After the web series Mirzapur was adapted into a feature film, set for a theatrical release later this year, buzz has been growing around more popular Indian shows making the jump to the big screen. Now, HT City has exclusively learnt that Inspector Avinash, headlined by Randeep Hooda, is next in line for a theatrical adaptation. The development comes close on the heels of the show’s second season releasing earlier this month.

Series writer-director Neerraj Pathak confirms, “Yes, we have decided to make it into a film. Real-life cop Avinash Mishra ki kahani bhi badi hai aur humara hero (Randeep) bhi bahut bada hai!”

He reveals that work on the script has already begun. “Avinash ji has been part of several Special Task Force (STF) and Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) operations. So there are many stories that can be told, like the encounter with (gangster) Sri Prakash Shukla,” he says, adding, “We are working on three scripts in parallel and will zero in on which one can go first within a fortnight.”

The 54-year-old shares that the idea of turning the series into a film has been discussed since its inception, and season two even hints at it. In one episode, Randeep, who is also the show’s narrator, says, “Ispe toh puri film banni chahiye.”

Neerraj adds that while discussions around a film had been ongoing, now feels like the “right time” to take the story to theatres. “A film was in consideration earlier too, but the canvas of the story and its characters, along with a big STF team, family, politicians and criminals, was so vast that we decided to make a season-based series. Now, it’s the right time for a film.”

Besides Randeep, Inspector Avinash also stars Urvashi Rautela, Amit Sial, Abhimanyu Singh, Rajniesh Duggal, Freddy Daruwala and Adhyayan Suman. Neerraj further hinted that new faces and characters could also be introduced in the film adaptation.

A year has passed since actor Abhimanyu Singh made his Malayalam debut with Mohanlal-led L2 Empuraan (2025), but one thing about that experience has remained unforgettable — the value given to writing. It’s stayed with him because he doesn’t find the same culture in Bollywood. Thankfully, his latest work, Inspector Avinash, has been an exception.

The actor shared, “We [the Hindi entertainment industry] don’t care for writers. When I did a Malayalam movie, I saw how they care for their writers, and how much importance writers are given by the directors and producers. That’s why their content is so good. We don’t trust or back our writers.” 

The actor is pleased that the JioHotstar series, led by Randeep Hooda and created by Neerraj Pathak, places importance on its writing. As the second season dropped over the weekend, Singh revealed that he had shot it along with the opening edition three years ago.

“When the first season released [in 2023], I was not even aware about it as hardly any publicity was done. But the season did well without any PR. [Recently] when Neerraj sir told me to dub a few lines, I learnt that the second season was finally coming. Then, I was relieved,” he recalled.

Actor Abhimanyu Singh, who recently played a transgender character, Devi, in his latest outing Inspector Avinash, admits that the preparation required a lot of “hard work”.

“I had to shave my legs and hands, a realisation that dawned upon my team after they draped a saree on me,” he says, adding, “It was the first time I wore a saree, but I was comfortable once I donned the outfit. The role was challenging because it had to be bang on. Even a little bit of caricaturish acting or overacting would’ve spoilt the game completely.”

The actor, who is known for portraying intense characters in projects including Rakta Charitra (2010) and Taish (2018), delves into the intricacies of his transformation: “Breaking my body language was also a big deal. I had to look convincing, that required a lot of patience. It took me more than one and a half hours to get ready, along with my makeup and hair.”

Talking about the dedication he puts into his work, the 48-year-old shares, “Whatever roles come my way, I try to make them more meaningful and give full conviction to that character,” says the actor who will next be seen in NTR 30. However, he wraps up the chat on a tantalizing thought that his “best is yet to come”.

It’s a feat most actors strive for. But Randeep Hooda has experienced the joy of fronting a biopic many times over—be it Rang Rasiya (2014), Sarbjit (2016), Main Aur Charles (2015), or his latest outing, Inspector Avinash. He laughs when we ask him if biopics are his forte.

“Every role evokes within me a sense of responsibility to the material. I want to immerse myself in the roles. This often costs me time, money, and my own emotional struggles. It’s frustrating when a film is not moving, and I am completely into it. This has happened to me a few times. My father often tells me not to get obsessed with my roles. But I am usually too deep into it already,” he shares.

Jio Cinema’s maiden web series chronicles police officer Avinash Mishra’s efforts in the ’90s to curb the mafia dominance and illegal arms trade in Uttar Pradesh. At a time when police procedurals are made by the dozen, Hooda wanted to make his character stand out. Meeting Mishra and recording their interactions was part of the actor’s prep.

“I spent a lot of time with him, and recorded him for hours. When you are an actor, the problem is that friends and family are constantly asking, ‘Who are you today, Randeep?’ My accents are constantly shifting, my language is changing. Sometimes in biopics, when I am offered something heavy, I think, ‘Oh no, I have to go through so much again.’ But it’s so enriching that I can’t have enough of it. I go for parts that I feel I can’t crack. I choose to work less so I can shed a character and step into another.”

