A significant data theft incident has caused a stir in the Mumbai film industry as 66 hard disks containing sensitive film and web series-related data reportedly disappeared from the office of filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s production company, Tiger Baby Digital LLP. The missing hard disks held essential digital content such as films, web series, advertisements, raw footage, edited material, post-production backups, and archives of unreleased projects, with an estimated value between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 13 lakh. Concerns arise over potential losses running into crores if any unreleased content is leaked online.
The Bandra Police have filed an FIR and arrested one suspect, Mohammad Shahid Azim Khan, while another suspect named Ritesh is currently on the run. Investigations are ongoing to locate the missing hard disks and uncover the full extent of the theft. Authorities are also looking into whether the stolen data was accessed, copied, sold, or leaked further, suspecting a potential connection to a broader network involved in digital data theft.
The incident came to light when employees at the production house’s Bandra West office could not find certain hard disks required for ongoing work on May 21. Subsequent searches revealed missing hard disks, replaced by empty and damaged boxes in the storage area. Despite no signs of forced entry or external damage, an internal inquiry was launched following a complaint by the company’s Executive Assistant and HR Admin, Mehjabeen Mushtaq Sheikh.
Shahid, who worked as an office boy responsible for handling and storing hard disks, confessed to stealing multiple hard disks over five months and selling some to an individual named Ritesh. However, the whereabouts of the remaining missing hard disks remain unclear, raising suspicions of potential accomplices. The stolen hard disks reportedly contained crucial production material from major projects like ‘Made In Heaven’, ‘Ghost Stories’, ‘Nykaa’ campaigns, and ‘Gandhi Money’, sparking concerns of compromised or illegally circulated unreleased content.
Internal checks revealed that out of 119 hard disks stored at the office, 66 are currently unaccounted for, with capacities ranging from 16TB to 72TB used for storing vast amounts of digital production data. Police are also looking into another staff member, Kalpesh Pawar, for possible involvement in the disappearance of some hard disks, although investigations are ongoing. This incident underscores the increasing digital security risks faced by the entertainment industry due to heavy reliance on digital storage systems and cloud-based workflows, potentially leading to severe financial and reputational consequences for production houses.
