‘Industry has always been a soft target’: Manoj Bajpayee on Tiger Shroff firing case

Actor Manoj Bajpayee on Wednesday said Bollywood has always been a “soft target” amid the recent threats against film personalities, adding that he was relieved Tiger Shroff escaped unhurt in a shooting incident.

“It is unfortunate, and it is a relief that Tiger is safe, and he is well, his driver is recovering. At this point, we have nothing more to add, as the investigation is going on. Let’s see how it all unfolds,” Bajpayee told PTI.

Shroff escaped relatively unhurt after two assailants fired gunshots at his car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening. His driver and a bystander were injured in the incident.

Citing instances of threats against filmmaker Rohit Shetty and actor Salman Khan, Bajpayee said law enforcement agencies were taking the necessary measures to deal with the situation.

Responding to a question about whether the current situation echoed the late 1990s and early 2000s, when threats against film personalities were a cause for concern, Bajpayee said, “The industry has always been a soft target. But all I would say is that we are not experts on law and the (police) department is taking strict measures and we don’t have any doubts about it.”

Asked about the psychological toll of security threats on the film industry, the National Award-winning actor said the prevailing atmosphere of fear affects everyone.

“It definitely affects each and every one, as you are helpless,” he noted.

On the work front, Bajpayee is currently awaiting the release of Neeraj Pandey’s upcoming thriller drama Gajab Raat, which is set to premiere on Netflix on October 23.

Directed by Ritesh Shah, who has co-written the story with Pandey, and is produced under Pandey’s banner, Friday Filmworks, the film was previously titled Ghooskhor Pandat.