Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff escaped unharmed after gunfire targeted him in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday, October 18 , reviving memories of attacks, extortion and intimidation directed at Bollywood personalities by organised crime groups during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The incident recalls a period when criminal groups sought to influence the Hindi film industry’s financing, casting decisions and distribution rights, using threats and violence against actors, filmmakers and other industry figures.

The relationship between Mumbai’s underworld and the film industry dates back to the 1960s, when gangsters such as Haji Mastan were known to socialise with film personalities and act as alternative financiers.

By the late 1980s and 1990s, however, the relationship had become more coercive. Criminal groups allegedly began financing film productions while demanding overseas distribution rights and attempting to influence casting decisions.

The history of violence against Bollywood figures continued into the early 2000s, with shootings targeting filmmakers Rajiv Rai and Rakesh Roshan, alongside attacks on the residences of film personalities.