The charge-sheet against the Bollywood badshahs, rajas and vizirs involved in anti-social activities runs long: driving under the influence, manslaughter, sexual assault, possession of drugs, consuming alcohol in a public place, procurement of sophisticated firearms, poaching protected wild life, having gangsters as buddies et al.

Yes, sadly many Bollywood actors have been directly or indirectly involved in breaking the law. The latest to join this queue is Mahmood Farooqui, co-director of the 2010 satirical comedy Peepli Live produced by Aamir Khan.

Farooqui who is married to Anusha Rizvi, the director of the film, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody till July 6 on an alleged rape charge filed by a 35-year-old American national woman who is pursuing a Ph.D. from Columbia University. She was in India for some research work at the time this incident took place on March 28, 2015.  

Mahmood Farooqui
Mahmood Farooqui

Their onscreen avatars may elevate them to the ranks of demigods who can do no wrong but their run-ins with the law prove otherwise


These are however aberrations in an industry which mostly chooses to play the game of caution and propriety. By and large most of them are law-abiding individuals who willingly pitch in with pecuniary contributions during social causes, national calamities and so on. But then some go overboard perhaps due to an inability to distinguish between reel and real life — for them, appearing on the big screen is enough to make them pompous and inflate their ego, make them vain and indifferent to suffering and give them a exaggerated idea of their own importance.

It’s not just a case of Bollywood super star Salman Khan falling foul of the legal system. Far from it! From top stars to one-film wonders, there are many who have violated the law. To list a few from the rich and famous, we have Sanjay Dutt, Saif Ali Khan, Shahrukh Khan and Govinda.

In 2008, a case was registered against superstar Govinda for slapping a visitor on the sets of the film Money Hai to Honey Hai. Ironically, and keeping in tune with the title of the film, he was granted a bail on a cash bond of Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 as personal bond.

Govinda
Govinda

From the mid-range to small-time stars we have names like Shiney Ahuja, Rajpal Yadav, Fardeen Khan, Vindhu Dara Singh, Armaan Kohli, Sooraj Pancholi, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ankit Tiwari, Inder Kumar, Tabu, Karishma Kapoor, Sonali Bandre, Neelam Kothari, Monica Bedi etc.


By and large most of them are law-abiding individuals who willingly pitch in with pecuniary contributions during social causes, national calamities and so on. But then some go overboard perhaps due to an inability to distinguish between reel and real life — for them, appearing on the big screen is enough to inflate their ego, make them vain and indifferent to suffering and give them a exaggerated idea of their own importance.


Reams have recently been written and telecasted about Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt’s unlawful activities; Sallu Mian for the hunting of the endangered black buck in 2006 and of course the 2002 DUI violation leading to a death and four injuries for which he received a five-year prison term in May which is now suspended till the July hearing; and Dutt for the illegal possession of drugs way back in1982, and sophisticated firearms and explosives in1993.

The star of Munna Bhai MBBS claimed that they were for the protection of himself and his family after bomb blasts in Mumbai. Dutt served a five-month jail term for drug charges and is presently serving a jail term for the possession of firearms.

Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt

The only son of Hindi screen legends Nargis and Sunil Dutt, with the latter also a member of parliament, Sanjay Dutt’s case has been the biggest scandal of its kind to rock Bollywood so far. This proves that it’s just a matter of time before one is caught for breaking the rules.

It also happened in the case of the son of veteran actor Feroz Khan, actor Fardeen Khan, who was arrested for possession of cocaine by the Narcotics Control Bureau in 2001, but was later acquitted.

Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan too has courted controversy in a bid to protect family and friends.

At the 2012 IPL cricket match in Mumbai, he allegedly arrived drunk at the venue and got into a ruckus with a cop after the latter asked his children to step aside. The tiff became such a big issue and attracted so much media glare that SRK has been banned from entering the precincts of Wankhede Stadium for five years. Interestingly, Wankhede is an important venue for cricket matches and Shahrukh happens to be the owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders!

Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan

Son of the late Nawab of Pataudi and Sharmila Tagore, Saif Ali Khan has been accused of ‘un’Nawab-like acts.  Still an ‘accused’ in a case of poaching a black buck along with Salman Khan, Tabu, Karishma, Bendre and Neelam, Saif got embroiled in a police case after he allegedly assaulted a Non-Resident Indian businessman and his father-in-law in a Mumbai hotel in 2012. The NRI is stated to have complained about their raucous chatter which led to an altercation, and the NRI getting a broken nose. The case is still pending in court.

That sinking feeling

Bollywood can never cast off the image of being an industry where attractive young women are lured in by the casting couch. Unfortunately, even in modern times, there are those in the film industry who still believe that aspiring starlets are an easy prey.

There have been several instances of starry-eyed young women falling victim to such predators who have never been taken to task or produced in a court for their acts of transgression against the opposite gender.

Director Madhur Bhandarkar, made famous by films like Chandni Bar, Traffic Signal, Fashion, Page 3 etc. was accused of rape by struggling actress Preeti Jain in 2006.  The filmmaker was arrested but later released on bail due to lack of evidence.

But heartthrob actor Shiney Ahuja, the winner of Filmfare best male debut award for the 2003 film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi had to face jail time. Accused by his housemaid of rape in June 2009 while his wife was away on vacation, he maintained that he had consensual sex with her though he later confessed to the crime. Although the maid retracted her statement, in March 2011 the trial court still convicted Ahuja based on circumstantial evidence and sentenced him to seven years rigorous imprisonment. Presently out on bail, Shiney who has done films like Gangster, Woh Lamhe, Life in a Metro, Bhool Bhulaiiya, Hijack etc. has become a pariah in Bollywood.

Shiney Ahuja
Shiney Ahuja

Even before the release of his first film, Sooraj Pancholi, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, has been fighting the accusation of abetting the fatal suicide in 2013 of model-turned actor Jiah Khan, also his friend. Though taken into custody, he is now out and busy shooting for his debut film.

Aditya with son Sooraj Pancholi
Aditya with son Sooraj Pancholi

Through it all, one realises that it’s about time the Bollywood wallas fully understand that however rich or famous, crime does not pay, at least not when it comes to real life.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, June 28th, 2015

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