Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt on Wednesday received a death threat from a caller who also threatened to harm his actor-daughter Alia Bhatt and wife Soni Razdan if he failed to pay Rs. 50 lakh.
The 68-year-old filmmaker filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police. This morning, the caller was caught in Uttar Pradesh.
"A complaint for extortion is registered at the Juhu police station. The anti-extortion cell is investigating the case," said Ashok Dudhe, Deputy Commissioner, Mumbai Police.
The filmmaker tweeted on Thursday morning, "A bolt from the blue in the form of an extortion call and threat to my family was nipped in the bud by the Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh police in tandem. Gratitude!"
Mahesh Bhatt is a seasoned Bollywood writer, director and producer who has helmed many award-winning and critically-acclaimed movies like 'Saaransh', 'Arth', 'Naam', 'Daddy', 'Aashiqui' among others.
Mr Bhatt is also a popular commentator and often participates in television debates and panel discussions.
Mr Bhatt's daughter, Alia, is a popular actress who recently won many awards for her performance in 'Udta Punjab' and has worked in other hit films like 'Student of the Year' and 'Two States'. Her mother Soni Razdan was also an actor.