'How close I came to being there': Actor Ruchita Jadhav reveals filmmaker Rohit Arya had invited her days before hostage incident

Rohit Arya

A day after Mumbai filmmaker Rohit Arya was shot dead by police after holding 19 people, including 17 children, hostage in his Powai studio, city-based actor Ruchita Vijay Jadhav revealed that Arya had contacted her days before the incident to discuss a film project on a hostage situation.

In an Instagram post, Jadhav said Arya had reached out on October 4 and invited her to meet him on October 28 to discuss a “film about a hostage crisis.” The meeting was to take place at the same Powai studio where the incident unfolded. However, she said she cancelled the meeting due to a family commitment.

“When I saw the news, I felt a chill. I can’t stop thinking about how close I came to being there. I’m grateful to God and my family,” Jadhav said.

Arya was shot dead by the police on Thursday after a standoff lasting several hours. According to police, Arya had lured 19 people to his studio under the pretext of an audition and later held them hostage, demanding Rs 2.4 crore from the Maharashtra government, claiming it was owed to him for leading Project Let’s Change, a sanitation drive involving 59 lakh students.

During the operation, a police officer opened fire after Arya allegedly pointed a gun at a child. Arya was hit in the chest and died on the spot. All hostages were rescued safely.

Later, the Maharashtra government issued a statement clarifying that no dues were pending towards Arya. It said that Arya had instead collected unauthorized registration fees from schools participating in the project.

Arya’s wife, Anjali, later told reporters that her husband had been fighting both for the promised payment and for recognition for his work.