Aishwarya Rai: Grilled by Police for Threat

INDIAN police questioned former Miss World Aishwarya Rai over allegations that Bollywood actor Salman Khan had threatened her with underworld retribution unless she performed at a mafia don's stage show.

Rai, who is Bollywood's top actress, was grilled at her Mumbai residence and a sample of her voice taken to compare it to the voice on an audio recording allegedly of her phone conversation with Khan, her lawyer said on Monday.

The police investigation followed the release of the tape by domestic media, in which a man alleged to be Khan is heard screaming abuses at Rai because of her reluctance to participate in stage shows sponsored by underworld boss Abu Salem.

"They (the police) questioned her for over two hours and she is fully cooperating with the police," said Girish Kulkarni, Rai's lawyer.

The police questioned Khan for nearly four hours Sunday and took a sample of his voice. Both Khan and Rai have denied that the voice on the tape is theirs.

In an interview with the Times of India newspaper Saturday, Khan said the tapes, allegedly recorded in 2001, were fake and claimed that gangsters who back Bollywood films had threatened him in the recent past.

"I was threatened by the underworld and therefore I was given police protection until 2002. The police too know it and therefore there is no question of me being involved with them," Khan told the English-language daily.

"My initial response on reading media reports was of shock. The media is desperately looking for sensational stories to sell itself in a competitive market and I was the convenient fall guy."

His lawyer, Dipesh Mehta, has threatened to sue the Hindustan Times for publishing transcripts from the tapes and attributing the comments to Khan.

The Maharashtra state government has ordered an investigation into the contents of the audio tapes and announced that the government will table the details relating to these tapes before the assembly on Wednesday this week.

Aishwarya Rai: Decides to Wait and Watch

An earlier report quoting her lawyer said that the Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai, who was threatened and abused allegedly by actor Salman Khan in an audio tape, has decided not to react to the controversy "for the moment".

Aishwarya's lawyer, Girish Kulkarni, told reporters here that he had spoken to the actress and they have decided "not to do anything for the moment" as she has been assured of a proper investigation into the matter.

The tape of the telephonic conversation, played by television channels, carried a voice allegedly that of an inebriated Khan intimidating and abusing Aishwarya Rai to perform at an entertainment programme organised by fugitive Abu Salem.

"The Chief Minister has already ordered an investigation, and it would, therefore, be not proper to make any comments right now," Kulkarni said.

Asked if the voice in the tape was that of the actress, Kulkarni said it was more of a one-sided conversation and refused to elaborate.

Questioned further about the authenticity of the tape, he said it came from the media and not from any Government agency.

In the purported conversation with Aishwarya, Khan also boasted his links with underworld figures Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel and Guru Satam and 'threatened that they would eliminate the actress and her family if he desired so.' He also said he had advance information about the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

The Mumbai police have said that they would ascertain the veracity of the tape and then decide if any action could be taken against the actor.

After consultations her lawyer issued a statement in which he said after discusions they had decided not to do anything for the immediate presence, and had adopted a wait and see approach, as complete investigations had not been concluded

The tape of the phone conversation, had been played by television channels, featured a voice allegedly that of Khan threatening and abusing Aishwarya Rai to get her to perform at an entertainment programme organised by fugitive gangster Abu Salem.

The lawyer went on to say that the Chief Minister had already initiated an investigation, and it would, therefore, be not correct to make any comments until that process was completed.

The lawyer also refused to deny or confirm that the voice in the tape was that of the actress.

If the tape is to be authenticated then it would also suggest that Khan had links with the underworlds more notorious members, and implicate Ms Rai.

Khan Denies

In further news actor Salman Khan has denied allegations he was linked to organised crime and indeed he was a victim and needed protection from gangsters.

In an interview, Khan states the tapes, allegedly recorded in 2001, are fake and claims that gangsters who use black money to back Bollywood films had threatened him in the recent past.

Khan was quoted as saying he was threatened by the underworld and therefore he was given police protection until 2002. The police too know it and therefore there is no question of his involvement.

