Their dream audition became a Mumbai hostage crisis. A year on, some children won’t go back

A year after 17 children were held hostage at a Powai studio as they attended an audition, some of them have returned to acting assignments and modelling contests, while others have abandoned plans to pursue careers in films and television. Their families say the children are doing better, but the October 2025 ordeal continues to influence decisions about their futures.

For Kiran Surve, whose daughter was among the children inside the studio, the first two months after the incident were difficult. The Pune based real estate developer had accompanied his daughter and wife to the studio that day.

“She would wake up from her sleep when the shocking incident came back to her in a dream. Slowly, we consoled her. She is dedicated, so she started focusing on her work and studies,” Surve said.

His daughter has since taken up a small role in a Marathi film set to be released and also reached the finals of the Maharashtra Super Model contest.

“She was inside the studio when Rohit Arya was shot, so the incident affected her. We always teach her to remove negativity and past incidents from her mind. The past is past; we encourage her to live in the present and work towards a better future,” he said.

“After a year, she is a little more mature and happy with her work and studies.”

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Surve said some families had decided against allowing their children to pursue careers in films or television. Seven to eight parents, connected via a WhatsApp group, had reconsidered their children’s involvement in the entertainment industry.

“We initially thought she might need counselling, but she is a brave girl and dedicated to her work and studies, so she came out of the trauma soon,” he said.

“Many families have only one child and worry that their decisions might be wrong,” he added.

A mother from Nanded, whose seven year old daughter had also been part of the acting audition arranged by Arya, said the family had decided against her pursuing a career in films or television. The girl is now in Class III and concentrates on her studies.

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“She still talks about the incident, asking when the movie will be released. We ignore it and divert her attention. We cannot tell her everything, otherwise it may affect her life. She is fine now,” the mother said.

Police had said Arya held the children captive. A preliminary assessment at the time indicated he was upset over being upaid for a project he had undertaken for the School Education Department. He had also staged protests the preceding year.

Surve said he did not consider Arya a bad person, but acknowledged the distress the incident had caused the children and their parents.

“The incident caused considerable tension for the children and their parents. Luckily, no one was hurt, and all the children came out safe.” Surve said.