Rakesh Roshan recalled how Hrithik Roshan's overnight stardom made him a target for the underworld. Despite pressure to comply, Rakesh refused their demands, leading to a near-fatal attack in 2000.

At the time, I was working on a novel about Moroccan immigrants and desperate for affirmation that the draft I had completed held worth, that I hadn’t been wasting my time. But as soon as I ...