Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has spoken openly on this controversy. stealth stealth stealthRevisiting how the film became entangled in alleged underworld ties during its production.
Ram Gopal Varma recalls underworld ties behind Chori Chori Chupke Chupke
Speaking in an interview with Hussain Zaidi, Verma recalled how financier Bharat Shah first got involved in the project. He said, “At one point, he (Bharat Shah) met a guy who told him that he had Salman Khan’s dates.” Shah reached out to the actor directly to confirm the claim. “Salman told him, ‘Yes, I have given him the dates,'” Verma continued, explaining that this assurance convinced Shah to support the film.
The situation later changed when Shah came to know about the alleged relations of producer Nazim Rizvi. “After some time, they came to know that the producer, Nazim Rizvi, has some connection with Chhota Shakeel. But they thought he was doing a legal business, and if the producer has any connection with the underworld, what does it concern them? He is not a criminal himself, but is just associated with a criminal,” Verma said.
He also described the broader climate in the industry at the time, where threats of extortion were not uncommon. Verma shared that an unnamed businessman received a demand for ₹5 crore and contacted Shah for help, hoping that his indirect connections could resolve the situation. Ultimately the amount was negotiated down to ₹2 crore.
As more people came forward to provide similar assistance, the Shah continued to intervene without personal gain. Verma said, “But he was not getting any money. He was just helping. But the police were tapping his phones.” He said that Shah was “shaking with shock and fear” as the situation escalated. He further recalled, “The police suggested that maybe Shakeel was acting for you. So, Bharat Bhai said, ‘Why would he act for me? I’m just a filmmaker.'”
The case eventually led to legal action in 2001, when Bharat Shah and Nazim Rizvi were arrested by the Mumbai Police. Shah was later sentenced to a year in prison for not disclosing Rizvi’s alleged affair, but was soon released because he had already spent more than a year in custody during the trial. Rizvi was found guilty of having underworld links with Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh Khan and being involved in extortion cases related to the film industry.
