![\"Ram](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130372805,imgsize-48812,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/chori-chori-chupke.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe 2001 romantic drama Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, directed by Abbas-Mustan and starring Salman Khan<\/a>, Preity Zinta<\/a>, and Rani Mukerji, is often remembered for introducing one of Bollywood\u2019s earliest depictions of surrogacy, albeit in a rather flawed manner. However, beyond its storyline, the film remains infamous for its unexpected links to the Mumbai underworld, a connection its financier Bharat Shah initially had no knowledge of. Recalling the events, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma<\/a>, who had co-produced Dil Se.. with Shah\u2014shared how the project came together. He shared during a chat with Hussain Zaidi, \u201cAt a point of time, he (Bharat Shah) got a guy who told him he has Salman Khan\u2019s dates. So, he said, \u2018Okay, cool.\u2019 But since that guy didn\u2019t have a film background and wasn\u2019t even rich, Bharat bhai called Salman,\u201d Varma said. \u201cSalman told him, \u2018Yes, I\u2019ve given him dates.\u2019 That reassured Bharat bhai enough for him to give the money and the film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke started,\u201d he added.Things took a turn when Shah later discovered that the film\u2019s producer, Nazim Rizvi, allegedly had ties to underworld figure Chhota Shakeel. Varma explained Shah\u2019s mindset at the time. He added, \u201cAfter some time, he got to know the producer, Nazim Rizvi, has some connection with Chhota Shakeel. But he thought he\u2019s doing a legal business, and if the producer has some underworld connection, how does that concern him? He\u2019s himself not even a criminal, but just associated with a criminal.\u201dThe situation escalated when an unnamed businessman from the film industry received an extortion call demanding Rs 5 crore. Desperate, he turned to Shah for help, hoping Rizvi\u2019s connection to Shakeel could resolve the issue. When contact was made, the demand was negotiated down to Rs 2 crore.Soon, more industry figures began approaching Shah for similar assistance. Despite helping others, Shah wasn\u2019t financially benefiting from these interventions. \u201cBut he wasn\u2019t getting any money. He was just helping out. But the cops were tapping his phone,\u201d Varma recalled, adding, \u201cHe was trembling with shock and fear. The cops suggested maybe Shakeel was acting for you. So, Bharat bhai said, \u2018Why would he act for me? I\u2019m just a filmmaker.‘\u201dIn 2001, both Shah and Rizvi were arrested by the Mumbai Police. Shah was convicted for failing to disclose Rizvi\u2019s alleged underworld links and sentenced to one year in prison. However, having already spent 14 months in custody during the trial, he was released immediately. Meanwhile, Rizvi and his associate Abdul Rahim Allahbaksh Khan were found guilty of maintaining underworld connections and extorting members of the film industry. They were each fined Rs 15 lakh and sentenced to six years in jail.Before the controversy, Shah, also a prominent diamond merchant, was among the most influential financiers in Bollywood. He backed major banners such as Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, Dreamz Unlimited, and later Red Chillies Entertainment. His co-production credits include films like ‘Darr’, ‘Yes Boss’, ‘Dil Se..’, ‘Pukar’, ‘Devdas’, and ‘Main Hoon Na’, spanning collaborations with filmmakers like Yash Chopra, Aziz Mirza, Mani Ratnam, Rajkumar Santoshi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Farah Khan.<\/div>\n