Well-known filmmaker Shakeel  Noorani, 73, who has written, produced and directed films including Bade Dil Wala (1999) and Joru Ka Ghulam (2000), has been arrested by the Malvani Police in connection with a alleged rape and sexual assault case filed by a 33-year-old actress.

The police have alleged that Noorani sexually assaulted the woman after calling her to his Malvani residence on the pretext of discussing an upcoming film project. The case also involves allegations of administering a sedative and subsequently threatening the woman with an alleged video. According to police sources, Noorani was traced to a farmhouse in Medha, Satara district, and arrested in the early hours of August 8 before being brought to Mumbai.

The Malvani Police have registered a case under Sections 64(2)(M), 123, 351(2) and 88 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the sources, the actress first met Noorani at an entertainment award event in Lokhandwala in 2016. She alleged that Noorani, who had directed Bade Dil Wala and Joru Ka Ghulam, spoke to her about an upcoming project and asked her to contact him for work.

The woman in the FIR alleged that she later visited his Malvani residence to read a script. According to her complaint, Noorani allegedly gave her a drink after which fell  unconscious.

She alleged that when she regained consciousness, Noorani showed her a video on his mobile phone and allegedly threatened to circulate it if she approached the police or informed her family.

The actress further alleged that Noorani subsequently used the purported video to threaten her and sexually assault her repeatedly and on multiple occasions.

The survivor’s account gets even more distressing as she has further alleged that Noorani repeatedly gave her contraceptive pills following the alleged sexual encounters.

According to the sources, the woman returned to Mumbai in 2026 while seeking financial assistance for medical treatment. 

During the investigation, police allegedly learnt that Noorani was staying at a farmhouse in the Medha area of Satara district. A local police team located him and took him to Medha Police Station, following which Malvani Police officials reached Satara and formally arrested him. According to the police, Noorani was medically examined at the Rural Hospital in Medha before being brought to Mumbai.

Advocate Vikas Singh Goar, representing Noorani, has maintained that his client has been falsely implicated. “The allegations made by the actress are yet to be established before a court, and the investigation is underway. Noorani is presumed innocent unless proven guilty,” he said. 

Police sought his custody to further investigate the allegations, recover and examine the alleged video and ascertain whether the alleged offences took place at other locations. The Borivili holiday court “remanded Noorani in police custody till August 12”.