Mumbai: Security concerns in Bollywood have come into focus following the firing incident outside actor Tiger Shroff’s residence in Mumbai.
Reports of a security advisory asking celebrities to avoid public appearances, coupled with claims that suspected individuals had surveyed the homes of several stars, sparked concern across the film industry.
However, Mumbai Police denied issuing any such advisory.
Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Manoj Kumar Sharma clarified, “This is not true and does not reflect facts. Please verify information thoroughly before publishing any such news.”
Despite the reported security concerns, celebrities continue to honour their professional commitments and attend public events.
Speaking about the changing security arrangements, talent management professional Rakesh Upadhyay, who works with actors Ravi Kishan, Ameesha Patel and Jacqueline Fernandez, said, “While actors have definitely become more cautious, there has been no major change in the number of events celebrities are taking on. If they are performing at a company or an event organised by a businessman, celebrity managers now ask for the link to their website, how many people will attend and details about the guests. The demand for security has increased in number. From 3-4 bouncers, we now arrange 6-7 for the celeb. Other than that, there has been no major change.”
A source familiar with the Shroff family’s public engagements said Jackie Shroff continues to honour his professional commitments.
“Jackie sir has always been bindaas (fearless), and nothing much has changed there. He has been keeping up his commitments without any fuss. However, with many other clients, the demand for security has increased. Six bouncers is the minimum number being demanded now, and all information about the organisers is verified thoroughly by our team,” the source said.
Trade analyst Girish Johar, however, does not expect fewer promotional appearances to significantly affect box-office collections.
“The box-office numbers depend on strong content. Lack of film promotions in person will not majorly affect ticket sales. Shah Rukh and Salman Khan have already cut down their promotional appearances, but it did not affect their box-office numbers at all,” he said.