Baba Siddique played a pivotal part in mediating between Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan during their famous feud. The two Bollywood icons had been in conflict since 2008 after a public argument at Katrina Kaif's birthday party. Their disagreement garnered wide attention, with both stars avoiding each other at events for years.
However, in 2013, during Baba Siddique’s annual iftar party in Mumbai, the two actors publicly reconciled. This moment made headlines across the country when Salman placed his hand on Shah Rukh’s shoulder, and the two embraced, symbolising an end to their long-standing feud. Videos and photos of the embrace quickly went viral, capturing a rare moment of unity between the two Khans.
This gesture not only highlighted Siddique's influential role in Bollywood circles but also showcased his reputation for bringing people together. Siddique’s iftar parties have since become a symbol of camaraderie within the industry, regularly attended by high-profile stars and other prominent personalities.
The iftar celebration was in progress when Salman placed his hand on Shah Rukh's shoulder. Shah Rukh was seated next to his father, the screenwriter Salim Khan. Salman did this to hug his "Karan-Arjun" co-star, thus putting an end to their well-known rivalry.
A year after that, Salman also showed support for Congress' Siddique. This happened when he spent an afternoon in Ahmedabad with the then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from the BJP during the kite-flying festival of Uttarayan.
"In our constituency Bandra, where it's my responsibility to cast a vote, the best people there are Baba Siddiqui and Priya Dutt. You have to give Modi sahab the vote, I have to give my people the vote," the superstar said.
Priya Dutt, daughter of Sunil Dutt and a Congress leader, expressed her "shock" at Siddique's passing.
"Baba was more than a political associate; he was family. To my father, Baba Siddique was like a son, and to me, he was a brother and a dear friend," she wrote in an X post.
Siddique, a well-known personality in Bollywood circles who received acclaim for delivering life-saving medications to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, was ambushed by three individuals at Kher Nagar in the Bandra area of Mumbai, just outside the office of his son Zeeshan Siddique, who is an MLA. The incident took place on Saturday night when he was shot at.
He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Siddique, 66, was introduced to politics by the late Congress MP Dutt, who served as the representative for Mumbai North West for five consecutive terms.
Siddique became a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) as a teenager in 1977. Even after he joined the National Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar in February, he acknowledged Sunil Dutt's influence on his political career.
Siddique's connection to Dutt helped him secure an MLA ticket in 1999 from Bandra West, which he held for three consecutive terms. In addition to his political career, former actor Dutt also introduced the political leader to the world of Bollywood.
Following Siddique's passing, actor Sanjay Dutt, the son of Dutt, was among the first celebrities to visit the late politician at the Lilavati Hospital where he passed away on Saturday night.
Two of the accused have been arrested -- Gurmail Baljit Singh (23), a resident of Haryana, and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), a native of Uttar Pradesh. Some teams have also been sent out of Maharashtra to nab the third accused who is still at large, police said.
The accused have been booked under relevant Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including for murder, as well as provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act, they said.
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