The recent threats of death against Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood stars, are more than just a mere headline but rather a very poignant poking about how risking such a point may cause people to be aware of the fact that the frontier between celebrity and crime in our society is almost vanishing.
The scary repetition of these kinds of cases has led to the necessity of taking immediate action, not only by the police but also by the rest of us. This isn’t just about the two megastars being safe; it’s also the bigger issue of freedom of speech and the rule in India.
Just last week, Salman Khan was the latest target in the gang of Lawrence Bishnoi of another death threat which implies a poet from his project will be harmed and also to give them ₹50 million ($592,600). In addition to the threats, there was also a shooting near his residence that took place at the start of the year. Despite the police arresting several suspects, they still have to answer the question: Why are these bad guys being given the freedom to act as they wish?
Similarly, Shah Rukh Khan was threatened by a person who called himself “Hindustani” and told him to submit a ransom of ₹5 million ($59,250). This caller warned that he would kill Khan if the ransom wasn’t paid. The police were able to trace this threat to a lawyer named Faizan Khan who claimed his phone was stolen. However, his arrest highlights a disturbing truth: even those within the legal system can indeed be culpable in such horrible acts.
A Culture of Intimidation
These threats are an indicator of a widespread culture of fear that is not only limited to the film industry but affects society as a whole. Salman Khan, who is under the Y+ security system, represents the severity of this situation. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang, which is reported to be involved in criminal cases such as the 2022 killing of Sidhu Moosewala, has already made threats to Khan over the blackbuck poaching case. This gang’s crimes are a reflection of a larger issue—the use of violence as a grievance mechanism, which is a disadvantage to both celebrities and the public. Salman Khan has been dealing with constant threats, but Shah Rukh Khan, who was once free from controversies, now suffers from extreme reactions to his recent movies.
We have to consider what kind of society we want to build—the one ruled by terror or the one where people live without fear of violence.
The Emotional Toll on Celebrities
Just think of the emotional impact on celebrities in this situation. It must be soul-sucking and immobilizing living with the permanent risk of attack. Salman Khan has been repeatedly annoyed for years now, meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan with his generally spotless public image is in a much more delicate situation as he has been in films that were offensive to some extremists.
We should examine our own beliefs and question ourselves: Are we collectively contributing to the cause of hooliganism and promoting violence in our community? By accepting and promoting the culture of fear, are we not compromising on the very basic human rights of people, i.e. freedom of self-expression and creativity?
Demanding Accountability
The role of law enforcement is not only this but rather a part of the system of lawmakers and society, which includes everyday citizens as well. We need to have stricter laws against extortion and intimidation, along with swift justice for the people who threaten others’ lives. It is high time we demolish these criminal networks and make sure that criminals are facing real punishments for them.
Also, we need to promote an inclusive national conversation on safety among public figures and citizens even if safety is a basic and a common right. The current way of operating is not acceptable; we cannot stop fear from making creativity and freedom of thought flourish.
A Call to Action
As fans as well as people, we can contribute our might in this battle that succeeds by intimidation. We must have the courage to make the opposition to these terror tactics clear and to demand that the government be responsible for what it does. Social media, being one of the most influential mediums we have for instigating change, is certainly a particularly enticing option for harnessing the immense public emotion around abuse cases and for eliciting support for our beloved stars as well as victims of similar circumstances elsewhere.
To sum up, the death threats made to the actors of Bollywood are not just alarming headlines but living proofs of our societal values. We must take on this problem with the utmost urgency and the will to endure. We are supposed to ask for change before it gets late to the point that when we finally realize the situation it will be the time when we wake up every day seeing a world where expression is nothing but fear.
It’s a matter of this moment; let us not wait until it’s too late.
Amna Sheikh is a student at Punjab University Lahore.
