Latest news with #Nadeem-Shravan
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Rs 1.5 crore was demanded from Salman Khan's director; buying a fancy car led to bullets being fired
Renowned Bollywood director Lawrence D'Souza, known for Salman Khan's Saajan, revealed a terrifying encounter with gangster Ejaz Lakdawala. After investing in the 2003 film Indian Babu and buying a luxury car, Lawrence became a target for extortion. He survived a shooting when a bullet struck a Mother Mary statue behind him and faced repeated demands for Rs 1.5 crore. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Rising Success and Unwanted Attention Making Indian Babu and Extortion Calls Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Narrow Escape from an Assassination Attempt Bollywood director Lawrence D'Souza , known for Salman Khan's 1991 hit Saajan, recently shared a harrowing experience from the early 2000s, revealing how he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt and faced extortion threats amounting to Rs 1.5 crore. His story sheds light on the dark side of the industry during that era, when success often attracted the attention of Mumbai's criminal Saajan became a massive hit, Lawrence carved a niche for himself with moderately successful mid-budget films. However, the increasing attention also made him a target for gangsters. In an interview with Amar Ujala, he recalled that owning luxury items such as a car or a flat often drew unwanted shared that after buying a Mitsubishi Lancer for Rs 14 lakh, he began receiving late-night calls from unknown individuals demanding money. The persistent harassment forced him to sell the car for just Rs 5 lakh to avoid further director recounted his work on the 2003 film Indian Babu, produced by a London-based backer who wanted to launch his son as an actor. Lawrence invested Rs 4 crore in the project. Soon after returning from the shoot, he began receiving threatening phone calls, which he traced to notorious gangster Ejaz Lakdawala He described one such call during a song-editing session, when the caller introduced himself as Ejaz Lakdawala. Lawrence initially thought it was a prank, hanging up after the brief conversation. When he called back and 'played the song for him,' the gangster reportedly became furious, escalating the later, Lawrence was sitting in a lawn outside his office when a motorcyclist fired two shots at him. Fortunately, a gate with an acrylic sheet provided protection, and one bullet struck a nearby statue of Mother Mary, sparing his life. He credited this miraculous incident for saving him from serious the shooting, the gangster continued harassing Lawrence, demanding Rs 1.5 crore and suggesting he ask Nadeem of the music duo Nadeem-Shravan for the money. Lawrence and his family were bewildered, questioning why Nadeem would be involved. Eventually, the calls stopped, bringing an end to the terrifying episode.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Rs 1.5 crore was demanded from Salman Khan's director; buying a fancy car led to bullets being fired
Bollywood director Lawrence D'Souza , known for Salman Khan's 1991 hit Saajan, recently shared a harrowing experience from the early 2000s, revealing how he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt and faced extortion threats amounting to Rs 1.5 crore. His story sheds light on the dark side of the industry during that era, when success often attracted the attention of Mumbai's criminal underworld. Independence Day 2025 Op Sindoor to water cutoff: PM Modi slams Pak in I-Day speech GST reforms by Diwali to cut daily-use taxes: PM Modi Terrorism, tech, more: PM's I-Day speech highlights Rising Success and Unwanted Attention After Saajan became a massive hit, Lawrence carved a niche for himself with moderately successful mid-budget films. However, the increasing attention also made him a target for gangsters. In an interview with Amar Ujala, he recalled that owning luxury items such as a car or a flat often drew unwanted scrutiny. Lawrence shared that after buying a Mitsubishi Lancer for Rs 14 lakh, he began receiving late-night calls from unknown individuals demanding money. The persistent harassment forced him to sell the car for just Rs 5 lakh to avoid further trouble. Making Indian Babu and Extortion Calls The director recounted his work on the 2003 film Indian Babu, produced by a London-based backer who wanted to launch his son as an actor. Lawrence invested Rs 4 crore in the project. Soon after returning from the shoot, he began receiving threatening phone calls, which he traced to notorious gangster Ejaz Lakdawala . He described one such call during a song-editing session, when the caller introduced himself as Ejaz Lakdawala. Lawrence initially thought it was a prank, hanging up after the brief conversation. When he called back and 'played the song for him,' the gangster reportedly became furious, escalating the threats. Narrow Escape from an Assassination Attempt Weeks later, Lawrence was sitting in a lawn outside his office when a motorcyclist fired two shots at him. Fortunately, a gate with an acrylic sheet provided protection, and one bullet struck a nearby statue of Mother Mary, sparing his life. He credited this miraculous incident for saving him from serious harm. Following the shooting, the gangster continued harassing Lawrence, demanding Rs 1.5 crore and suggesting he ask Nadeem of the music duo Nadeem-Shravan for the money. Lawrence and his family were bewildered, questioning why Nadeem would be involved. Eventually, the calls stopped, bringing an end to the terrifying episode.
