Was Mumbai Man Who Kidnapped 17 Children Inspired By Bollywood Film Starring Yami Gautam?

Last Updated:October 30, 2025, 17:47 IST

Mumbai police sources said the accused, Rohit Arya’s actions are eerily similar to a character played by Bollywood actor Yami Gautam in the movie, 'A Thursday' (2022)

Police said Rohit Arya is a YouTuber and a schoolteacher from Nagpur. (Image: Sourced)

Could it be that Rohit Arya, the man who allegedly kidnapped 17 children and held them hostage at a studio in Mumbai’s Powai, was inspired by a Bollywood film with a similar plot?

According to Mumbai police sources, Arya’s actions are eerily similar to a character played by Bollywood actor Yami Gautam in the movie, A Thursday (2022). They said the accused is a YouTuber and schoolteacher from Nagpur.

In the film, Gautam plays a schoolteacher named Naina Jaiswal, who takes 16 students hostage with her demands centred around the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) law.

The sources said the Powai case is similar to the plot of A Thursday. The film also stars actors Atul Kulkarni, Neha Dhupia, and Dimple Kapadia.

They said Gautam’s character makes a series of demands to the government, at first appearing like a regular hostage situation but it later turns out she has a deeper personal and social reason tied to seeking justice.

In a video released after he kidnapped the children, Arya also claimed that he simply wants to speak with certain people and has “moral demands" without specifying what they are. He threatened to set everything on fire and harm himself along with the children if his demands were not met, as per the video.

While the reasons behind his actions are not yet clear, police sources said it was largely because of some contractual work. They said he called 100 students for an audition for a web series, out of which he selected 17 students, they added.

Oindrila Mukherjee

Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st...Read More

Oindrila Mukherjee is a senior sub-editor who works for the rewrite and breaking news desks. Her nine years of experience in print and digital journalism range from editing and reporting to writing impactful st...

Read More

News india Was Mumbai Man Who Kidnapped 17 Children Inspired By Bollywood Film Starring Yami Gautam?

Read More