Veteran filmmaker Rakesh Roshan has opened up about the fear and paranoia he experienced following a near-fatal shooting incident in 2000. Speaking to ANI, Roshan shared how he was terrified of his own security guards, fearing they might harm him.
After the release of Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Roshan was shot at by two assailants linked to the Budesh gang. The attack took place near his office in Santacruz, Mumbai, on January 21, 2000. Although he was hit in the left arm and grazed in the chest, Roshan underwent emergency surgery and recovered.
Following the incident, the government provided him with a security cover. However, the presence of armed guards caused him immense anxiety. “No matter how much security personnel is around you, you are still an open target,” Roshan said. He recalled how sitting in the front seat of his car with two armed guards behind him felt unnerving. “I feared they could kill me.”
The constant surveillance also made him feel claustrophobic. “Even during my walks on the beach, the guards followed me. It felt overwhelming,” Roshan added. Eventually, he requested the removal of his security cover, believing he would manage without it.
The attack on Roshan was linked to an extortion attempt by the Budesh gang. Despite the traumatic experience, the filmmaker has since moved on, continuing his work in the film industry.