Bollywood security has been tightened across Mumbai after a run of shootings and extortion threats aimed at film stars, reviving memories of the underworld’s grip on the industry in the 1990s. Stars are moving with more bodyguards, police have stepped up protection for prominent names, and Bollywood security firms have seen demand rise sharply. The latest incidents include gunfire aimed at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai in October and an alleged 600,000 dollar extortion demand made to actor Tusshar Kapoor. Police have linked the violence to the gang of Lawrence Bishnoi, a convicted gangster accused by United States prosecutors of running a criminal network from behind bars.
Bollywood security after the October shooting
The Bollywood security response followed the shooting in the Juhu area of Mumbai on 18 October, when gunmen opened fire at Shroff’s vehicle as he left a football club. Police have arrested 13 people under organised crime laws in connection with the shooting, saying it was meant to extort money, assert gang dominance and spread fear. Police have named Anil Pandit, described as a Bishnoi gang member, as wanted in the case. Investigators also said suspects had carried out surveillance near the homes of Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan. Mumbai Police have since issued a fresh security alert to several prominent film personalities, asking them to stay alert and take extra care at public appearances.
Actor and security agency owner Ronit Roy said stars were now moving with bodyguards on either side. “There has been a sharp increase in demand. Requests have expanded beyond just lead actors, to include family members and children,” he said. Amitabh Bachchan recently greeted fans from behind a bulletproof enclosure outside his Mumbai home during his regular Sunday appearance. Bollywood security was also increased around Shah Rukh Khan’s home for his birthday. Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar said the state government was taking the threat calls seriously and that Mumbai Police were working to trace them. Some of the calls are suspected to have been made with the help of artificial intelligence.
Bollywood security and the 1990s
The Bollywood security scare has drawn comparisons with the late 1990s and early 2000s, when criminal syndicates used threats, extortion and violence to influence film financing, casting and distribution. Producers were pressed to pay protection money and give up business interests. The gangs included Dawood Ibrahim, a fugitive accused of involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bombings that killed 257 people, and his former lieutenant Chhota Rajan, who is in prison in India. The underworld’s influence faded as police stepped up operations under laws passed in 1999 against organised crime, and as corporate financing replaced informal money.
Director Rajiv Rai, who made the thriller Gupt, received extortion demands and threatening calls in the late 1990s before leaving India for Britain. “I was the victim in the 1990s, the world knows,” he said. Watching the latest incidents, he said the motives were harder to read now. “In the 1990s, we knew their agenda, ransom money,” he said. “Now they are calling and saying if you are Salman’s friend, we will kill you.” The Bollywood security threat has centred on Bishnoi’s gang, which has been linked to threats against Salman Khan, reportedly over claims that the actor hunted blackbuck antelopes in 1998. Indian authorities have also accused gang members of firing outside Khan’s Mumbai home and of involvement in the killing of politician Baba Siddique in 2024.
Bollywood security steps and the industry mood
Author S. Hussain Zaidi, a former investigative journalist, said the Bollywood security scare was being exploited by opportunistic criminals trading on the notoriety of established gangsters. “Some desperadoes are opening fire in the air to scare the industry and spread fear,” he told AFP. He added that the major gangsters of the 1990s were now dead, in prison or inactive. “The only gangster we hear of these days is Lawrence Bishnoi and even he is in jail, so there is no way that any local Mumbai-based gangster has control over the city,” he said. Crime journalist Ahmed Ali said many of the calls seemed to be pranks aimed at cashing in on the fear Bishnoi’s name now carries. Actor Manoj Bajpayee said the state government was watching the situation closely.
Producer Boney Kapoor, who was targeted by underworld figures over overseas distribution rights for his 1997 Salman Khan film Judwaa, said he expected the latest wave of violence to be short lived. “I don’t feel that kind of fear,” he said. “But one has to be cautious, these shootings can’t be ignored.” Police said the investigation was continuing. The Bollywood security alert from Mumbai Police remains in force, and officers have asked film personalities to report any threat call at once.