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29 March 2024

Bollywood vs Bal Thackeray: Shah Rukh Khan to Big B, who was real King?

Bal Thackerays death is being mourned by not just his followers, but by celebrities and politicans too. (AFP)

Published
By Bindu Suresh Rai

Mumbai’s Tiger died on November 17.
 
Yet, even as a state and his many followers mourn Bal Thackeray’s demise at 86, it is Bollywood’s glitterati that has surprised many by coming out in flocks to express grief over the Shiv Sena supremo’s loss.
 
It is no secret that Bollywood courted Thackeray’s support and its wrath through its various relationships and indiscretions over the decades, with stalwarts such as Amitabh Bachchan sharing intimate details of his personal bond with the late leader.
 
And then there were others, such as the legendary Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan, who faced the worst when the Tiger roared his rage in their direction.
 
Be it his humble ways or his biting words through the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, ‘Samnaa’, Bollywood’s humble notes of grief in the media and on social media sites pale in comparison to some of these notable and legendary tales.
 
Emirates 24|7 flashes back to the Thackeray-Bollyood courtship and the clashes that made headlines through the decades:

 
Bachchan-Thackeray bond of love
 
Superstar Bachchan, who visited an ailing Thackeray last week with son Abhishek at the leader’s residence Matoshree and sustained injuries in the bargain, took to Twitter to recall how the Shiv Sena legend supported him through the years.
 
Referring to his near fatal accident on the sets of “Coolie” in 1983, Bachchan tweeted: “When I was flown in to Mumbai from Bangalore in semi-conscious state after ‘Coolie’ accident, it was his ambulance that took me to Breach Candy Hospital.”
 
He added: “When I fought for my life after ‘Coolie’ accident, he came to visit me in hospital, with a cartoon he had drawn – Yamraj defeated! Yamraj, God of Death, defeated by me... I wish I was as proficient a cartoonist as he, I would wish to draw that for him.”
 
Aside from welcoming a newly wedded Jaya Bachchan into his home like a daughter-in-law, Thackeray also provided his political backing to the famous Bollywood family during the Bofors arms scandal.
 
Bachchan added that during the Bofors controversy, Thackeray called the actor home to ask: “Tell me the truth, are you involved? When I said No, he said don’t worry, I am with you.”
 
Such was the power that was wielded by Thackeray.

 
Thackeray and the Karan Johar apology
 
Back in 2009, it was director/producer Karan Johar who had to face the wrath of Thackeray’s nephew and MNS party leader Raj Thackeray for referring to Mumbai as ‘Bombay’ in his Ranbir Kapoor-starrer “Wake Up Sid!”.
 
If one Thackeray was involved in the berating, could the other be far behind?
 
Johar first had to bow his head to at Raj and say: “I apologise if I have hurt anyone’s sentiments and so have agreed to put a one-line disclaimer, stressing this, right at the start of the film.”
 
But the Tiger’s Shiv Sena wasn’t appeased.
 
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut told reporters that Johar should not merely apologise to Raj Thackeray.
 
“If Johar really feels sorry about it, he should apologise to Maharashtra and the millions of Marathi Manoos staying here,” he stated.
 
Johar had to issue yet another statement to the media to say that he didn’t want any negative impact on the film as so much of hard work had gone into it, adding: “The film, in fact, pays homage to the city and Mumbai is an integral part of the film.”

 
Salman Khan bows down to the real Tiger
 
Actor Salman Khan may be referred to as the Tiger of Bollywood, but even he had to bow down to Mumbai’s Tiger, Thackeray, when his comments on the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai in 2008 caused offence to the Shiv Sena.
 
A Pakistani TV channel quoted Khan as saying that the 2008 attacks got widespread publicity because five-star hotels and the elite had been targeted.
 
While the Shiv Sena berated Khan for his, Thackeray surprisingly, supported the controversial actor two days after the fiasco via his editorial in ‘Saamna’.
 
He wrote: “There is no reason for us to harbour anger against Salman. His family is nationalist and patriotic in true sense.
 
“Salman apologised after the furore in the country (over his remarks). He must have realised that the furore was not by the rich but by the common masses.”
 
It is good that Salman was not adamant like Shah Rukh Khan, the editorial added.

 
Shah Rukh Khan vs Thackeray over Pakistan
 
In case you wondering what the Shah Rukh Khan controversy is, back in February 2010, the actor faced Thackeray’s wrath for his comments over favouring the inclusion of Pakistani players in the Indian Premier League cricket.
 
Shiv Sena saw red amd threatened to stop the release of Karan Johar’s Khan-starrer, “My Name is Khan”, unless he tendered an apology.
 
After posters were ripped off and cinemas across Mumbai were petrified to showcase the film, Khan tendered an apology of sorts, but made it clear that his regret was not directed towards the Shiv Sena, but rather the people and his fans.
 
Earlier this year, Thackeray also criticised Khan for his now infamous run in with security officials at Wankhede Stadium.
 
However, in a surprise volte-face, Khan visited him the ailing Thackeray recentlt and admitted that he shared a “personal relationship”.
 
The actor was quoted at a recent event as saying: “Out of huge amount of regard, plus not only for his age and status, I have spent some good time with him. My mother once told me that you can fight in good times, but when bad time comes, you must pray and spread love.”

 
Dilip Kumar and Thackeray tackle cross border relations
 
Thespian Dilip Kumar was a close friend of Thackeray but was not immune from the Tiger’s rage.
 
Back in 1998, Kumar was involved in a tussle with Thackeray when the politico demanded the actor to return the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s highest civilian award.
 
However, the 89-year-old actor refused to let those harsh words ruin his relationship with Thackeray, whom he visited during his final days at Matoshree,
 
The actor then wrote on his blog: “We are deeply grieving the passing of Balasaheb Thackeray who I always thought was not a Tiger but a Lion. He had the virtues of a lion... I found him extremely sensitive on occasions, especially during the days Sunil Dutt was going from pillar to post to get justice for his son Sanjay.
 
“Balasaheb’s response was that of a father who understood a father’s desperation to save his son.”
 
Actor Sanjay Dutt was arrested in wake of the Mumbai blasts in 1993 and spent 18 months in jail before being granted conditional bail and finally having the charges of being a terrorist dropped.