Filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan has lifted the curtain on one of the darkest chapters in Bollywood's history — the years when organised crime had its shadow firmly cast over the Hindi film industry. Speaking candidly during a podcast conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia on March 14, 2026, Farah confirmed that the three biggest superstars of the 1990s — Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan — all faced pressure from the underworld during that era. She also recalled a chilling incident involving a direct threat made to director Karan Johar just days before the premiere of his debut film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
'That Was the Darkest Era of Bollywood'
Farah did not mince words when describing what working in the film industry felt like in the early 1990s. She recalled the moment that first brought home the reality of how dangerous things had become — when she was on a film set around 1993 or 1994 and news broke that film producer Mukesh Duggal had been shot. The murder sent shockwaves through the entire industry.
"That was in the 90s. I remember I was on a set, I had just started my career, maybe '93 or '94, and Mukesh Duggal was shot," Farah recalled, describing how the news froze everyone and made it impossible to continue working as if nothing had happened.
She described the atmosphere on sets during that period as deeply unsettling — with a pervading sense that anyone in the industry could become a target at any moment, and that the underworld was watching, evaluating, and when it suited them, demanding.
All Three Khans Faced Underworld Pressure — Farah Confirms
When Ranveer Allahbadia asked directly whether Bollywood's biggest names of the era — Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan — had been subjected to underworld pressure, Farah gave an unambiguous answer: "Yes."
She was careful to clarify what she personally knew and what she did not. When pressed on whether Shah Rukh Khan had personally received a call from the underworld, she said she could not confirm that specific detail. However, she made clear that the overall climate of fear and pressure applied to the biggest stars of the decade — and that none of them were entirely shielded from it simply by virtue of their fame.
Karan Johar's Terrifying Premiere Night
The most gripping moment of Farah's revelations centred on director Karan Johar and the premiere of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998 — one of the biggest films of that decade and Johar's directorial debut.
Farah recalled that Karan received a direct underworld threat in the days surrounding the premiere — and that the entire team was plunged into a state of genuine fear and uncertainty. "It was very scary. Everyone was discussing whether the premiere should be cancelled or we should go ahead with it," she said.
After intense deliberation, the decision was made to proceed with the premiere — but with a dramatically heightened security presence. "Security was beefed up and I think we went ahead with the premiere. Karan was very stressed. Imagine it is your first movie, but all you are thinking about is this," Farah said, painting a picture of what should have been the most celebratory night of a young filmmaker's career being overshadowed entirely by fear.
The 1980s: When Bollywood Lost Its Audience
Alongside her underworld revelations, Farah took a sweeping look at how Indian cinema evolved across the decades. She described the 1980s as the single worst era in the history of mainstream Hindi films — a decade she said was dominated by a tired, formulaic template of multi-hero films featuring familiar faces, with little creative ambition.
"We used to look down upon Hindi films. When we were in college, we used to only watch Hollywood films," she said, citing classics like Saturday Night Fever and Dirty Dancing as the kind of cinema her generation was drawn to. She described the prevailing quality of 1980s Bollywood as simply not good enough to hold a young audience's attention.
It was the 1990s, she said, that brought real change — new directors, new storytelling, a new generation of stars — even as those same years brought the underworld's dark influence to its peak.
Main Hoon Na 2 Rumours Dismissed
Farah also used the podcast appearance to address persistent social media rumours suggesting she was working on a sequel to her 2004 blockbuster Main Hoon Na with Shah Rukh Khan. She shut down the speculation firmly. "I have officially dismissed these claims, please do not believe unverified reports," she said. She hinted, however, that she is planning a return to film direction later in 2026 — possibly with a high-energy action comedy — once her children leave for college.
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