When Raj Kundra was granted bail in September 2021, he considered writing a book chronicling his days in prison. But it was a story meant for the screen, believed director-friend Shahnawaz Ali. After Kundra was convinced about making an acting debut with UT 69, the next step was to get his actor-wife Shilpa Shetty Kundra on board with the idea.

“I had made notes inside the jail. Shahnawaz and Vikram Bhatt [UT 69 writer] thought they should be turned into a film instead of a memoir. I told them, ‘Are you mad? My wife and I have gone through so much. She would be annoyed!’ But they were persistent, so I made them speak to Shilpa. She was clear that the film will have nothing about the case. She said as long as that was in place, my story was important and needed to be told,” recollects Kundra.

In July 2021, the businessman was booked under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act, and Information Technology Act for allegedly distributing and transmitting pornographic videos. He was granted anticipatory bail by the Supreme Court after serving one-and-a-half months in Arthur Jail. Kundra says Shetty’s inner strength saw them through the tough times.

“Initially, Shilpa couldn’t handle it because all my businesses were shut down overnight. When I [was released], I was broken. I’d be shaking half the time [in fear]. Shilpa helped me; she got me a psychiatrist. I was put on medication. When I was in jail, I knew she was hurt. She would write that to me in the letters we exchanged then, but she also sympathized with what I went through. She is a Devi for me. She also did things she didn’t believe she could. I apologized to her as she had to go through this because of me.”

As soon as the trailer of UT 69 was unveiled, many suggested it was made to gain public sympathy. Kundra rubbishes the notion, saying, “In the trailer, I’m being called ‘Shilpa ka pati’ and ‘Porn king’. This is a story beyond me. It’s about the system, the overcrowded jails, and human rights violations that are going on inside.”