Suniel Shetty Recalls Being Held at Gunpoint in Los Angeles Post-9/11

In a startling revelation, Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty recently shared a terrifying incident he experienced in Los Angeles shortly after the tragic 9/11 attacks. Shetty, who was in the city filming Kaante, found himself in a life-threatening situation when he was held at gunpoint, handcuffed, and mistaken for a potential threat—solely because of his appearance.

Speaking on Chanda Kochhar’s YouTube channel, the actor recalled the distressing episode, which took place during the early 2000s when global tensions were at an all-time high. “I was taken at gunpoint because I had this beard. We had just started shooting again a few days later. I was walking into the hotel, got into the lift, and realized I had forgotten my keys. There was an American gentleman there, and I asked him, ‘Do you have the keys? Because I forgot mine and my staff is out.’ He ran out and created a commotion. Within moments, armed cops stormed in and yelled, ‘Down or we shoot!’”

Shetty described how the situation spiraled out of control within seconds, leaving him in shock. As he was forced to his knees and restrained, he struggled to grasp what was happening. Fortunately, the timely intervention of the film’s production team and the hotel manager, who happened to be a Pakistani gentleman, helped de-escalate the situation. “That’s when the production team arrived, and the hotel manager explained that I was an actor. The whole incident was insane. There was so much chaos, and I had no idea what would happen next,” he recounted.

Reflecting on the misunderstanding, Shetty suggested that his actions may have been misinterpreted. “I thought maybe he didn’t understand English, so I gestured ‘key’ and ‘lift.’ Unfortunately, it worked against me,” he added.

At the time, Shetty was in Los Angeles shooting for Kaante, a film directed by Sanjay Gupta and loosely inspired by Reservoir Dogs. The movie also featured Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, and Kumar Gaurav.

Currently, Shetty is actively involved in multiple film projects. He is set to appear in Welcome to the Jungle, where he reunites with Akshay Kumar under the direction of Ahmed Khan. The ensemble cast includes Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, and Raveena Tandon. Additionally, Shetty is preparing to reprise his iconic role in Hera Pheri 3, much to the excitement of his fans.

The actor’s shocking revelation sheds light on the heightened paranoia that gripped the world post-9/11 and how racial profiling led to terrifying experiences for many individuals, even celebrities.