‘Pathaan hoon, goli maar do’: Sanjay Gupta says Shah Rukh Khan was 'only guy' who refused to bow to underworld threats

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta shared that several stars from the film industry were soft targets for the underworld in the 1990s and 2000s.

Published on: Sep 6, 2026, 17:03:22 IST

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Shah Rukh Khan rose to stardom in the 90s when Bollywood was still under the shadow and threats of the underworld. From film stars to directors, everyone was a target, recalled filmmaker Sanjay Gupta in a new interaction with Hussain Zaidi Files on their YouTube channel. However, if there was one person who refused any offer from them, it was Shah Rukh Khan.

What Sanjay Gupta said

During the chat, Sanjay said, “I have seen the underworld in its peak in Bombay… There was one Punjabi actor, he was found dead at Film City, and it was later disclosed that he was an informant. Manisha Koirala's secretary, such a simple fellow, and then one fine day someone walked to his office and shot him dead. Then they fired at Rakesh Roshan ji… we were open, soft targets. These are not extortion calls but these are different…”

He went on to add that almost every top actor and actress were signed in the papers for films that would be made. He added that they would come on set and see the shooting as well. "The only guy in the film industry, Shah Rukh Khan, when he was threatened, he said, ‘Picture to kabhi nahi karunga, show kabhi nahi karunga. Pathaan hoon, goli maarni hai maar do (I will never do the film or show, I am a Pathaan, just shoot me if you want)’. I am not scared of you, but I will not work with you and not do shows for you. He actually earned their respect. They also must have felt that there’s at least one person…” said Sanjay.

Earlier, while speaking on a podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia, even filmmaker Farah Khan had admitted that pressure did exist in the 90s. When she was asked whether the three Khans were pressurised by the underworld, Farah said, “Yes.” When further questioned about Shah Rukh receiving a call, she said, “I don't know. But, I know that during Duplicate or Kuch Kuch Hota Hai premiere, Karan had got a underworld threat, and it was very scary. Everyone was discussing whether the premiere should be cancelled or we should go ahead with it.”

About Shah Rukh's career

Shah Rukh dabbled in theatre and had his first starring role in the 1988 TV show Dil Dariya. However, due to production delays, Fauji marked his acting debut, and the series based on army cadets made him a household name. He also starred in TV shows like Circus, Idiot, Umeed and Wagle Ki Duniya after that.

Despite gaining fame, Shah Rukh wasn’t initially interested in acting. It was only after his mother’s death in 1990 that he changed his mind and moved to Mumbai from Delhi to pursue a career in Bollywood. He debuted on the silver screen with the 1992 film Deewana, and there has been no looking back after that.

Following the release of the 2023 films Pathaan and Jawan, Shah Rukh will star in Siddharth Anand’s King, slated for release in December 2026.

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