For decades, Amitabh Bachchan's Sunday ritual of meeting fans outside his Mumbai home in Juhu has been one of Bollywood's most cherished traditions. But his latest appearance on November I came with an unusual addition: a transparent bulletproof enclosure around the veteran actor as he waved to the crowd, while son, actor Abhishek Bachchan, stood close by, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. Shah Rukh Khan too, this year changed his usual spot for waving to and greeting fans. Notably, this time the position was quite far, in the back.
The added security comes in the wake of the firing incident involving actor Tiger Shroff in Mumbai last month, in which gunmen opened fire at his car in Juhu. Tiger has since had bulletproof protection installed on his car's windshield. Actor Salman Khan, meanwhile, had bulletproof glass fitted on the balcony of his Galaxy Apartments residence in Mumbai's Bandra in January last year, from where he traditionally waves to fans on Eid and his birthday. He had also imported a bulletproof car in 2024 amid threats to his life.
Actor Ronit Roy, who runs a celebrity and private security agency, believes such a measure is a basic protocol for “a legendary star like Mr Bachchan. It should have been done much earlier. The moment stars step out of their homes, the risk and threat factor shoots up. Precautions are necessary.”
Yusuf Ibrahim, who has worked as a security consultant to celebs like Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan, adds, “With the way things are right now, prevention is better than cure. But I believe this is a temporary phase, this won't be permanent. The law will do whatever needs to be done, and those responsible (for the tension) will be brought to justice.”
{{/usCountry}}Yusuf Ibrahim, who has worked as a security consultant to celebs like Alia Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan, adds, “With the way things are right now, prevention is better than cure. But I believe this is a temporary phase, this won't be permanent. The law will do whatever needs to be done, and those responsible (for the tension) will be brought to justice.”
{{/usCountry}}Advertising guru Prahlad Kakkar, meanwhile, views the development as "unfortunate". He says. “It’s unfortunate that the criminal elements in our society have managed to create such paranoia among stars that the most important interaction they have, with their fans and supporters, is now happening with restrictions. Going forward, unless we do something about it, I don’t see this changing. The threat is not just national but international, and it is becoming a complex problem.”
Recalling how stars would once make time for fans on film sets, he adds that this accessibility is still prevalent in the South, unlike Bollywood, where “the star system has become cast in stone”.