Film industry is said to be a big family. In any family, there are quarrels, and Bollywood can’t be exception. The great thing about a big Bollywood fight is, it becomes national news like Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption. At the moment when Shah Rukh Khan’s bashing of Shirish Kunder is national news, it is tempting to recall certain famous fights from the diaries of Bollywood.

1: Nutan slaps Sanjeev Kumar: This occurred during the time when Sanjeev Kumar was an upcoming actor. Nutan slapped Sanjeev Kumar in the compound of a studio. Film journals were carrying reports of a romance between Nutan and Sanjeev. It disturbed the marital life of Nutan. Nutan’s contention was, Sanjeev is feeding the media with the news to promote his career, and ruining her life. Sanjeev’s camp insisted that there was real fire under the smoke of the news of Nutan-Sanjeev romance.

Soon after the slapping incident, there was a Bollywood party. Sanjeev was there and all the actors kissed his cheek that was slapped by Nutan.

(Current B-town actors can take a tip from here and slap the one who they think is planting stories of their link ups)

2: Dharmendra slaps Sanjay Khan: This happened in Chennai earlier called Madras. Bollywood stars were there for the shoot of a Hindi film being made by a Madras based company. As usual, they gathered in the evening for drinks and dinner. Hero Sanjay Khan (younger brother of Feroz Khan) might have gone high and passed insulting remarks against the senior actor Om Prakash.

Dharmendra also happened to be there. He asked Sanjay to stop and apologize. Sanjay did not listen. Dharmendra slapped him. On his return to Bombay, Dharmendra saw Sanjay’s elder brother Feroze Khan at the airport. Dharmendra told Feroz, he is sorry that he slapped Sanjay. Feroz coldly said, “He deserved it.”

A case of blood being not thicker than water or whisky.

3: Anand Bakshi slaps Laxmikant: Another slapping incident happened at the wedding reception of Shammi Kapoor’s daughter and Manmohan Desai’s son. Lyricist Anand Bakshi got angry at something composer Laxmikant was saying or doing, and slapped him.

The slap did not destroy their creative partnership. They had been churning out hit songs and continued after the slap.

4: Raj Kapoor v/s Raaj Kumar: A much talked about verbal fight happened between Raj Kapoor and Raaj Kumar at Prem Chopra’s wedding celebration party. Raj had a grudge against Raaj as he had not consented to work in “Mera Naam Joker.” Raj had planned the role of a magician for Raaj. But Raaj declined saying, “Raaj cannot be equaled with Dharmendra and Manoj Kumar. If he has to be in the film, then only Raj Kapoor and Raaj Kumar will be there.”

Raj Kapoor might have got high at the party, and told Raaj Kumar, “You are a bloody murderer.” (Raaj was a police inspector before entering the industry and he was involved in a murder case.) Raaj replied, “I might be a killer, but I never went to you for a favour. It is you who had come to me.”

5: Prakash Mehra and Sanjay Khan: Again Sanjay Khan found himself in trouble. But this one is straight out of a B-town script. Producer-director Prakash Mehra (Zanjeer, Lawaris, Namak Haram, Kali Charan, Hera Pheri, Khoon Pasina) played the hero. Mehra got high at a booze party in his own house. Some people said things about Sanjay Khan. Prakash had some grudge against Sanjay; he took out his gun and went to Sanjay’s nearby bungalow. Standing at his gate, Mehra challenged Sanjay to come out for a duel. This time, Sanjay kept his cool. He phoned Dilip Kumar and other senior persons of the industry. They came, pacified Mehra and took him away.

6: Salman bashes up Ranbir: Well high on spirits Salman bashed up Ranbir Kapoor in a pub in Mumbai... Salman didn’t know Ranbir and when his father Salim came to know about the incident, he asked Salman to apologize to Kapoors. As an obedient son Salman went to Rishi Kapoor’s house and said sorry. Rishi was moved by the gesture. Ranbir was planning to enter Bollywood at that time. Its being said that Salman promised Ranbir’s father Rishi that he will help Ranbir in that matter. After some time Sawariyaa happened and Salman played a small role in Ranbir’s debut launch by Sanjay Leela Bhansali who at that time shared a special rapport with Salman Khan.

Bollywood is a big family having some big and some not so big names. The dream merchants survive on playing with emotions on the silver screen but sometimes ambitions, success, jealousy takes over and it gets high enough to create news. The previous encounters have ended on a positive note. We hope the latest Shah Rukh Khan-Shirish Kunder ends with a happy ending.