L-R: Sarita Patil, Dikssha Jyote Routray, Sriram Raghavan, Leena Dhankhar

The shocking murder of seven year-old Prince, found with his throat slit inside the bathroom of an elite Gurugram school on September 8, 2017, had sent shockwaves across the country, triggering outrage and a nationwide debate over the safety of children inside India’s most prestigious institutions. Nearly a decade later, the haunting case is set to inspire a screen adaptation.

Mumbai-based production house Matchbox Shots, mentored by filmmaker Sriram Raghavan and known for critically-acclaimed projects including Andhadhun, Scoop, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and Khauf, has acquired the screen rights to The Gurugram School Murder, written by crime journalist Leena Dhankhar.

The book, which will serve as the inspiration for the screen project, traces the disturbing twists and turns of one of India’s most high-profile murder investigations, from the hurried framing of an innocent school bus conductor by local police to the CBI’s eventual arrest of a student from the same school, who was accused of committing the murder allegedly to get an examination postponed.

“What happened in this case is every parent’s worst nightmare,” says Dikssha Jyote Routray of Matchbox Shots, who is helming the project and has followed the case for years. “Our commitment is to tell this story with the carefully researched nuance it deserves.”

The adaptation inspired by the book is a chance to bring the human cost of the tragedy before a larger audience. Sarita Patil of Matchbox Shots adds, “This is not just a crime story, but the story of a family’s pain and years of struggle for justice.”

The project also carries the support of Prince’s father, who has spent years fighting for justice for his son. “Our fight for justice has been painfully long and will continue until the guilty receive the harshest punishment,” he shares.

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Nearly eight years after the murder of a seven-year-old student inside an elite Gurugram school shocked the country and sparked nationwide outrage over child safety, the case is now headed for a screen adaptation.

Mumbai-based production house Matchbox Shots, known for titles such as Andhadhun (2018), Monica, O My Darling (2022), Three Of Us (2022), Scoop, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and Khauf, has acquired the screen rights to The Gurugram School Murder by senior Hindustan Times editor and crime journalist Leena Dhankhar.

Published in 2024, the book revisits the events of September 8, 2017, when seven-year-old Prince — a pseudonym used under juvenile protection laws — was found murdered in his school bathroom in Gurugram. The case initially saw the arrest of a school bus conductor before the CBI later arrested a student from the same school, alleging the murder was committed to postpone exams and cancel a parent-teacher meeting.

The case triggered national debate around school safety, investigative lapses, media scrutiny and the psychological pressures faced by children in highly competitive urban environments. According to the makers, the adaptation will draw from Dhankhar’s years of reporting and investigation into the case.

“What happened in this case is every parent’s worst nightmare,” said Dikssha Jyote Routray of Matchbox Shots, who is helming the project. “It is a tragedy that also reveals uncomfortable truths about the pressures shaping young children in contemporary urban India.”

For Dhankhar, the adaptation is a chance to bring wider attention to a story that continues to resonate beyond the courtroom. “This is not merely a crime story. It is the story of a family’s unimaginable loss and their long struggle for justice,” she said.

The project also has the support of the victim’s father, who said, “There has not been a single day when we have not remembered or missed him. Our fight has been painfully long, but we will continue until justice is delivered.”