Soni Razdan had earlier admitted to Mirror (August 4) that she had consulted lawyer Ram Jethmalani for inputs on her upcoming film Love Affair which is reportedly inspired by the Nanavati Case. Jethmalani was the Special Public Prosecutor in the murder case and is the muse for a character in the film. Soni confirmed the news, saying: “Yes, there is an important character in the film inspired by Ram Jethmalani. He will be played by Chandan Roy Sanyal."

Recounting her meeting with the senior lawyer, she added: “He turned out to be a great source of informa tion. His mind is razor sharp and he regaled us with many anecdotes."

Explaining their choice of actor, Pooja Bhatt, who is producing the film, said: “I was the one who suggested Chandan's name to Soni. He is a remarkable actor and perfect for the role. He will be called Ram Jaisinghani in the film."

When contacted, Jethmalani admitted that he is aware of the goings-on: “But I will not interfere with the film. I never trespass into areas of creativity." When asked if Chandan will do justice to the role and match his persona and style, Jethmalani quipped, “What if I say 'No'? Still, I shall not object to his portrayal."

Jethmalani shot to fame with the 1959 case of K. M. Nanavati vs. State of Maharashtra. The story of Naval commander K M Nanavati who in a crime of passion brutally murdered his wife's lover, became the subject of extensive press coverage and caught the fancy of many filmmakers at the time. The 1963 Sunil Dutt-Leela Naidu starrer, Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke, fictionalised the controversial judgement on screen.

Pooja however vehemently refuted the buzz that their film is also based on the infamous case, and said: “We are not making a film on the Nanavati Case per se. We are just taking portions from a real life incident that riveted the nation in the late 50s."