Over the years, many stories have done the rounds about Bollywood’s connection with the Mumbai underworld. The 90s era in particular was believed to be deeply influenced by gangsters. But what’s true and what’s not? In a fan interaction, Suniel Shetty cleared the air, especially about the long-standing rumour that Aamir Khan always carried a gun for protection.‘We are absolutely safe out here’During an old chat with fans on Rediff, a user asked Suniel a rather bold question: “Tell me, do Bollywood stars live under constant threat from the underworld? I have heard that Aamir Khan always carries a pistol. What about you?”Suniel quickly shut down the claim, replying, “It’s all nonsense — what you hear and read is not always true. We are absolutely safe out here.”His firm denial suggested that such rumours are mostly overblown, and that stars like Aamir Khan don’t really live in fear or walk around with weapons as many people think.When Suniel Shetty faced real threatsThough he denied the idea that actors carry guns or live in fear, Suniel a few days ago shared a shocking story during a conversation with Lallantop. He opened up about the time when underworld threats were real and personal.In the 90s, the Shetty name was known for being bold and united. Suniel said gangsters tried to target him because of his surname, thinking they could scare other families with the same name into paying protection money.He shared, “Maybe they thought that if they scare him, then other Shettys will also start paying hafta out of fear. Toh ek din Hemant Pujari ne mujhe phone karke bola ki tere pitaji jab subah 5-5.30 baje walk ke liye jaate hain, tab main unhe goli maar doonga.” (So one day, Hemant Pujari called me and said, ‘When your father goes for a walk around 5 to 5:30 in the morning, I will shoot him.)Instead of showing fear, Suniel gave it back to the caller in full force. He said he didn’t even let the gangster speak properly. “I couldn’t hold myself back. I also abused him. I didn’t even let him speak.”And then came the most powerful part. Suniel told the caller that he knew where his family lived and that he had more money and stronger contacts than the gangster could imagine.He said, “Maine bataya usko ki uski behnein kahaan rehti hain, uske chaar bhai kahaan hain, uska saala kahaan hai. Maine bola mere paas tujhse zyada paise bhi hain aur connections bhi. Aur ek 70–80 saal ke aadmi ko goli maar ke kya kar loge? Yeh karke kehna kya chahte ho? Aur maine gaaliyan de di. Yeh call record ho gaya tha. Mere paas security thi.” (I told him where his sisters live, where his four brothers are, and where his brother-in-law is. I said, ‘I have more money and connections than you. And what will you achieve by shooting a 70–80-year-old man? What are you trying to prove by doing that?)
