Why Bishnoi gang is targeting Bollywood: power, not extortion

The old Bollywood-underworld story was simple: pay up or face the consequences. Police now say the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has rewritten that script. The new goal appears to be fear itself—using shootings and threats against celebrities to show reach, spread panic and establish supremacy, not just to collect money.

Extortion is no longer the point

In the 1990s, gangsters wielded real control over filmmaking. Producers, actors, financiers and distributors faced threats, extortion and targeted violence. Names such as Mukesh Duggal, Javed Siddiqui, Rajiv Rai, Rakesh Roshan, Manmohan Shetty and Gulshan Kumar were among those targeted, while rival networks linked to Abu Salem, Chhota Shakeel and Chhota Rajan fought for influence.

The financing equation shifted after a major crackdown. Former joint commissioner of police (crime) D Sivanandan invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against underworld funding of Bollywood during the production of the 2001 film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke. The government later granted the film industry official industry status, allowing formal bank financing and reducing dependence on underworld money.

The current cases and the pattern

A firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff has focused attention on the new pattern. Investigators are now examining possible links with several high-profile cases:

• The firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence
• The murder of NCP politician Baba Siddiqui
• The shooting outside filmmaker Rohit Shetty’s residence
• Reported threats to actors Ranveer Singh and Aamir Khan

Salman Khan was reportedly targeted over the 1998 killing of blackbucks near Jodhpur. The motives in the other recent incidents remain less clear. Police suspect relatively inexperienced shooters are being recruited for the attacks, while social media posts claiming responsibility give the gang a louder platform than the act itself.

Why this matters for fans and the industry

Former Mumbai police commissioner M N Singh said underworld activity appeared to be resurfacing after nearly 22 years. “Film personalities had historically been easy targets for gangsters seeking to establish their influence,” he told the publication. That history is precisely why security teams and fans should take the current claims seriously without spreading them further. If the alleged strategy is to turn every shooting into a headline, then the public response can either feed the fear or starve it.

For now, the police work continues. The best response is patience, vigilance and a refusal to amplify unverified social media claims until investigators connect the dots.

Source: The Times of India

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#Baba Siddiqui#Bollywood#celebrity security#Lawrence Bishnoi#Mumbai underworld#Salman Khan#Tiger Shroff