Salman Khan dismissed as "absurd" supposedly wiretapped phone conversations in which he allegedly boasts of such ties to actress Aishwarya Rai.

"This whole thing is so absurd," Khan told The Times of India newspaper in an interview published Saturday. "I heard the tape and I could not recognize my own voice."

He said the man on the tape sounded drunk and that the woman's voice "is also most certainly not" Rai's.

Khan's denial comes a day after dozens of right-wing protesters shouted slogans outside cinemas across the country demanding action against him after transcripts of the supposed phone calls appeared in the Hindustan Times newspaper.

The protests temporarily delayed the screening of Khan's new film "Maine Pyar Kyon Kiya" [Why Did I Fall In Love], but the movie, in which he plays the comic lead, later ran to packed houses.

The newspaper published the alleged transcripts on Thursday and said Bombay police recorded the phone calls during a 2001 probe of alleged mafia financing of films in Bollywood, India's prolific movie industry centered in Bombay.

Bombay police have said they would check the tapes' authenticity.

The allegations were widely reported by the Indian media, with television channels playing the tapes and newspapers across the country publishing excerpts.

Khan was said to have used expletives and named mobsters, while Rai warned him to stop talking "nonsense" because his phone could be tapped.

In Saturday's interview, Khan dismissed the allegations as "ridiculous." "This is the most absurd charge anyone could level against me ... it must be a sick joke," he said.

Three years ago, police submitted 71 tapes to a Bombay court in a crackdown on organized crime in Bollywood.

Police said the phone taps of conversations between a mob boss, movie financiers, actors and directors were recorded in 2000-01. The tapes were part of police evidence that helped convict India's top movie financier, Bharat Shah, in 2003 for failing to inform police about mob activities in Bollywood.

Shah was sentenced to a year in prison, but walked free because he had spent 15 months in jail awaiting trial.

He was acquitted of charges directly linking him to organized crime. Another film producer and an assistant were sentenced to six years' in prison for that offense.

Police say crime bosses threaten film stars to join mob-supported projects, extort money from filmmakers and offer producers illicit high-interest loans.

Ash is Shy: Love or Scare?

Ash is shy to talk about the abuse. She plans to keep quiet for now. According to her lawyer she will talk if and when needed. Salman outright denied that the voice on the tape is his!

Did Ash fall for Salman? Then why is she shy about talking? Did Salman force something from her? Why is it embarrassing for Ash to talk about what really happened? Did Ash really allow Salman to sexually exploit her with the scare tactics, underworld Don and connections to Indian Mafia?

It wasn't Salman's voice: Sohail Khan

Salman’s family has been by his side during every crisis and will help him weather this storm too, they say.

Last night Sohail Khan’s Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya premiered at Imax. Just before the event, he spoke to us about the alleged taped conversations between Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan released by a newspaper.

What’s Salman’s reaction to the story?

He’s doing fine and prefers not to react to such nonsense. He knows we are all there together for him. Crises have happened before and it may happen again, but our family will weather all storms together. He has been shooting for Sajid Nadiadwala’s, Jaaneman, for the last couple of days.

Did he leave the shoot early yesterday?

(Laughs) Yes, he did. But that’s because he had to get ready for the premiere tonight.

What was your first reaction when you read the story and heard it on TV?

It’s obvious when you hear the voices on TV that it’s not bhai (Salman Khan). It’s sad that journalists have become so desperate that just because you have to launch a paper, you write nonsense. It’s highly irresponsible journalism.

The facts contradict themselves. If the conversations had been recorded four years ago, why didn’t anybody react then? We have an extremely efficient police department who would definitely have taken action, if the conversation were true.

There was a film that had released then, (Chori Chori Chupke Chupke which had allegedly been financed by the underworld), but after investigations, everyone was given a clean chit. So why has this tape suddenly sprung up today?

So, what do you feel about the story?

It’s a vendetta by vested interests to jeopardise his film — Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya. The film has had the biggest opening this year and will be releasing today.

It’s been done on a personal level and to launch a newspaper. But the public is too smart to get conned by such rubbish! The tape just doesn’t make any sense and is obviously doctored and edited.

