact.