A shooting that targeted Tiger Shroff in Mumbai's Juhu area has brought the vulnerability of Hindi cinema's public-facing stars back into the news, with Manoj Bajpayee calling the industry a persistent "soft target" and urging patience as police investigate.
What we know so far
Bajpayee was speaking to PTI on Wednesday while promoting his upcoming Netflix release Gajab Raat. He described the incident as "unfortunate" and said the first feeling was relief that Shroff was safe.
On Sunday, gunmen opened fire on Shroff in Juhu. The actor escaped unhurt. His driver and an autorickshaw driver were injured, and Bajpayee said the driver is recovering. The actor declined to offer further commentary while the investigation is under way.
Why "soft target" is the key phrase
Asked about fresh threats reported against filmmaker Rohit Shetty and actor Salman Khan, Bajpayee said the industry has "always been a soft target." The term matters: a film personality is easy to locate because publicity, premieres, shoots and fan engagements require visibility. That exposure does not mean a specific failure; it is the nature of the job.
He added that the police are taking strict measures: "We are not experts on law and the department is taking strict measures and we don't have any doubts about it."
The old question
Bajpayee was responding to a question about whether the current threat climate echoes the late 1990s and early 2000s, when threats against film personalities were a cause for concern. He did not equate the two eras; instead he directed attention toward the ongoing process and the evidence still being collected.
On the psychological cost, he was direct: "It definitely affects each and every one, as you are helpless." For an industry built on public visibility, that helplessness is exactly what makes stars a soft target.
What to watch
- The police investigation will determine whether the Juhu firing was targeted, random, or part of a wider pattern.
- Security arrangements around high-profile actors may get more scrutiny as shootings and threats cluster.
- Bajpayee's Gajab Raat, directed by Ritesh Shah and produced by Friday Storytellers, releases on Netflix on October 23.
Bajpayee's response is a reminder that public figures often cannot control the threat environment; they can only cooperate with authorities and avoid speculation. His choice to keep the focus on procedure rather than panic is worth noting at a moment when fragments travel quickly online.
Source: Cinema Express
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