The whole tape is a mess. The voices are unclear; they have been dubbed so they are saying he’s drunk. What are they trying to cover up?

How has your family reacted to it?

We are too well knit to be affected by something like this. Once we realised that it wasn’t his voice, we didn’t bother to react. It didn’t come as a shock to us, as we expect these things to happen.

Now, each time a TV channel or a newspaper is launched, we expect such stories to be written on us or on somebody else.

Industry gives clean Chit

Distributors and exhibitors say the controversy over the release of purported transcripts of Salman Khan's conversations with Aishwarya Rai would have no bearing on his new film "Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya" released on Friday.

The eagerly awaited film by David Dhawan, which also stars Sushmita Sen and Katrina Kaif, has been released with a record number of prints all over, taking into consideration the market for Salman-starrers, reports Bollywood Trade.

The release comes a day after alleged taped conversations between Salman and Aishwarya, in which he asks her to appear for a show by a gangster, were published on the front pages of a national daily. This was followed by another 'exposé' on Friday of other conversations, also peppered with swear words, between the two.

According to Arun Sharma, programming manager of INOX, the development is unlikely to affect the box-office prospects of the film despite the timing of the controversy.

"The development may have its effect on the way he is perceived by the masses, knowing that he is a star of the masses but we are not expecting it to have any immediate effect on the box-office prospects of 'MPKK'... We will have to wait and watch in the next few days how Salman fans, who constitute the repeat audience, react to the film," he said.

He said such episodes do have a bearing on the image of the star but don't reflect on the box office immediately unless the film itself is controversial by nature.

Manoj Desai, executive director of G-7, who has booked Maratha Mandir as one of the main theatres for the film, echoes Sharma's views.

With his fingers firmly crossed, he said: "The advance booking for the film has been very promising for the first three days. We will have to find out about the sustaining power of the film after the initial response. It depends on the developments in the next four days.

"But I am quite amazed by the fact that this controversy has come at a time when Salman's film has been scheduled for release."

According to West Bengal and Mumbai distributor Harss Mancchanda, Salman is too big a star for his box-office following to be affected. "The traders and the masses are well aware that it is an old news. It is a chapter from Salman's past. He's moved ahead in life ever since and changed for the better."

Salman's friends and supporters from the industry have also come out in his support. Said producer Pahlaj Nihalani: "I have not worked with Salman in any film so far nor have I been associated in terms of business but I know him to be a very straightforward and no-nonsense person, who is more concerned about his work than anything else."

Director Anees Bazmee, who has worked with Salman for the first time in the much-anticipated "No Entry", said: "I had heard so much about Salman's mood swings and his hard-to-get attitude before I worked with him. However, he turned out to be just the opposite, very respectful and one who went out of his way to ensure the other's comfort... I and my other counterparts in the industry are unlikely to be affected by the development."

Aishwarya Rai: Profile

She got her first modelling assignment when she was 14 years old for Camlin, but Aishwarya Rai vascillated for years between modelling and academics.

Born in Mangalore on November 1, 1973, this light-eyed beauty moved to Mumbai as a four-year-old when her father, a merchant navy officer, was transferred. She learnt Bharatnatyam, Carnatic and Hindustani music and got marriage proposals since she was a teenager.

She got an ad for Palmolive soap while still in college, but Ash insisted she finish her exams first. It was with the Pepsi ad though, with her as sexy Sanjana, that she hit the spotlight.

At this time, Ash was studying architecture. But everything changed when she won the Miss World title in South Africa. Aishwarya then signed Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar. She struck gold with with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Taal.

Though Aishwarya’s clothes made more news while she sat on the Cannes jury and the buzz about her being the next Bond girl fell flat, the star has made waves.

Sense of Humour

Aishwarya Rai has a wonderful sense of humour. In a recent interview, she admitted that Salman Khan did bang on her door but the reason she gave for it was hilarious!

It seems she had dozed off after a tired day and had switched off her cell phone. Salman, 'being a good friend', got worried when she didn't reply to the door bell and, therefore, 'knocked' on the door.

Switching off the mobile phone is alright, but what about her land line telephone?●