Who was Rohit Arya? Was He Inspired By Films like A Thursday and A Wednesday? Read ON

All three films explored the fine line between despair and rebellion—ordinary people taking extraordinary measures to be heard. 

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Who was Rohit Arya? Was He Inspired By Films?

Rohit Arya, a man who kept 16 children and one lady captive inside a studio in the city's Powai neighbourhood, died on Thursday during rescue attempts. The event sparked a large combined effort by Mumbai police and firefighters that lasted more than an hour.

According to Senior Inspector Jeevan Sonawane of Powai Police, the man looked to be mentally disturbed and was arrested soon after all of the children were safely evacuated. "All of the youngsters have been safely turned over to their guardians. Other information would be supplied following proper verification," he added.

"A guy named Rohit Arya has kept a few youngsters captive in Mumbai's Powai neighbourhood. He has published a video apparently stating that if he is not permitted to talk with a few individuals, he will burn everything on fire and injure himself and the children, according to news agency ANI, quoting Mumbai Police.

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All three films probed the narrow line between desperation and insurrection, with regular folks turning to extraordinary measures to make their voices heard. The terrible events at Powai's RA Studios appeared to blur that boundary even further, prompting many to wonder: Were the accused motivated by cinematic tales of justice and protest?

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As word surfaced that a guy named Rohit Arya was holding up to 20 children hostage within a Powai studio, many people couldn't help but think of films like A Thursday, A Wednesday, and Madaari, which all revolved around vigilante retribution and moral indignation.

A video of Arya later appeared on social media, in which he said that he is not a "terrorist" and threatened to burn everything on fire if anybody intervened.

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Soon after the news broke, netizens speculated whether Arya was influenced by Bollywood flicks such as A Thursday, A Wednesday, and Madaari.

Yami Gautam starred in A Thursday (2022) as a preschool teacher who kidnaps 16 children in order to seek justice and expose systemic deceit.

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Similarly, in A Wednesday (2008), Naseeruddin Shah portrays an ordinary guy who lays explosives across Mumbai to avenge terrorist assaults, prompting the police and public to confront their complacency.

In Madaari (2016), Irrfan Khan portrays a parent who kidnaps a minister's son in order to expose corruption and hold people in power accountable.

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All three films explored the fine line between desperation and insurrection, with ordinary people resorting to extraordinary measures to make their voices heard.

Arya apparently released a video explaining his motivations before the attack. "Instead of committing suicide, I have made a plan and have kept some kids here," he said in the recording, which quickly went viral. "I have very simple, moral, and ethical demands. I’m not a terrorist, nor do I want money. I just want answers."