Bollywood has seen rivalries, ego clashes and heated confrontations over the decades. A few incidents remain as shocking as the dramatic fight between Shatrughan Sinha and Sanjay Khan. It was a fight that escalated from a verbal battle to alleged gunshots and even Subhash Ghai spending a day behind bars.Bob Christo detailed it in his autobiography Flashback: My Life and Times in Bollywood and Beyond.

The fight that triggered it all

According to Bob Christo, the incident unfolded at actor Ranjeet’s house, where he, Sanjay Khan, Shatrughan Sinha, Prem Chopra and filmmaker Subhash Ghai were drinking and socialising. Things spiraled quickly when an argument erupted between Khan and Sinha. Bob wrote, “I am not interested in fights; as long as I’m not involved, I keep out of the way. However, Sanjay was my friend, and whatever Shatru said did not go down well with Sanjay.” The tension grew further when others present appeared to side with Shatrughan, prompting Bob to defend his friend. Matters turned dangerous when one person allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen, but Bob intervened and disarmed him before leaving with Sanjay.

5 a.m. phone call and demand for a gun

Bob claimed he received a call at 5 a.m., in which Sanjay reportedly said, “Come over and bring Betsy,” referring to their coded name for a gun. Khan allegedly told him shots had been fired from Ranjeet’s property toward his bungalow, with additional shots fired near his front gate. The two began investigating on their own, questioning the guards and collecting bullets and cartridges before the police arrived.

Police action, lock-up and the fallout

As investigations progressed, Subhash Ghai allegedly spent one day in lock-up before being bailed out. Soon after, a meeting of Bollywood “seniors” was convened to settle the matter and restore peace among the parties involved. Bob wrote that the feud’s aftermath became part of Bollywood lore, adding that this incident contributed to Shatrughan Sinha earning the nickname ‘Shotgun’.Neither Sanjay Khan nor Shatrughan Sinha has publicly addressed the controversy to date.