In a plot twist nobody in Bollywood asked for, Mumbai police are investigating a shooting attempt on actor Tiger Shroff, who - in a rare departure from his on-screen invincibility - survived without sustaining any gunshot wounds. The 36-year-old was shot at on Sunday evening while leaving a football ground in the Juhu suburb, reportedly after his regular practice session. Videos showed at least two men firing multiple shots at close range at the front passenger seat of Shroff's car as it crawled slowly past a crowd, because subtlety apparently wasn't on the agenda.

Two people, including Shroff's driver, were injured, according to police. Reports say three men have been detained in connection with the incident. The attack has sent shockwaves through Bollywood, with celebrities raising concerns about Shroff's safety - a reasonable reaction when gunmen start treating film stars like moving targets.

Shroff, son of veteran actor Jackie Shroff, made his film debut with Heropanti in 2014 and has since built a career on action films, dancing, and martial arts skills that, it turns out, are of limited use against actual bullets. He is also a professional footballer and made his debut for Mumbay FC in October 2024 in a regional tournament. He was leaving the ground after practice when the attack happened, proving that even a casual kickabout isn't safe from Mumbai's increasingly bold criminal element.

Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister of Maharashtra state - of which Mumbai is the capital - visited Shroff on Sunday evening and said the actor had been left "shaken" by the attack. "These attempts to intimidate people will not be tolerated, and we will put an end to this hooliganism," Shinde said. In a photograph showing Shroff with Shinde, the actor is seen shirtless with some bandages on his upper body. It's not clear yet what injuries he sustained, but the image suggests he's been through something considerably less choreographed than his usual fight scenes.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as "serious and condemnable" and said police would arrest some people "very soon" - a promise that carries the vague reassurance of a politician who has just been handed a microphone. He said he had told Shroff not to worry and that the government would ensure his "complete safety."

The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), a large union, condemned the attack, alleging that gangsters were deliberately targeting people in the film industry to create an "atmosphere of fear" and extort money from celebrities. In a statement, the association criticised the government and police for failing to prevent such attacks, called for strict action against those responsible, and demanded better security for film industry workers and their families. It also said the incident was a reminder of the 1990s, when criminal gangs wielded considerable influence in the city, and that the film industry should not have to "work under the shadow of fear."

Police have not yet confirmed who was behind the shooting. But Indian media reports have been widely reporting that an audio clip has surfaced in which a man claiming to be linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang says he is responsible. Bishnoi is currently lodged in a high-security prison in Gujarat state in connection with several high-profile cases - which, if nothing else, is an efficient way to run a criminal enterprise. The authenticity of the recording and the man's claims have not been independently verified, and police have not confirmed the gang's involvement yet.

But the reports have brought the Bishnoi gang back into the headlines. In 2024, police arrested two people allegedly linked to the gang for a gun attack that targeted the home of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan. That same year, influential Indian politician Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai in a bustling neighbourhood, a murder also reportedly linked to people associated with the Bishnoi gang.

For now, Shroff is recovering, the police are investigating, and Bollywood is left to contemplate the unsettling fact that the only thing harder to control than a film set is the city outside it.