Inside details of Mumbai studio hostage scare: How police stormed in to rescue 17 children, 2 adults from Powai studio | Mumbai News

MUMBAI: Seventeen young actor aspirants who had come to audition at RA Studio in Powai on Thursday found themselves trapped in a scene far from the one they had prepared for — held hostage by the very man they thought would give them their big break.The ordeal began around 1.45 p.m. when the Powai police control room received a distress call about a man threatening to harm several children inside a studio located in Mahavir Classic building. Within minutes, police teams, fire brigade personnel, and ambulances converged outside the building that houses RA Studio on its ground floor.Inside, the suspect — identified as Rohit Arya, a self-proclaimed filmmaker and director of a web series — had locked in 19 people, including 17 children, a senior citizen and another adult man. Arya had also released a video message demanding to speak to certain people and warning that he would “set everything on fire” and harm himself and the children if he wasn’t heard.As panic spread through the neighbourhood, police officials decided to move in. “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,” said a senior officer.Around 2.30 p.m., Inspector Vijay Salunke and his team broke open a bathroom grill to enter the locked studio. Onlookers outside reported hearing a sharp crack — “a gunshot-like sound,” they said — followed by the rush of boots echoing through the corridor. Within moments, five policemen emerged from the studio with Arya, dressed in a black T-shirt, in custody.Inside, officers found an airgun and some unidentified chemical substances. All 19 hostages were safely evacuated and taken outside by 5 p.m. in a school bus arranged by the police. The children, aged between 13 and 17 years, had travelled from various parts of Maharashtra to attend auditions for an ad shoot scheduled at the studio.Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary said, “Prima facie, the motive behind the act appears to be related to some pending work-related dues. We are investigating further.”Arya was taken to hospital for medical examination before being placed under arrest. The rescued children were reunited with their parents later in the evening.Senior officers said the suspect appeared mentally unstable, though no prior criminal record has surfaced so far. “It was a delicate situation, and the police acted swiftly to prevent a tragedy,” one officer said.What began as a regular casting call ended in panic and disbelief — but also with relief, as quick thinking and coordination by Mumbai Police turned what could have been a major disaster into a narrow escape.