Source close to facility’s management reveal what transpired behind the scenes in lead-up to Thursday’s dramatic hostage situation
The interiors of the RA Studio, situated on the ground floor of the Mahavir Classik building in Powai. Pics/By Special Arrangement
RA Studio in Powai only witnessed film shoots until Thursday afternoon, when Rohit Arya, who held 16 children and an adult hostage on its premises, was shot down. According to a source close to the studio’s management, Arya had approached them about a week ago, seeking to rent the studio, the in-house mini-theatre, as well as a space upstairs, which is also owned by them.
Arya claimed that he would require a lot of space as he was going to be auditioning a lot of children for a web-series, and he also planned to conduct the rehearsals on the premises. The management, which usually allots the space on the upper floors to a training school, agreed to give it out to him as he seemed to be in need of a bigger space. The auditions started about four days ago, and according to the sources, 30 to 40 children had already visited the studio in the past four days. Thursday started like any other day, and the staff could see several children being ushered in.
In the afternoon, according to the source, the staff sensed something was amiss when they realised that Arya had locked all doors in the upstairs portion, cutting off access to the area that he had rented. Soon, they realised that a video released by Arya claiming to have held the children hostage was being shared on social media. mid-day tried to contact the management and staff of RA Studio, but no one was available for comment.
The venue
RA Studio has been hosting the popular Comedy Circle show since 2018. Other live events organised here include Comedy Open Mic and After Office Hours. The studio is also known for hosting dance performances, and part of it is rented out for auditions, podcasts and photo shoots.
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