'Jawan' actor Aaliyah Qureishi says she was in Thai mall where gunman killed two people

Mumbai: Life is crazy and unexpected, says "Jawan" actor Aaliyah Qureishi, describing how she escaped unhurt from a Thailand mall where a gunman opened fire, killing two people.

On October 3, a shooter opened fire inside at the Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok and killed at least two people. The accused, a 14-year-old teenager, was taken into custody less than an hour after the first reported gunshots. Five others were also injured.

In a post on Instagram on Wednesday evening, Qureishi said she was in the mall along with two friends. They were, in fact, going up the escalator when the incident happened.

"We were coming up the escalator when we saw mass hysteria and someone yelled out 'shooter'. As we ran back down we heard three gunshots. It was a terrifying experience. I feel grateful that my friends and I got out of it alive. And I feel horrible that two innocent people didn’t," the actor wrote.

Qureishi recently starred in Shah Rukh Khan-led action entertainer "Jawan", playing Jahnvi, one of the six women who aid the superstar's character Azad in his fight against the system.

"I wish real life was like action films, where you could fearlessly jump into any cruel fight and save everyone. But when it happens, the only thought in your mind is to get out of there alive.

"To think that when the day began, we were relaxed and playing with dogs, and by the end of the day we were running away from a mall shooting, soaked in rain, desperately trying to find a tuk tuk to take us home, is insane. Life is crazy and unexpected," she added.

The actor said she is finding it difficult to process what she witnessed there.

"I just kept thinking, we spent 10 minutes at the currency exchange before going up that escalator. It took longer than expected. What if we had not had problems, and spent only 5 minutes instead? Where would we have been at the time of the shooting? In the store, closer to him? "I don’t know, but it makes me think that there’s some divine timing, and like the Burnt Toast Theory, something seemingly irritating could be a blessing in disguise, maybe even save your life. There are so many things we don’t know," Qureishi said.

The Burnt Toast Theory, which became popular on social media during the pandemic as a trend, revolves around the idea that something frustrating event, like burning one's toast in the morning, may impact one's life in a bigger way.

The actor further said that her heart goes out to all the "friends and families of the two victims and the five injured.

"I hope we can heal as a society and not have to witness these horrible outbursts of rage by disturbed people. Stay safe everyone. Lots of love and light to you all," Qureishi concluded her post.