After fresh reports of an attack on actor Tiger Shroff, The Economic Times has revisited a darker thread of Hindi cinema: the moments when extortion, gang rivalry and threats turned into violence against well-known film personalities. The list is a reminder that Bollywood’s security problem is not a recent invention, and that the industry’s relationship with organised crime has a long paper trail.
Five cases, one recurring pattern
The earliest case in the list is director Rajiv Rai, known for Gupt, who was attacked in central Mumbai in 1997 by five assailants allegedly linked to the Abu Salem gang. Three years later, filmmaker Rakesh Roshan was shot outside his Mumbai office on 21 January 2000 and sustained bullet injuries to his arm and chest. The shooting followed the success of Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, the debut of his son Hrithik Roshan. According to the report, Rakesh Roshan was targeted after he refused to pay extortion money.
- Salman Khan: Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi publicly threatened to kill the actor in 2018 over the blackbuck poaching case. On 14 April 2024, two men on a motorcycle fired shots outside Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, after which the actor’s security was increased.
- Disha Patani: In September 2025, unidentified gunmen opened fire outside the ancestral home of her father, retired DSP Jagdish Patani, in Bareilly. The Goldy Brar and Rohit Godara gang claimed responsibility on social media and called the firing a warning after remarks allegedly made by Disha’s sister. Two shooters linked to the incident were later killed in a police encounter in Ghaziabad.
- Rohit Shetty: His Juhu residence was fired on during the night of 1 February 2026. Police said the Shubham Lonkar gang carried out the attack to extort money and create fear. Several suspects were later arrested; one, Pradeep Kumar alias Gaath, was held in Agra in October 2026.
Why the pattern matters
These are not isolated celebrity episodes. Several cases follow a similar shape: a refusal to pay, a public threat, or an attempt to send a warning through a family member or a home. Rakesh Roshan was reportedly punished for saying no to extortion. In the Patani case, the gang itself described the firing as a warning. In the Shetty case, police framed it as extortion by fear. The target is often not just the star, but everyone around them.
That makes security a production concern, not only a personal one. A debut success, a court case, or a remark by a relative can be enough to change a public figure’s threat profile. The industry’s response has, in turn, become more visible: security was tightened after the 2024 Bandra firing, and police action followed in the more recent cases.
What to watch next
The immediate test is whether the latest Tiger Shroff reports yield arrests, motive, or a known gang. If history is any guide, the answer will likely turn on extortion or gang messaging rather than chance. For readers who follow Hindi cinema closely, the list is also a reminder to read such incidents as part of a longer record, not as isolated news.
Source: The Economic Times
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