The knife attack on actor Saif Ali Khan at his Mumbai home this week has reignited concern about the threats faced by Bollywood stars in the city.
Mumbai, still referred to as Bombay by many around the globe, is home to the nation’s billionaires, celebrated cricketers and beloved Bollywood celebrities, idolised by legions of fans. The city had been gradually shedding its shadowy reputation as India’s crime capital, but is now in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
Khan, 54, one of Bollywood’s most prominent stars, was stabbed six times on Thursday after he confronted an armed intruder at his palatial apartment in Mumbai’s posh Bandra neighbourhood, according to officials.
He was rushed to the hospital by his eldest son, Ibrahim Ali Khan – an upcoming actor – on a tuk-tuk, while the knife remained lodged in his spine, police said.
After undergoing surgery for spinal cord injuries, doctors declared him out of danger. As he recovers in hospital, the shocking incident has revived haunting memories of the criminal and extortion gangs that plagued the city until two decades ago.
In their preliminary investigation, police said the intruder entered Khan’s home via the stairs intending to commit theft and then fled the scene using the fire escape.
Industry veterans believe the timing of the attack has heightened concern about the safety of Bollywood actors, who have long faced death threats and attacks from crime syndicates.
Last July, police arrested six people for their involvement in a shooting and a plot to assassinate superstar Salman Khan at his home in Bandra, in the same area where Saif Ali Khan lives.
The government has since provided Salman Khan with round-the-clock security and the actor’s house was recently fortified with bulletproof glass.
“The real takeaway from all of this is that as Saif recovers and Salman puts bulletproof glass on the windows of his Bandra apartment, the fame and influence that insulated powerful people from frightening activities for many years seems to be dwindling,” Raja Sen, a Mumbai-based film critic, tells The National.
“Famous people, who were earlier assumed to be out of reach, and who could not be targeted, are being victimised,” he adds.
Salman Khan has faced death threats from Lawrence Bishnoi, a jailed gangster, over the hunting of blackbuck, an endangered deer considered sacred by the Bishnoi community, in 1998. The star was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for killing two of the deer but is currently out on bail.
Saif Ali Khan's attack follows the murder of his close aide, politician Baba Siddiqui, by the Bishnoi gang in Mumbai in October. Bishnoi is also accused by Delhi Police of masterminding the killing of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, in 2022.
Savita Raj Hiremath, a veteran film producer, says the Saif Ali Khan incident has sparked insecurity fears, not only among the film fraternity but also the public.
“Famous people are being targeted,” Hiremath tells The National. “The whole of Bombay is talking about the incident. How can one enter somebody’s bedroom? It is very scary. The incident has created fear and shaken many today.”
Bollywood actors are no strangers to threats. Actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Govinda and Akshay Kumar have received threats and extortion demands from criminal syndicates, with many producers and directors also targeted.
The late Gulshan Kumar, who founded T-Series, one of the leading music labels and film production companies, was killed in Mumbai in 1997. Abdul Rauf, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, a notorious gang leader from Mumbai, was convicted for Kumar's murder in 2022 and sentenced to life in prison.
Actor and director Rakesh Roshan, the father of Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, also survived an assassination attempt in 2000 over extortion demands.
However, unlike in previous decades when criminals targeted celebrities to gain notoriety, targeting either by gangs or motivated groups is increasingly driven by a complex mix of religion and nationalism.
Saif Ali Khan, who comes from a prominent royal family, has appeared in nearly 70 Bollywood films and has bagged multiple awards for his performances. But he has also faced criticism from Hindu nationalists over his marriage to Kareena Kapoor, a leading Bollywood actress, who is Hindu. The couple have also faced further ire over naming their son Taimur. Some groups claim the name is associated with a medieval Muslim conqueror blamed for persecuting Hindus, and an attempt to deliberately affront Hindu sensibilities.
In recent years, India’s polarised political environment has had a profound impact on the film industry, with social media often raging with calls of #BoycottBollywood and actors routinely criticised and threatened for their political and religious beliefs as well as the characters they play.
Shifting public opinion about the industry has not just robbed Bollywood stars of their divinity, but has increasingly exposed them to dangers never seen before.
“In 90s Bollywood, the influence from the underworld on movies, producers and how they exerted that, as well as the killing of Gulshan Kumar, were horrific,” Sen says. “Now, when the film industry is not doing well, these attacks further weaken the momentum and spirit of the filmmaking community.”
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Friday’s fixture
6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta
6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman
9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas
9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah
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