Highlights:
- 17 children and 2 adults held hostage at Powai’s RA Studio
- Suspect threatened to harm children and “set everything on fire”
- Police broke in through bathroom grill; airgun and chemicals recovered
- All hostages rescued safely; suspect later died after firing at police
A casting call turns into a nightmare
What should have been a routine audition for young aspiring actors in Mumbai spiralled into a frightening hostage drama on Thursday afternoon. Seventeen children, along with two adults, walked into RA Studio in Powai, hoping for a shot at an ad role only to find themselves trapped by the very man promising them their break.
The situation unfolded around 1.45 pm when Powai police received an alarming call: a man inside the Mahavir Classic building studio was threatening to harm several children and set the place ablaze.
Within minutes, police units, fire brigade teams, and ambulances had gathered outside the ground-floor studio, sending ripples of panic through the neighbourhood.
Suspect’s threats and frantic police response
The accused, identified as Rohit Arya, who described himself as a filmmaker directing a web series, had barricaded 19 people inside, including a senior citizen and another adult. He released a video demanding to speak to specific individuals and claimed he would burn everything and harm himself and the children if ignored.
“We received information that the man was agitated and possibly carrying some chemical. The decision was made to force entry before he could act on his threats,” a senior officer said.
With no time to risk negotiations, officers decided to move fast.
Breaking in to break the deadlock
Around 2.30 pm, Inspector Vijay Salunke and his team forced their way in by breaking open a bathroom grill. Residents outside reported hearing a loud crack “like a gunshot,” one witness said, followed by the thud of police boots rushing into the corridor.
Moments later, Arya was seen being escorted out in custody, wearing a black T-shirt, as crowds exhaled in relief.
Inside the studio, police recovered an airgun and unidentified chemical substances. The hostages were moved to safety and later taken out of the building in a school bus by around 5 pm.
The children, aged 13 to 17, had travelled from different parts of Maharashtra for the audition.
Suspect dies after firing at police
Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary said the act appeared to stem from a dispute over unpaid work dues. “We are investigating further,” he added.
Arya was taken for a medical examination, where he was declared dead. Police said he had fired at officers during the rescue operation.
Senior police officials noted that Arya appeared mentally unstable, although no previous criminal history has been found so far.
Relief after a terrifying afternoon
The rescued children were reunited with their parents later in the evening, bringing an agonising ordeal to an emotional close.
What started as a hopeful casting day ended in panic, but swift action, a calculated entry, and calm coordination by Mumbai Police ensured a tragedy was averted. For the families, it was a day that could have gone unimaginably wrong. Instead, it ended in relief, even as questions linger around a man who turned ambition into threat.
