How the drugs case involving Shah Rukh Khan’s son was a warning to Bollywood

The arrest of Aryan Khan has sent shivers through India’s world-famous movie industry, writes Maanya Sachdeva

Indian Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan waves to fans outside his house in Mumbai (Getty Images)

Shah Rukh Khan, arguably one of Bollywood’s most self-reflective voices, has sold an audacious brand of romance to generations of fans in India with his trademark cheek for over three decades.

But a month after his son Aryan walked out of jail on bail, having spent 26 days in custody in a drugs case, those who follow the inner workings of Bollywood believe that India’s right-wing Hindu nationalist government is flexing its muscles to control the multi-billion dollar industry that runs on brand power. And the articulate, Muslim actor is a global brand.

The case sends a message to an alarmed industry that no one is above the scrutiny of the government.