Know all about gangster Abdul Latif who inspired Shah Rukh Khan's 'Raees'

Know all about gangster Abdul Latif who inspired Shah Rukh Khan's 'Raees'

Abdul Latif

Bootlegger, criminal, gangster? Here's what you need to know about the dreaded man of the 80s Abdul Latif that has served as an inspiration for Shah Rukh Khan's 'Raees'

Who was Abdul Latif

Abdul Latif Abdul Wahab Shaikh was one of the Gujarat's most dreaded gangster in the 1980s. He was an underworld figure in Gujarat and an alleged associate of Dawood Ibrahim. He was based in Ahmedabad and was also politically well connected.

Abdul Latif was born on October 24, 1951 to impoverished parents living in Kalupur, a Muslim locality in Ahmedabad. His father, Abdul Wahab Sheikh was a tobacco seller who brought up seven children in a cramped hutment.

When Latif was in his 20s, he started off as a small-time bootlegger. He used to wait on tables in gambling dens where he started serving liquor as a teenager. He worked under Allah Rakha a bootlegger, who also ran a gambling den. He then left Rakha to join his rival Manzoor Ali and was given monthly salary. However, he left the gang after having bitter spat with Manzoor after he was accused with theft.

Also Read: Don Abdul Latif's son to take SRK's 'Raees' makers to court once movie is out

He then became a bootlegger himself and eventually monopolised the illegal liquor business in Gujarat. That's where his journey into the world of crime, politics, and terrorism started. As a bootlegger, he established contacts and relationships with smugglers, criminals, policemen and politicians who helped and allowed this illegal business to flourish.

His operations extended across Gujarat, Daman, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

As his profile rose, he became involved in kidnapping, gambling, extorting money from builders and businessmen, and contract killing. At one point, he even indulged in a gang-war against Dawood Ibrahim. Dawood sensing his immense clout, befriended him and then they became close associate of each other which led to him being considered a prime suspect in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Latif was wanted for over 40 cases of murder and a similar number of kidnappings and was a suspect in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Latif, wanted in dozens of cases of murder, kidnapping and bootlegging, was said to be a part of Dawood Ibrahim gang. He was arrested in 1995 and killed by police in 1997 while trying to escape from Sabarmati jail

He was arrested in 1995 in Delhi and was housed at the Sabarmati jail pending trial. In November 1997, Abdul Latif was shot dead by the unknown people in Ahmedabad when he tried to flee from police custody.

Shah Rukh Khan in 'Raees'

Resemblance to the movie
Last year, a local court in Gujarat issued a notice to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's production house in response to a suit filed by the son of the gangster Abdul Latif, claiming damages for defaming his late father.

The film is reportedly based on Latif's life. His son Mustaq Ahmad also sought injunction against the release of the film as well as its promotional material.

The second part of the film shows Latif in a very defamatory manner and damages the family's reputation, the suit says, while demanding Rs 101 crore in damages.

Read Story: Shah Rukh Khan: 'Raees' work of fiction, not based on any person

The petitioner claims that when the script was being researched, his family members were consulted and the producers had also advertised that the film was based on Latif's life.

Shah Rukh has debunked the reports claiming that his upcoming film 'Raees' is based on underworld figure Abdul Latif's life, saying the movie is 'pure work of fiction'.

The 51-year-old actor along with the makers of the movie including Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar and director Rahul Dholakia has denied that the film has any resemblance to the life of Latif, who structured his empire around illicit liquor.

"In view of certain media reports that claim that the film 'Raees' is based on a real-life story and rumours to that effect being circulated, we take this opportunity to clarify that the Story of the film 'Raees' is a pure work of fiction, Not based on any person; living or dead.

"All those making such claims, will realise it themselves, once they see the film. It is an imagined crime thriller set against the backdrop of Gujarat," the makers said in a statement.