Police in Mumbai are investigating a shooting targeting Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff after gunmen opened fire on his car as he left a football ground in the Juhu suburb on Sunday evening.
The BBC reported that videos of the incident showed at least two men firing multiple shots at close range towards the front passenger seat of Shroff’s car as it moved slowly past a crowd. The 36-year-old actor sustained no gunshot wounds, but two people, including his driver, were injured, according to police.
Three people were detained in Rajasthan on Monday in connection with the attack, police said. According to the BBC, Rajasthan police said two of the suspects were from the northern states of Haryana and Bihar and had been living in Mumbai for several years. The third suspect is a minor. They were expected to be handed over to Mumbai Police later in the day.
The shooting has raised fresh concerns about the safety of Bollywood celebrities, several of whom have been targeted by gunmen in recent years.
Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, whose capital is Mumbai, visited Shroff on Sunday evening and said the actor had been shaken by the attack.
“These attempts to intimidate people will not be tolerated, and we will put an end to this hooliganism,” Shinde said.
A photograph of Shroff with Shinde showed the actor shirtless, with bandages on his upper body. It was not immediately clear what injuries he had sustained.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the shooting as “serious and condemnable” and said police would arrest suspects “very soon”. He said he had assured Shroff that he should not worry and that the state government would ensure his “complete safety”.
The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), a major industry union, condemned the attack, alleging that criminal gangs were deliberately targeting people in the film industry to spread fear and extort money from celebrities.
In a statement, the association criticised the government and police for failing to prevent such incidents. It called for strict action against those responsible and better security for film industry workers and their families.
The association said the shooting evoked the 1990s, when criminal gangs wielded considerable influence in Mumbai, and argued that the industry should not have to “work under the shadow of fear”.
Police have yet to identify those behind the attack or confirm a motive. However, Indian media outlets have reported the emergence of an audio recording in which a man claiming links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang takes responsibility for the shooting.
The BBC reported that the recording’s authenticity and the man’s claims had not been independently verified, and that police had not confirmed the gang’s involvement.
Bishnoi is being held in a high-security prison in Gujarat in connection with several high-profile cases. His gang has previously been linked to attacks on prominent figures in Mumbai.
In 2024, police arrested two people allegedly linked to the gang over a shooting at the home of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. That same year, influential politician Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai. His murder was also reportedly linked to people associated with the Bishnoi gang.
Shroff, the son of veteran Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff, made his film debut in Heropanti in 2014. He has since appeared in numerous action films and is known for his dancing and martial arts skills.
He also plays professional football and made his debut for Mumbay FC in a regional tournament in October 2024. He was leaving the football ground after his regular practice session when Sunday’s shooting occurred.