Mumbai: Hours after police fatally shot Rohit Aarrya for holding 17 children and three adults captive inside a Powai studio, fresh details reveal the 34-year-old suspect had actively courted prominent Marathi actors for upcoming movie ventures – including a script eerily centred on a hostage crisis.
Veteran actor Girish Oak disclosed that he met Aarrya at RA Studio on October 29, just 24 hours before the October 30 siege. “An old colleague reached out on Aarrya’s behalf, mentioning a role in a socially relevant film,” Oak recounted. He arrived at 11 am; Aarrya joined minutes later. The two reviewed the project while dozens of children milled about. “He explained they were part of a workshop,” Oak said. After posing for group photos with the youngsters and selfies with waiting parents, the actor departed around noon.
Separately, actress Ruchita Jadhav posted a chilling account on Instagram, describing how Aarrya first contacted her on October 4 to pitch the hostage-themed storyline. “As a professional, I was open to listening,” she wrote. Aarrya proposed meetings on October 27, 28 or 29; Jadhav confirmed the 28th. On October 27 he shared the Powai studio address and pressed for the next-day sit-down.
A last-minute family obligation forced Jadhav to cancel. “Seeing the news on October 31 about the same man left me numb,” she continued. “I keep replaying how close I came to walking into that studio.”
Police sources confirmed Aarrya had produced low-budget films earlier, using the contacts to lure talent. The revelations have stunned the Marathi film fraternity, with actors now reviewing recent outreach from unknown producers. Authorities continue to probe whether the workshop was a pretext to gather the victims.
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