An Instagram video from Vidyut Jammwal has prompted debate as to why Tiger Shroff’s fans didn’t intervene in a shooting incident in Mumbai. Jammwal appeared emotional in the video and praised Shroff, while questioning his fans and the Mumbai Police about public safety and their "responsibilities".
Jammwal called Shroff one of the bravest people he knew before turning his attention to the actor’s fans. He questioned how people who regularly called themselves Shroff’s biggest fans could stand by during such an incident without trying to catch the attackers.
It is a very understandable response to a scary event, but the need for ordinary people to confront armed attackers is reasonable too.
Are fans expected to risk their lives for celebrities?
Jammwal’s comments raise a tense question, 'Do celebrities’ lives somehow matter more than those of ordinary people?'
His argument seems to have been that fans who love an actor should be prepared to put themselves in danger to save him. But watching someone on screen, attending events and participating in their work does not mean that one is the person who would ultimately be physically defending them from an armed attack.
Jammwal may not have intended his comments in that way. But more broadly, he may have been talking about people not helping others during violent attacks. However, asking bystanders to catch armed attackers risks overlooking the reality of such situations.
A shooting is not an action-film sequence in which someone can confidently charge at a gunman and emerge victorious. Ordinary people don’t have the benefit of choreography, multiple takes, or the certainty that the hero will survive the scene.
Expecting fans to intervene physically without knowing whether they are armed, how many attackers are present, or what might happen next is an unreasonable standard to impose on people who are themselves in danger.
There is a difference between helping someone in an emergency and expecting them to risk their lives by confronting an active shooter.
Jammwal Also Calls Out Mumbai Police
Jammwal also spoke to Mumbai Police, saying that such an incident should never have been allowed to happen. He said the authorities should do more to protect Shroff's safety and prevent more incidents from happening.
Questioning public safety and police accountability is perfectly legitimate. This should be an opportunity to raise questions about preventing armed attacks, protecting people in public spaces and holding the people responsible for the attack to account. It should not lead to the conclusion that every bystander failed or that a specific security failure has already been established.
When Real Life Is Not an Action Movie
Jammwal was possibly reacting emotionally to an alarming incident involving someone he knew. Perhaps he was trying to urge people to help one another instead of being passive spectators. His exact motives cannot be determined from the video alone.
And so the line between cinema and reality matters. An actor may play spies, soldiers and officers who are quick to respond to danger, but that does not mean ordinary people can or should be expected to behave like those characters in real life.
People watching a violent incident may be frightened, confused or unsure of what is happening. Their decision not to confront an armed attacker does not necessarily mean they lack courage or concern for the victim.
There are safer ways to help, such as taking cover, calling emergency services and telling the authorities to intervene if it is safe to do so.
Jammwal seemed shaken by the incident in the video. We cannot tell whether his behaviour was based on the shooting, his concern for Shroff, or something else entirely. We hope he is doing well, either way.
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