In the 90s, the Hindi film industry was heavily influenced by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. In a recent interaction, journalist and author Hussain Zaidi opened up about Dawood’s deep connections with Bollywood stars, producers, and directors. He revealed that many renowned film personalities, including Rishi Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, were in contact with him and that being associated with Dawood was once considered a matter of pride.
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Hussain shared that Dawood had close ties with almost all big producers and actors of that era, frequently hosting them in Dubai. Explaining the don’s fascination with the film industry, he said, “Dawood didn’t want to earn money from films; he simply loved Hindi cinema. He loved all the heroines. All the film stars who would travel to Dubai, Dawood used to organise dinner for them. For instance, Dilip Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Amjad Khan… These people have even talked about it in their interviews about meeting Dawood. He has also given them expensive gifts. So, he wasn’t interested in Hindi films with the purpose of earning money. He just wanted to hobnob with them and be seen in that company.”
Hussain, who had previously interviewed Dawood when allegations of extortion from the Hindi film industry surfaced, recalled questioning him about his influence in Bollywood. “I asked him why he was terrorising the industry, and he told me, ‘I love the film industry; they don’t need to be scared of me.’ This trend started with Abu Salem, who would extort money from filmmakers,” he said.
Zaidi further emphasized Dawood’s stronghold over Bollywood, revealing how many in the industry flaunted their association with him. “He knew everyone—producers, directors, stars, and actresses. During that time, people spoke about their friendship with Dawood as a thing to be proud of. I won’t name anyone, but they would say things like, ‘I just spoke to bhai on the phone.’ Speaking to Dawood was a thing to be proud about. Because the police didn’t have a strong grip at that time, everyone was in touch with him. They saw nothing wrong in being in touch with him.”
However, this dynamic shifted after the Mumbai Police cracked down on the underworld’s influence in Bollywood. Industry figures gradually severed ties with Dawood and avoided any communication with him.
Hussain also shed light on how Dawood used the film industry to convert his black money into white. “He didn’t fund films as a producer, but he would loan the money. At that time, there weren’t many studios, and the industry wasn’t institutionalized. So people would take Dawood’s money and invest it in their films, and in this way, his black money turned white. He would loan them the money, and after the film’s release, they would return it to him as white money,” he revealed.