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Shah Rukh Khan complained all hit songs of debut Deewana went to Rishi Kapoor, Nadeem Shravan didn't trust a newcomer: Sameer
Don't we all remember Shah Rukh Khan making a memorable entry in Mumbai and Bollywood, riding a bike across the city, lip-syncing to 'Koi Na Koi Chahiye' in his 1992 debut film, Raj Kanwar's romantic drama Deewana? However, initially, Shah Rukh didn't have that song, or for that matter, any songs in Deewana. All the songs were picturized on Rishi Kapoor and the late Divya Bharti. Veteran lyricist Sameer, who wrote the songs of the film, recently recalled Shah Rukh approaching him before the filming, requesting to write a song for him. 'When I was writing Deewana, most of the songs were filmed on Rishi Kapoor. After hearing the songs, when Shah Rukh met me, he said, 'Please give me one or two hit songs too. All songs are for Rishi bhaiya,'' said Sameer. In the interview with DD Urdu, Sameer added that Nadeem Saifi of the music composer duo Nadeem-Shravan initially didn't have too much trust in Shah Rukh because he was a newcomer. 'Pehle Nadeem ko laga naya-naya launda hai, kya karega maloom nahi (He's a newcomer, not sure how he'd do it). Then he thought the boy looks good, so let's do something for him,' added Sameer. That's how Shah Rukh got two songs — his intro track 'Koi Na Koi Chahiye' and his romantic song with Bharti, 'Aisi Deewangi.' 'His career reached a different level altogether with those two songs and that film,' said Sameer, adding that Shah Rukh did call him up after the film's success to thank the lyricist. 'In my time, Shah Rukh, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan started their struggle in the film industry with me. I've spent so many nights together with Aamir sitting at Mansoor Khan's home,' recalled Sameer. Aamir, who made his debut with Ketan Mehta's 1984 coming-of-age film Holi, got his breakthrough in Bollywood with his cousin Mansoor's 1988 directorial debut romantic drama Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. 'We had such close relations. I used to meet Shah Rukh regularly. I used to go for dinner to the place of Salman's father, great writer Salim Khan. He's a wonderful person, it used to feel so good to talk to him. All of us got success at around the same time. We also had great contributions in each other's success. The actors needed good music, we needed good performers. When the time is right, everything falls into place,' added Sameer. Also Read: Son of top Indian lyricist survived on stolen bread in Mumbai, hadn't seen his dad for 23 years; went on to write songs for Govinda, Shah Rukh Khan Sameer also claimed he pushed Govinda's mama (maternal uncle), who was his friend, to let the actor try his luck in films only because he was an extraordinary dancer. After Deewana, Sameer wrote several other popular songs for Shah Rukh, including the tracks of Anjaam (1994), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Baadshah (1999), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001), and More Piya in Devdas (2002).
Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When Saroj Khan and Nadeem clashed over Raja song ‘Ankhiyan Milaoon Kabhi': ‘Aapka kaam hai gana shoot karna, gana select kabse karne lagi aap?'
Legendary choreographer Saroj Khan is fondly remembered for the timeless songs she helped bring to life through her masterful choreography. Among the many iconic tracks she's associated with, one standout is 'Ankhiyan Milaoon Kabhi' from the 1995 film Raja, directed by Indra Kumar. The song remains a favourite at weddings and festive functions even today. However, not many know that Saroj initially disliked the song when she first heard it. In a recent interview on The Ashok Pandit Show, lyricist Sameer, who penned the song, revealed that the choreographer had a strong reaction upon hearing the track at the music studio. He recalled, 'Gana record ho raha tha Sunny Sound mein, Saroj ji aaye gana sunne, aur unhone bola ki Nadeem kya banaya hai tumne, ek hi instrument chal raha hai poore time, main iss mein kya shoot karungi (The song was being recorded at Sunny Sound. Saroj ji came to listen to it and said, 'Nadeem, what have you made? It's just one instrument playing throughout. What am I supposed to shoot for this?')' At the time, composer Nadeem of the iconic duo Nadeem-Shravan, was at the peak of his career. Sameer continued, 'Aur Nadeem toh uss waqt shabab par tha toh uss ne bola ki Saroj ji aapka kaam kya hai – gana shoot karna, dance karna… gana select kabse karne lagi aap? Nadeem ne bola ki Saroj ji gana toh yahi rahega chahe aap rahengi ya hum rahenge, magar gana yahi rahega (And Nadeem, who was at the height of his success, responded, 'Saroj ji, your job is to choreograph and shoot the song… since when did you start selecting songs? This song will remain, whether you or I are here or not, but the song will stay as it is.')' The confrontation didn't end there. Sameer added, 'Ye sunne ke baad Saroj ji neeche utari gane dete huye Nadeem ko ki ye samajhta kya hai aapne aap ko. Aur unhone bola ki chal tu bhej gana tujhe batati hoon (After hearing that, Saroj ji stormed downstairs, cursing Nadeem, saying, 'Who does he think he is?' And she said, 'Fine, send the song to me – I'll show you what I can do.')' Eventually, Saroj Khan turned the very track she initially rejected into a visual masterpiece. Sameer recounted, 'Gana gaya bhaiya poora mix hokar aur phir Madhuri aayi, Sanjay Kapoor aaya, aur aisa shoot kiya unhone ki kya bataun (Once the song was fully mixed, Madhuri came, Sanjay Kapoor came, and the way they shot it – what can I even say, it was phenomenal).' Also Read | Mandira Bedi says shooting for DDLJ song 'traumatised' her; Saroj Khan scolded her for 'dancing like Sunny Deol': 'Have seen the film only once' Known as a tough taskmaster in the industry, Saroj Khan was famously precise about her vision. Her high standards and intensity have reportedly left many actors intimidated, including legendary performers like Rekha.
