Disaster. Flop. Average. If you had to bet on a Bollywood movie¡¯s fate last year, those would have been your three best options in a year that was set to end with a 30% to 40% drop in box-office collections.
The world¡¯s most prolific film industry is desperately hoping for a better 2025. And so are the city¡¯s cops: When the theaters go empty, the body count starts to rise on the streets of Mumbai. That¡¯s what the 1990s were like ¡ª and everyone¡¯s dreading a repeat of lawlessness in India¡¯s financial capital.
The fears are far from exaggerated. Baba Siddique, a local politician and real-estate developer who enjoyed close friendships with celebrity actors, was gunned down in October as he was about to get into his car. A member of the gang that claimed responsibility said in a Facebook post that ¡°Bollywood, politics and property dealings¡± were behind the murder.
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