'Fear Is Still Hanging Like A Fog': Ram Gopal Varma On Tiger Shroff Firing Case, The Reality Of Underworld

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has reacted to the arrests made in connection with the firing incident outside Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff's residence in Mumbai. He argued that catching the gunmen may not be enough to dismantle the network behind such attacks. In a social media post, Varma explained how he belives the underworld operates, describing shooters as replaceable operatives while those who plan and order attacks remain further removed from the violence.

The comments come after gunmen opened fire at Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu area on October 18. The actor escaped unhurt, while his driver and a fan reportedly sustained injuries. Police have arrested 11 suspects as the investigation continues into a possible link to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

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Ram Gopal Varma Says Shooters Are 'Disposable'

Reacting to the arrests, Varma said people celebrating the capture of the suspected shooters should also consider the larger structure behind organised crime. He argued that the person who carries out a shooting is often the easiest member of a criminal network to replace.

"For all those who are celebrating the capture of Tiger Shroff's shooters, here is the reality...In the underworld , the person who actually pulls the trigger is the most replaceable, most disposable, and therefore the cheapest component of their entire ecosystem. And that is why the shooter is paid the least because his value is physical and temporary.. Once the specific job is done, his utility is gone. The organisation does not depend on him to think, manage, negotiate , control and maintain. They can be compared to construction labourers of a building because the labourers neither design nor own it."

Varma compared shooters to construction workers, saying they execute a task without necessarily having any role in designing or controlling the larger operation. In his view, the people who organise attacks and make decisions hold greater than those who carry them out.

For all those who are celebrating the capture of @iTIGERSHROFF ‘s shooters , here is the reality .. In the underworld , the person who actually pulls the trigger is the most replaceable, most disposable, and therefore the cheapest component of their entire ecosystem. And that is why the shooter is paid the least because his value is physical and temporary.. Once the specific job is done, his utility is gone . The organisation does not depend on him to think, manage, negotiate , control and maintain . They can be compared to construction labourers of a building because the labourers neither design nor own it. In the underworld, the shooter is the labourer. The people who assign the job and decide who lives and who dies are the architects and the owners Likewise Kings and generals too do not fight wars. Soldiers do. The entire military system is engineered so that the decision makers , remain at a distance from the actual battle. A general issues orders to go fight and the soldier is the one who kills or is killed or captured My intention is not to put the military and the underworld in the same category but it is to explain the obvious logic of power. By separating the risk takers from the decision makers, the system can push in prolonged violence , without the ones at the top being destroyed. if the don himself had to carry out every killing, he too could die and so he uses the disposable shooters So in effect capturing the shooters is neither the police’s gain nor the underworld’s loss and that is why fear is still hanging like a fog on entire Bollywood

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) October 24, 2026

'The People Who Assign The Job Are The Architects'

Expanding on his argument, Varma drew a comparison between criminal networks and military hierarchies. He said those who make strategic decisions often remain removed from the immediate risks faced by the people following their orders.

"In the underworld, the shooter is the labourer. The people who assign the job and decide who lives and who dies are the architects and the owners. Likewise Kings and generals too do not fight wars. Soldiers do. The entire military system is engineered so that the decision makers, remain at a distance from the actual battle. A general issues orders to go fight and the soldier is the one who kills or is killed or captured."

The filmmaker clarified that he was not placing the military and the underworld in the same category. Rather, he said, the comparison was intended to explain how power can separate decision-makers from those exposed to the consequences of their actions.

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'Fear Is Still Hanging Like A Fog' Over Bollywood

Varma argued that the arrest of suspected shooters does not necessarily mean the wider network behind an attack has been dismantled. According to him, the people at the top can continue to operate if those responsible for planning and directing violence remain untouched.

He said, "My intention is not to put the military and the underworld in the same category but it is to explain the obvious logic of power. By separating the risk takers from the decision makers, the system can push in prolonged violence, without the ones at the top being destroyed. If the don himself had to carry out every killing, he too could die and so he uses the disposable shooters. So in effect capturing the shooters is neither the police’s gain nor the underworld’s loss and that is why fear is still hanging like a fog on entire Bollywood."

His remarks come amid an ongoing investigation into the firing incident involving Shroff. An associate identified as Anil Pandit reportedly released an audio message claiming responsibility on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The threat was linked in reports to Shroff’s association with, and past praise for, actor Salman Khan.