The 2001 romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, directed by Abbas-Mustan and starring Salman Khan, Preity Zinta, and Rani Mukerji, is often remembered for introducing one of Bollywood’s earliest depictions of surrogacy, albeit in a rather flawed manner. However, beyond its storyline, the film remains infamous for its unexpected links to the Mumbai underworld, a connection its financier Bharat Shah initially had no knowledge of. Recalling the events, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who had co-produced Dil Se.. with Shah—shared how the project came together. He shared during a chat with Hussain Zaidi, “At a point of time, he (Bharat Shah) got a guy who told him he has Salman Khan’s dates. So, he said, ‘Okay, cool.’ But since that guy didn’t have a film background and wasn’t even rich, Bharat bhai called Salman,” Varma said. “Salman told him, ‘Yes, I’ve given him dates.’ That reassured Bharat bhai enough for him to give the money and the film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke started,” he added.Things took a turn when Shah later discovered that the film’s producer, Nazim Rizvi, allegedly had ties to underworld figure Chhota Shakeel. Varma explained Shah’s mindset at the time. He added, “After some time, he got to know the producer, Nazim Rizvi, has some connection with 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 associated with a criminal.”The situation escalated when an unnamed businessman from the film industry received an extortion call demanding Rs 5 crore. Desperate, he turned to Shah for help, hoping Rizvi’s connection to Shakeel could resolve the issue. When contact was made, the demand was negotiated down to Rs 2 crore.Soon, more industry figures began approaching Shah for similar assistance. Despite helping others, Shah wasn’t financially benefiting from these interventions. “But he wasn’t getting any money. He was just helping out. But the cops were tapping his phone,” Varma recalled, adding, “He was trembling with shock and fear. The cops suggested maybe Shakeel was acting for you. So, Bharat bhai said, ‘Why would he act for me? I’m just a filmmaker.‘”In 2001, both Shah and Rizvi were arrested by the Mumbai Police. Shah was convicted for failing to disclose Rizvi’s alleged underworld links and sentenced to one year in prison. However, having already spent 14 months in custody during the trial, he was released immediately. Meanwhile, Rizvi and his associate Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh Khan were found guilty of maintaining underworld connections and extorting members of the film industry. They were each fined Rs 15 lakh and sentenced to six years in jail.Before the controversy, Shah, also a prominent diamond merchant, was among the most influential financiers in Bollywood. He backed major banners such as Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Dreamz Unlimited, and later Red Chillies Entertainment. His co-production credits include films like ‘Darr’, ‘Yes Boss’, ‘Dil Se..’, ‘Pukar’, ‘Devdas’, and ‘Main Hoon Na’, spanning collaborations with filmmakers like Yash Chopra, Aziz Mirza, Mani Ratnam, Rajkumar Santoshi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Farah Khan.
