MUMBAI: In a heart-pounding operation that gripped Mumbai city for over two hours, Mumbai Police stormed a cramped acting studio in Chandivili of the Powai area today, rescuing 17 terrified children and two adults held hostage by a desperate man armed with an air gun and volatile chemicals.

The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Rohit Arya, was shot dead in the ensuing crossfire, ending what authorities described as a "chilling and calculated" standoff born of personal grievances and mental distress.

The incident unfolded at RA Studio in the bustling Mahavir Classic building near L&T Gate No. 2, a nondescript venue that had been hosting auditions for a purported web series over the past 10 days. Around 100 aspiring young actors, mostly teenagers aged 13 to 17 from across Maharashtra, had gathered for what they believed was an assignment for an OTT web series.

However, in a shocking twist, Arya who allegedly also ran a YouTube channel promoting acting tips, locked the doors, released about 83 participants, and barricaded himself inside with the remaining 19: 17 children, a senior citizen, and one unidentified adult.

Eyewitnesses outside the studio reported seeing children's faces pressed against the glass windows, their eyes wide with fear as the situation escalated. "The kids were peeking out, looking so scared. Parents were screaming and pushing against the police cordon," said Priya Sharma, a mother who had dropped off her 14-year-old daughter earlier that afternoon.

The distress call reached Powai Police Station at 1:45 p.m., triggering an immediate response from senior officers, the Quick Response Team (QRT), and fire brigade units that landed at the spot. Initially, they tried to negotiate with Arya and then conducted a forced entry, rescuing all the children and ending the crisis at around 3:45 p.m.

Moments before police arrived, Arya, said to be a Nagpur native and resident of Mumbai’s Chembur suburb, livestreamed a harrowing 90-second video that quickly went viral on social media, in which he introduced himself calmly. In the video, he said, "I am Rohit Arya. Instead of dying by suicide, I have made a plan and am holding some children hostage here."

Arya insisted his motives were "simple, moral, and ethical demands," and that he wanted to have a conversation with unspecified officials. "I'm not a terrorist, nor do I demand money or anything immoral," he added, before issuing a stark warning: "The slightest wrong move from you will trigger me to set this whole place on fire and die in it."

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary led the negotiations from the ground, flanked by Deputy Commissioner Datta Nalawade and a phalanx of armed officers. For nearly two hours, they appealed to Arya through the studio's windows and doors, offering safe passage in exchange for the hostages' release. "We prioritized the children's lives above all," Nalawade later told reporters, his voice steady despite the ordeal. "It was challenging, no positive outcome from talks, but we couldn't wait longer."

As the clock ticked past 3:30 p.m., patience wore thin. Arya, reportedly clutching an air gun and cans of accelerant, fired warning shots, pellets that ricocheted harmlessly but heightened the terror inside the 400-square-foot space.

In a split-second decision, a lead commando forced entry through a bathroom window, creating a breach for the team to surge in. Chaos erupted: more shots rang out, one striking Arya in the chest. The senior citizen hostage was grazed by shrapnel and rushed to Balasaheb Thackeray Government Hospital, where he remains stable. Arya was rushed to the same facility but was declared dead at 5:15 p.m.

Inside, officers found the children huddled in corners, some in tears but unharmed. An air gun, chemicals, and a lighter were seized and sent for forensic analysis. "All the children are safe; we met them right after. They were scared but fine. The police treated them like their own," said an eyewitness who assisted in reunions.