Mumbai Police have advised leading Bollywood actors to avoid crowded public places, skip large gatherings and stop taking selfies with fans, according to reports published on 10 November. Mumbai Police issued the advice as a precaution after the firing at actor Tiger Shroff in Juhu last month, the reports said, citing an unnamed senior police officer. The advisory has since been denied by a senior officer of the same force, leaving the film industry with two conflicting accounts of what was said.
Mumbai Police advice to Bollywood actors
The reports said Mumbai Police told actors to stay away from crowded places, avoid mingling with fans in open spaces and stay clear of unfamiliar gatherings. NDTV reported that celebrities were urged to avoid crowded places, refrain from taking selfies with fans in public and exercise caution while attending public events. The advice followed security audits of several celebrity homes across Mumbai, according to the channel. The reports said the advisory was a preventive step, issued with the safety of the film fraternity in mind.
The reports linked the advice to the attack on Shroff on 18 October, when three men on a motorcycle opened fire on his car as he left a football ground in Juhu. His driver and a fan were injured in the attack. The three suspected shooters were arrested within days, and eight other people allegedly linked to the conspiracy were detained later, local media reported, citing police.
Investigators said the accused had scouted the homes of several leading actors before the attack, and reports named Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan among those whose homes were mentioned during the investigation. Reports also said the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the firing within hours of the incident. Police are investigating whether the attack was linked to a criminal gang that has been tied to earlier attacks on Bollywood figures.
The names in the reports point to the scale of the concern. The homes said to have been scouted belong to some of the biggest names in Hindi cinema, and reports said the accused had used auto-rickshaw drivers to survey the locations. The accused were also said to have picked their target after seeing fan-made reels on social media that showed Shroff without police protection at the time.
Mumbai Police denial of the advisory
A day after the reports appeared, Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner Manoj Sharma denied that any fresh advisory had been issued. “That’s not true and doesn’t reflect the facts. Please verify the information thoroughly before publishing any such news,” Sharma said, responding to a report by a publication. His response directly contradicts the reports that the department had circulated fresh instructions to actors.
The Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office had not replied to an email from Reuters seeking comment when the news agency reported the advisory on 10 November. Reuters reported the advisory on the basis of local media reports, which cited an unnamed senior police officer.
How actors have changed their routines
Whatever the status of the advisory from Mumbai Police, security around leading actors has visibly tightened since the attack. Images in local media showed Amitabh Bachchan greeting fans outside his Mumbai home, Jalsa, from behind protective glass. Many leading stars employ private armed guards and round-the-clock security teams, and some also receive police protection depending on their threat assessment.
For actors, the practical effect is a change in how they meet fans. Spontaneous photographs with strangers, long stops outside venues and unscheduled appearances are the moments the advice targets. Stars who once stopped for every phone camera are now expected to keep moving, with their security teams deciding where a crowd is safe to meet. Event organisers are also expected to check security arrangements before confirming an appearance.
Bollywood has a long history of being targeted by organised crime groups, with attacks, extortion demands and threats going back more than three decades. The firing at Shroff prompted a wider security reassessment by Mumbai Police and by the private security teams that protect actors, local media reported. The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested about 13 people so far and is pursuing suspects across states including Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana.