Mumbai: Two unidentified individuals broke into the office of Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, stealing a locker containing Rs 4.15 lakh in cash and the negative of his 2005 film, “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara”.

The burglars were caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage as they fled in an auto rickshaw waiting on Veera Desai Road in Andheri (West) on Wednesday midnight. Amboli police, who retrieved the CCTV footage, are analyzing it to obtain clear images of the thieves who sped away with the stolen locker.

“Last night in my Veera Desai Road office two thieves broke two doors of my office and stole the whole safe from the Accounts Department (which probably couldn’t break) and negative of a film produced by our company which was in a box. Our office has got an FIR done. And police have assured thieves will be caught very soon. Because in CCTV both can be seen sitting in an auto with the luggage. May God give them wisdom. This video was made by my officers before the police came!,” Kher posted on X.

The actor has been operating the three-room office on the first floor for the past 30 years. “The break-in was discovered by one of my office staff on Thursday morning, who found the main door broken and the locker missing. I am upset as the thieves have stolen my film’s negative. Police have assured that they will apprehend the thieves soon,” Kher told TOI.

The burglary was noticed by staff member Vilas Sangu, who informed the actor’s accountant, Pravin Patil (59), of the robbery at 9:35 am on Thurs. Kher visited the office, and a case was subsequently registered. According to the complaint by Patil, the locker had Rs 4.15 lakh cash for daily expenses. 

The thieves also stole the locker worth Rs 2,000, along with a bag and a brown bag, each valued at Rs 1,000. “I closed office on Wednesday at 9 pm after keeping cash in the locker. The break-in occurred at midnight,” Patil told cops.