Mad Sandhu murder: Punjabi influencer was set to enter Bigg Boss, says father

Punjabi LGBTQI+ social media influencer and makeup artist Mad Sandhu, who was murdered Saturday, was set to enter reality television show Bigg Boss as a wildcard contestant later this month, his friends and family said.

The 30-year-old, whose real name was Madhusudan Sandhu, had built a following through his outspoken social media presence and was preparing for a major break in his career. He was to enter the Bigg Boss house on October 29, had completed the necessary paperwork, but had not made the information public, according to his father Bhupinder Singh. He was due to leave for Mumbai to take part in show on on October 20, Bhupinder Singh, said.

On Sunday, the family cremated Sandhu. Sandhu died of gunshot wounds after two motorcycle borne assailants opened fire at him in Amritsar outside a car wash.

The killing sent shockwaves through Amritsar, with Sandhu’s family saying he had previously received online abuse and threats over his outspoken social media presence and his association with the LGBTQ community. He had also approached the police several times seeking protection, his father said.

The murder took another turn after two gangsters separately claimed responsibility for the killing in social media posts. Gangster Goldy Dhillon was the first to claim responsibility, alleging that Sandhu was “ruining the new generation” and warning others who, according to him, promoted similar content on social media platforms.

Spain-based alleged gangster Lucky Johal subsequently disputed Dhillon’s claim and said he was responsible for the killing. Johal allegedly said the murder was not motivated by money or personal gain but by what he described as an attempt to protect Punjab’s culture and environment. He also threatened another influencer, Arupreet, whose content he claimed was similar to Sandhu’s.

Police have not established the veracity of either claim.

Amritsar Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said, “police has obtained significant leads regarding the shooters and expressed confidence that arrests would follow.”

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Sabndhu was eldest of three siblings. His father is a retired Punjab police sub-inspector, while his mother is a homemaker. The family originally lived on Sultanwind Road before moving to the Manawala area along the Amritsar-Jalandhar road.

Recalling his son’s childhood, Bhupinder Singh said Sandhu had expressed his individuality and gender identity from an early age. “From early childhood, he was different. We initially tried to change him, but later we understood that this is how God has made him,” he told The Indian Express.

The family later became supportive of Sandhu’s choices, his father said. “We never restricted him from living his life on his own terms.”
After completing Class 12, Sandhu trained as a makeup artist at a private institute and later established his own salon and makeup business in Amritsar. His work took him into the Punjabi entertainment industry, where he worked with actors and attended events in Mumbai.

His reported selection for Bigg Boss marked another milestone in his career. “He was supposed to go to Bigg Boss as a wildcard entry,” his father said.

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Sandhu’s public profile, however, had also made him a controversial figure at times. In April 2025, he publicly supported the cancellation of a Pride parade in Amritsar and appealed to members of the LGBTQ community not to turn the issue into a confrontation with wider society. “If society does not want to accept these things right now, or if it isn’t ready for them yet, then we shouldn’t force it,” he had said. He had also urged members of the community to take cultural and religious sentiments into consideration.

According to his family, Sandhu had faced hostility and threats from several people, including some Nihang factions. His father said Sandhu had informed police about the threats and submitted applications seeking protection, including one several months before his death. “He would just go to work, work to home, home to work,” his father said, describing the cautious routine Sandhu had adopted.

The family said they had received no ransom demand.

Police are now investigating the circumstances of the shooting, including the identity of the assailants and the competing social-media claims of responsibility.