How Shah Rukh Khan Went to Great Lengths for His Son in the 2021 “Drugs-on-Cruise” Case

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan faced one of the toughest periods of his life in October 2021. His son, Aryan Khan, was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) during the infamous “Drugs-on-Cruise” raid on a Mumbai cruise ship, sparking nationwide attention and anxiety. Desperate to secure his son’s release on bail, Shah Rukh went to extraordinary lengths.

Recent reports reveal that he not only called veteran lawyer and former Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi personally, but also reached out to Rohatgi’s wife to persuade her to convince her husband to take the case. Shah Rukh even offered to fly the lawyer in on a private jet. (Hindustan Times)

Reaching out to the lawyer’s family

In a conversation on Republic TV, Mukul Rohatgi recalled the episode. He said, “I was on vacation in the UK when a close associate of Mr. Khan called, saying they wanted me to fight Aryan’s case in the Bombay High Court. I initially refused because I didn’t want to cut short my leave. Later, Shah Rukh himself called, and when I repeated my refusal, he asked, ‘Can I speak to your wife?’”

Rohatgi explained that Shah Rukh told his wife, “This isn’t just a client’s case, I am a father.” Moved by his heartfelt plea, she persuaded Rohatgi to take up the case.

Preparing for the High Court battle

Rohatgi described Shah Rukh’s meticulous involvement in the preparations. “He even offered me a private aircraft to come to Mumbai, though I didn’t take it. When I arrived, I noticed Shah Rukh was staying in the same hotel as me. He had prepared handwritten notes himself, outlining key points. Together, we reviewed everything, presented the case in the High Court, and Aryan was granted bail.” Afterward, Rohatgi returned to England.

The case and its resolution

The incident occurred during an NCB raid on the Cordelia cruise ship heading to Goa. Aryan, along with several others, was arrested. After spending nearly three weeks in custody, Aryan secured bail and was later fully acquitted of all charges.

Initially, Aryan’s legal representation was handled by Satish Maneshinde, who had been involved in the Rhea Chakraborty case linked to Sushant Singh Rajput. Later, Amit Desai took over, and when the case moved to the High Court, Mukul Rohatgi joined the defense team.

Aryan’s journey since the controversy

Today, Aryan Khan has emerged as a filmmaker. His web series The Badshahs of Bollywood was recently released on Netflix, marking a new chapter in his career, free from the shadow of past controversies.