Police in India’s Mumbai city are investigating a shooting attempt on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, who survived without sustaining any gunshot wounds according to BBC.
The 36-year-old was shot at on Sunday evening while he was in a car leaving a football ground in Juhu suburb. Videos showed at least two men firing multiple shots at close range at the front passenger seat of Shroff’s car while it was moving slowly past a crowd.
Two people, including Shroff’s driver, were injured, according to the police. Three people were detained in Rajasthan on Monday in connection with the incident, the police said.
The attack has sent shockwaves through Bollywood, with celebrities raising concerns about Shroff’s safety.
Several actors and political figures in Mumbai have been targeted by gunmen in recent years.
Shroff, the son of veteran Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff, made his film debut with Heropanti in 2014. He has appeared in many action films, and is popular with fans for his dancing and martial arts skills.
He is also a professional footballer and made his debut for Mumbay FC in October 2024 in a regional tournament. He was leaving the football ground after his regular practice session when the attack happened
Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, visited Shroff after the shooting on Sunday evening, and said the actor had been left “shaken” by the attack.
“These attempts to intimidate people will not be tolerated, and we will put an end to this hooliganism,” Shinde said.
In a photograph showing Shroff with Shinde, the actor is seen shirtless with some bandages on his upper body. It’s not clear yet what injuries he sustained.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as “serious and condemnable”, and said that the police would arrest some people “very soon”.
He said he had told Shroff that he should not worry, and that the government would ensure his “complete safety”.
Rajasthan police said the two of the three suspects detained were from the northern states of Haryana and Bihar and had been living in Mumbai for the past few years. The third suspect is a minor.
They are expected to be handed over to Mumbai Police later in the day.
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), a large union, condemned the attack, alleging that gangsters were deliberately targeting people in the film industry to create an “atmosphere of fear” and extort money from celebrities.
In a statement, the association criticised the government and police for failing to prevent such attacks. It called for strict action against those responsible and better security for film industry workers and their families.
The association also said the incident was a reminder of the 1990s, when criminal gangs wielded considerable influence in the city. It said that the film industry should not have to “work under the shadow of fear”.
Police have not yet confirmed who was behind the shooting. But Indian media reports have been widely reporting that an audio clip has surfaced in which a man claiming to be linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang says he is responsible.
Bishnoi is currently lodged in a high-security prison in Gujarat state in connection with several high-profile cases.
The authenticity of the recording and the man’s claims have not been independently verified and police have not confirmed the gang’s involvement yet.
But the reports have brought the Bishnoi gang back into the headlines.
In 2024, police arrested two people allegedly linked to the Bishnoi gang for a gun attack that targeted the home of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.
That same year, influential Indian politician Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai. His murder, in a bustling neighbourhood in Mumbai, was also reportedly linked to people associated with the Bishnoi gang.