It came as a shocking bit of news. Every newspaper in the country carried headlines on their opening pages, that Nadeem of Nadeem–Shravan fame was the man behind the Gulshan Kumar murder. That he had put out a contract (supari) on the T-Series tycoon.
The Bombay police seemed sure of Nadeem’s involvement in the crime. According to the sleuths of the Crime Branch they had hardcore evidence on the music director which was enough to incriminate him in the crime. When this news was made public by the Commissioner of Police – Bombay, Nadeem was out of the country, away in London nursing his ailing wife who had her sixth miscarriage.
While everyone from the mainstream media to the police were handing out different and contradictory stories, the motive for the murder still appeared unclear. No one could give a clear picture. The cops said that it was because Nadeem felt that Gulshan had been sabotaging his career and that he had not promoted his album Hi Ajnabi. But this could hardly be the motive. The question of sabotage didn’t arise, because Nadeem–Shravan, the music duo, were the highest paid in their field and currently the most sought after. They had all the big films under their wings. So vengeance because of “lack of work” or “sabotage” seemed a little hard to digest.
Of course there were Anuradha and Kavita Paudwal who were very vehement in their animosity towards Nadeem. They felt he should be punished severely. Then there was Gulshan’s family who say that Nadeem had threatened him in the past. It all seems like one of the pot-boilers on screen. All the fingers pointed at Nadeem. But no hard evidence was on display. Yet.
We decided to meet the man himself, here in London, for a first-hand account of all the accusations hurled at him. The Interpol too is said to be investigating the case at the behest of the authorities back in India. Nadeem, who is yet to return to India — at the time of going into print — spent a lot of time with his wife who was convalescing from her miscarriage at the Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow (North-West London).
I go to the hospital on the 9th floor in the James Ward. But to my surprise, when I reach there I find that his wife Sultana is all alone in her room and there is no sign of Nadeem. I wait. After an hour I meet her brother Shahid who is quite taken aback when I introduce myself as Stardust’s correspondent. “Nadeem’s not here. How do you know his wife is here?” he asks, suspiciously. Then relaxing a bit he informs me that Sultana was admitted two days ago, and then gets tight-lipped.
I wait on. After two hours, Nadeem enters, wearing blue jeans, a white shirt and a blue blazer. Along with two of his friends, Raj and Amir, who he says are “like his brothers”. His eyes are blood-shot. Either it is because of lack of sleep or he has been shedding a lot of tears on the recent happenings. He is obviously disturbed. But despite this he pretends to look cool. On the face of it he looks pretty unfazed by all the accusations hurled at him. He is a much wanted man in India but then that didn’t seem to bother him. He even flashes the famous Nadeem grin.
I introduce myself. “Hi,” says Nadeem as if he has met me before. “We’ve not met before, I’m from Stardust.” The name rings a bell and, very surprised, he asks me, “Oh, you’ve flown in from Bombay?” I tell him that I am based here in London since Stardust has an office here too.
“Great, I want to talk to Stardust, it is a very unbiased and straight-forward magazine,” he smiles. “But first, I need to see my wife.” Preoccupied, he heads off in a different direction. I follow him and tell him that he has to go the other way. He thanks me and walks into his wife’s ward.
Half an hour later, on our way down, Nadeem just starts talking. He reveals that “This is a big conspiracy and that a woman is behind all this.” I don’t ask him who? But it seems quite evident that he is referring to Anuradha Paudwal. He dismisses the fact that he is taking shelter under the pretext of his wife’s illness.
“I’ve lost a child. My sixth child, due to miscarriage. My wife is going through a lot. How could I have killed that man?” Walking through the corridor Nadeem picks up a crying child and tries to pacify him.
Nadeem then excuses himself and drives off to the Zee TV studio. I wait for him at the hospital with his friend Raj in Nadeem’s van. I try to get something useful from Raj but to no avail. Instead he talks about the shooting of the film Aarzoo (starring Madhuri, Akshay and Saif) in Scotland last month. He goes on to say how Saif is having lots of problems with the director Lawrence D’Souza.
After an hour, Nadeem comes back to the hospital. He’s in a different mood now. As soon as he sees me he informs me that his career is ruined. “See what they did to Sunju (Sanjay Dutt).” I look at him and he’s in tears. His eyes brim over. I quiz him on all that has led to his present predicament. Is he a victim of circumstances? Or is he really the man behind the gruesome murder of Gulshan Kumar? Read on to find out what the music director has to say to the allegations that have been made against him. Throughout the interview he kept saying that he is innocent till proven guilty. Isn’t that the law?
Nadeem, do you think you’ve been victimized? If so, why are they singling you out?
“I am being absolutely victimized. Hundred percent victimized. I don’t know, but someone out there wants to settle some scores with me. And that’s the reason why I am being made the scapegoat. It’s a hundred percent frame-up.”
You mentioned some woman behind this entire frame-up, as you call it. Who is this woman and what is her motive?
“Well actually, I have yet to consult my lawyers on this, so I would not want to comment at this stage. But definitely there is a lady involved.”
But why you, Nadeem? Why do you think that you are being framed?
“Because a lot of people have not been able to digest my super-success. They must be jealous of the Nadeem–Shravan duo, of our hits that we have given one after the other. Here in the industry it is a crime to be successful. You’re not supposed to be talented, you’re not supposed to be outspoken. You’re not supposed to be honest.”
You mean to say that you are paying a price for being honest and successful?
“Hundred percent, yes definitely.”
So, you mean to say that you are in no way involved in the murder of Gulshan Kumar?
“Sorry…!”
But the police say they have the evidence to nail you.
“I can swear to God that I’m not involved at all in this case. People who know me will vouch for me. I want a public opinion to go on this. People who know me closely know what type of a person I am. I am a charitable man. I have done so many shows for the police force. I have done so much for the Lions Club, for the blind, for the earthquake victims. I’ve done a lot for the Mayor’s Relief Fund, free charity shows for communal harmony. I have a very good rapport with the Police Commissioners who have been extremely fond of me because of my behaviour, my culture.”
Did you have a good rapport with Gulshan Kumar?
“Yes of course, very much so. I mean, I certainly had a very good rapport. The only little sort of misunderstanding we had was over one of my albums. But that was not important. Earlier when Venus, Weston Music and Time together were trying to sabotage our career, we had called a press conference. In a similar way we lambasted them. We felt that every newcomer who is struggling should not be pressurized as such by the music mafia. With Gulshanji too, it was the same problem. I used to call him bade bhaiyya, we used to share that kind of relationship. But let me repeat, there could be a lady involved in this entire mess.”
It is being said that you used to threaten Gulshan because of your problems with T-Series.
“No, that is absolutely false. We used to have normal arguments, the way any business associates would have. There was no reason whatsoever that I would threaten anybody, for, after all, I have to work here in this industry.”
Are you being honest?
“Absolutely, it was just the run-of-the-mill kind of problems, nothing major. Once a producer had abused me and my mother, he gave filthy gaalis on my mother. I was so upset that I cried and everybody was a witness to it. I did not do or say anything. And when he apologized to me after a few days, I only told him that, after that day, I didn’t want to talk to him again. So what could be worse than a gaali on one’s mother? And I’ve even forgiven him. I have absolutely no hand in the Gulshan Kumar case. It is very surprising to me.”
But according to the police, they say you have underworld connections.
“If I have underworld connections, then the entire film industry has more underworld connections than me and Shravan. We are two people who have always tried to keep away from all this. We’ve always tried to be civil with people, be it a small child, a big man, a small man, a rich man, a poor man, the underworld, over-world or whatever. We are patriots and this reflects in our songs. It is very evident in my music in Pardes. But I don’t know, somewhere down the line, I must have antagonised people. I have always tried to do things for the good of the films at large, but Anuradha Paudwal wanted to sing my compositions. I do not know why this sort of a story has been created to get me into a fix.”
There’s this rumour that, some six months back, you went to Dubai to perform at the Hotel Royal Empire.
“That’s right, yes.”
And that you met underworld people there.
“Everybody met everybody, not only me.”
Who is everybody?
“No, it’s not fair to name anybody. If the police are so wise and well-informed they should be knowing, they should be aware.”
They say that the plan to kill Gulshan was plotted around the same time that you had gone for the show.
“Nothing of this sort happened at all. No, it was purely a show, and nothing but a show. We were working from morning to night for the show. Gulshanji had received a threat. Everybody knows that. He had been receiving threats since the last six to eight months. He was under threat when he first met us after our patch-up. So where’s the question of my involvement?”
But the police seem sure that the plot was hatched during your last trip to Dubai.
“God forbid, we had no intention of doing such a thing then. Do you think that we would have invited the Press from Bombay to cover the show? The Press was very much with us. We had reporters all along with us. So where was the time for the conspiracy to be hatched?”
Certain producers have said they’re going to drop you from their films.
“Oh great, it’s their loss, not mine. I’ve never gone to a producer for work. They have always approached me. So those who feel that they do not need my services are welcome to withdraw. I would still survive because God is the provider. God is the ultimate provider.”
Has the Interpol got in touch with you?
“No, they have not yet contacted me. They can contact me anytime. I am right here.”
Do you know Dawood Ibrahim?
“I think everybody knows him.”
How well do you know him? What is your equation with him?
“How well do others in the industry know him? That is how well I know him.”
It is also rumoured that your record company in London is financed by him.
“For God’s sake, this is news to me.”
Were you planning to cut an album with T-Series soon?
“Yes, very much so. We had already composed all the six songs for it. Three were recorded and three are yet to be recorded.”
Don’t you think all this will hamper your career prospects now?
“Well, my career would be finished if I am not given a fair trial. Going by what the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mendonca, has announced, it seems that he is convinced of my involvement and he doesn’t want to see reason.”
Are you planning to go to Bombay? When?
“Of course, yes.”
“When?”
“As soon as my wife recovers.”
At the end of the interview he insists that I take pictures of his wife (who is bed-ridden with all those tubes around her) and him together, just to show the people back in India that he was not hiding behind his wife’s illness. But that he was really in no condition to travel to India.
Till the time that Nadeem comes to Bombay and goes through the gruelling investigations of the police, one will only have to wait and see him prove his innocence. That is, if he is not guilty.
— Kevin Rego