Actress Anu Aggarwal, remembered for her breakout role in the 1990 hit Aashiqui, has made strong claims about the underworld’s grip on Bollywood during the 1990s. Speaking in an interview with Pinkvilla, Anu said that film financing at the time was largely handled “under the table” and controlled by mafia figures like Dawood Ibrahim. “All the money was coming from the underworld. It was a very different world back then,” she stated, adding that she isn’t sure how much has changed today.

Anu also opened up about the intense fan attention she faced after Aashiqui. Fans would camp outside her building, leading to safety concerns. “It felt like madness — people would fly from other countries just to see my house. It was similar to what Shah Rukh Khan experiences now,” she said, noting that SRK is her neighbour.

Due to the overwhelming pressure and unsafe environment, Anu said she chose to step away from the industry. She also revealed that she was never paid her full fee for Aashiqui — only 60% of her payment was made, and the remaining 40% is still pending.

After a serious accident in 1999 that left her in a coma for 29 days, Anu never returned to films.