"In the entire film industry, whoever works without aligning with us, or works with Salman Khan, will be killed."
asserted
works → work → Khan
This warning was delivered in an audio message by presumed attackers on Indian actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai earlier this month, as they claimed responsibility for the shooting.
asserted
they → deliver → shooting
The apparent perpetrators said they were connected to Lawrence Bishnoi, a student-politician-turned-gangster who has been in prison since 2014.
asserted
who → say → 2014
Notably, police have not confirmed the gang's involvement.
asserted
police → confirm → involvement
The shots fired at Shroff, which injured his driver, were only the latest in a string of attacks targeting prominent figures from the Mumbai-based film industry, popularly known as "Bollywood".
asserted
which → fire → Bollywood
Since 2022, gunmen fired shots at actor Salman Khan's apartment and at the home of filmmaker Rohit Shetty in Mumbai, as well as actor Disha Patani's family home in northern India.
asserted
gunmen → fire → India
Actor Ranveer Singh also reportedly received an extortion demand of nearly $1.1 million (around €980,000).
uncertain
Singh → receive → million
The attacks have spread to the other side of the globe, with a cafe owned by comedian Kapil Sharma in Surrey, Canada, also hit three times.
asserted
cafe → spread → Surrey
For an industry that once lived in the shadow of organized crime, the attacks have revived old fears, harking back to the crime bosses of the 1990s.
asserted
attacks → live → 1990s
But experts say the threat facing Bollywood today looks very different from the one it faced three decades ago.
asserted
it → say → one
When the underworld ruled Bollywood
In the 1990s, Mumbai's underworld was deeply entangled with the Hindi film industry.
asserted
underworld → rule → industry
"The mafia was always fascinated with the movie industry," said S. Hussain Zaidi, crime journalist and author of "Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia," who has covered organized crime in the city for over three decades.
asserted
who → fascinate → decades
Gangsters like Dawood Ibrahim, Abu Salem and Chhota Shakeel "were totally obsessed" with Bollywood, he told DW, much like mafiosi who sought a foothold in Hollywood.
asserted
who → tell → Hollywood
To the gangsters, films offered glitz and glamor, but also a way to launder their profits.
asserted
films → offer → profits
They invested in films "so that they could control the industry and have a legitimate way of making money," Zaidi added.
uncertain
Zaidi → invest → money
When producers didn't cooperate, the consequences could be fatal.
uncertain
consequences → cooperate → ?
In 1997, music mogul Gulshan Kumar, founder of the label T-Series, was shot dead.
asserted
Kumar → shoot → label
In 2000, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, father of Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, was shot and wounded.
asserted
Roshan → shoot → Roshan
Mumbai's streets were "made red with blood" in 1998, Zaidi said, describing the year as the pinnacle of gang killings.
asserted
Zaidi → make → killings
D. Sivanandhan, the former Police Commissioner of Mumbai, who led the crackdown, says 101 businessmen were shot dead in 1998 alone, or one "every third day," mostly over unpaid extortion demands.
asserted
businessmen → lead → demands
Police efforts were reinforced by a tough new organized crime law passed in 1999, which Sivanandhan calls the "ultimate weapon."
asserted
Sivanandhan → reinforce → which
Security forces used electronic surveillance and preventive detention, and seized some 2,500 illegal weapons.
asserted
forces → use → weapons
"A few encounters also happened, but that is not a policy nor a strategy,” he told DW, referring to police shootouts.
By the early 2000s, the gangs' hold had been broken, and a new Mumbai seemed to be emerging.
asserted
Mumbai → happen → 2000s
A gang run from a prison cell
The man believed to be behind the latest wave of attacks is not from Mumbai.
asserted
man → run → Mumbai
Bishnoi, 33, comes from a landowning family in the northern state of Punjab and was studying in Chandigarh when he was drawn into violent student politics.
asserted
he → come → politics
Then, he was arrested, incarcerated and eventually turned to crime, says journalist Jupinderjit Singh, author of "Gangs of Punjab.
asserted
Singh → arrest → Punjab
"
"He was introduced to the University of Crime through the jail," Singh told DW.
asserted
Singh → introduce → DW
Bishnoi went on to build what Singh describes as one of the first criminal syndicates spanning several northern Indian states.
asserted
Singh → go → states
Investigators say he still directs operations from prison using concealed phones and messaging apps.
asserted
he → say → phones
Currently, Bishnoi is held in a jail in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat.
asserted
Bishnoi → hold → Gujarat
His network stretches beyond India's borders.
asserted
network → stretch → borders
In September 2025, Canada designated the Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity.
asserted
gang → designate → September
Last month, the FBI added Satinderjeet Singh, popularly known as Goldy Brar, to its Ten Most Wanted list, offering up to $1 million for information leading to his arrest.
asserted
FBI → add → arrest
US prosecutors described him as the alleged leader of Bishnoi's group in North America.
asserted
prosecutors → describe → America
While Bishnoi comes from an affluent landowning family, his shooters are mostly poor.
asserted
shooters → come → family
The gang usually recruits them online.
asserted
gang → recruit → them
"There are so many youngsters who want to do something… they are just pulled by the lore attached to Lawrence Bishnoi," Singh explained.
asserted
Singh → be → Bishnoi
They offer money, protection, weapons.
asserted
They → offer → money
For Bishnoi, it seems personal.
asserted
it → seem → Bishnoi
In 1998, Salman Khan was accused of killing a blackbuck, an antelope revered by Bishnoi's community.
asserted
Khan → accuse → community
…and 28 more, not listed.
The Aporia
