Somy Ali, the former Bollywood actress and now women’s rights activist, has taken social media by storm after publicly inviting notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi for a Zoom conversation. Currently based in the US, Somy shared her message on Instagram, reaching out to Bishnoi, who is imprisoned at Sabarmati Central Jail.

In an instagram post on Thursday, Somy uploaded a picture of Bishnoi, along with a caption addressing him directly in Hindi. "This is a direct message to Lawrence Bishnoi: Hello, Lawrence brother, have you heard and seen that you are making zoom calls from jail too, so I want to talk to you. Please let me know how this can happen? Rajasthan is our favourite place in the whole world. We want to come to your temple for worship, but let’s have a zoom call first and have some talks after the worship. Trust me this chat is for your own good. Give me your mobile number, it will be a great favour. Thank you."

Somy's post raised eyebrows, particularly as she went on to ask Bishnoi for his phone number, indicating she wished to arrange the meeting personally.

Somy Ali, who dated Bollywood superstar Salman Khan in the 1990s, has been living in the US since they broke up in 1999. Over the years, she has spoken openly about her tumultuous relationship with Salman, yet has also come to his defence multiple times. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Somy Ali addressed the threats against Salman Khan by the Bishnoi gang, stemming from the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

While expressing her opposition to hunting, Somy pointed out that the incident took place more than two decades ago when Salman was much younger. She clarified that although she does not condone hunting, people grow and evolve from their mistakes. Somy also made an emotional appeal to the Bishnoi community, urging them to move on from the past.

She further emphasised that violence is never a solution, whether the target is a celebrity or an ordinary person. Somy firmly stated that taking someone’s life is unacceptable and urged the Bishnoi tribe to seek justice through the legal system. She added that harming Salman would not bring the blackbuck back, and the past cannot be undone.