Hooda is almost done with his next biopic, Swatantra Veer Savarkar, which also marks his foray into direction. “I was shocked to know of his contribution to the freedom struggle, which was brushed under the carpet for reasons that I discovered during the making.”

When fronting biopics, does he always identify with his characters’ value systems? “Characters are a product of their circumstances. I always understand the parameters of how they become who they do. I find similarities with the characters I play. We are all human beings with common emotions.”

Hooda in Swatantra Veer Savarkar; (right) Inspector Avinash

Actor Ajaz Khan, who rose to fame with his stint on Bigg Boss 7, was granted bail after spending 26 months in Arthur Road Jail. On Friday, he walked out of the prison in Mumbai. Speaking exclusively to us after his release, Khan expressed his perspective on the events leading to his arrest. “The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) detained me at the airport without any warrant. My blood test was negative; I only had a sleeping pill with me,” Khan asserted.

The actor was detained by the NCB at the Mumbai airport in connection with a drug case in 2021 and was subsequently arrested in March the same year. His name allegedly surfaced during the interrogation of drug peddler Shadab Batata.

Khan vehemently denies any involvement in the crime, stating, “There is no evidence against me in the chargesheet. They arrested me based on a concocted story.”

Currently out on bail, Khan has approached the Supreme Court seeking exoneration. He remains hopeful of receiving justice. “Justice exists in India, but it is often delayed, causing immense damage to a person’s life. I know I will get justice. I want to clear my name for my family,” says Khan, who was arrested by Sameer Wankhade, former Mumbai NCB bureau zonal director, who is currently under scrutiny by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for multiple inspections, including the controversial raid on the Cordelia cruise ship in October 2021.

Reflecting on his 26-month-long incarceration, the actor admits to have undergone a transformation: “I have learnt to survive in any condition.”

However, he acknowledges the irreversible loss of the last two years. “I have gone through so much. I lost the web series Inspector Avinash. I had Covid-19; my family was going through depression; my son is 11 now, he was nine when I left him; he goes to school; and when I was behind bars, he was going to a psychiatrist for therapy. I felt extremely lonely during festivals, my wife’s and son’s birthdays. When I entered jail, I broke down mentally, physically and emotionally,” Khan ends.

When making a series based on a real-life character, one has to maintain a fine balance between authenticity and dramatization. That was Randeep Hooda and director Neerraj Pathak’s top priority as they set out to create Inspector Avinash, which chronicles police officer Avinash Mishra’s efforts in the ’90s to curb the mafia dominance and illegal arms trade in Uttar Pradesh.

The duo, eager to offer an entertaining yet honest depiction of the cop in Jio Cinema’s maiden web series, roped in Mishra in the early stages of the project.

Pathak says that regular meetings with Mishra allowed him to delve into his world and incorporate his traits into the script. “Avinash-ji gave me complete freedom [when it came to scripting]. He said, ‘I have told you my story. Now, you write the reel story that you want to tell.’ The narrative is about him, but it has a lot of other important characters,” says the director, who spent three years on the offering.

Mishra guided them every step of the way, from the world-building to the shoot. Before the show rolled in Lucknow in 2021, Hooda devoted extensive hours acquainting himself with the cop. The actor, known to sink his teeth into the roles he plays, recorded their interactions. This enabled him to study and emulate Mishra’s mannerisms, body language and intonation.

Nailing the dialect was the tough part. “I’ve always loved [adopting different] accents, and try to bring them into my roles. Avinash-ji has a unique style of speaking; he has a strong but sweet UP accent, which I loved,” shares the actor.

As the team shot extensively in Lucknow, Mishra’s presence on set aided them. From giving the director a first-hand account of events to guiding Hooda in perfecting his dialect, he ensured the character’s authenticity.

The director adds, “Avinash-ji’s lehza [manner of speaking] is different. He sometimes has a lisp, so Randeep incorporated that too in a few scenes. When he met Randeep in character, he said, ‘Yeh toh humse bhi achha kar raha hai.’”

The series also stars Amit Sial and Urvashi Rautela.

Avinash Mishra (left) with the cast, and director Neerraj Pathak

In a career spanning over a decade, Rajniesh Duggall has been a part of projects across mediums — films, television and more recently, OTT. However, the actor is now back on the small screen for a daily soap.

“The reason for making a shift towards television is not that I was not getting enough work. In fact, I had four to five projects and I have just finished shooting for them. But, a thought [came to mind] that what if these five projects do not get released or are put on hold because of the Covid-19 situation... Also, the projects I was getting, I didn’t like them. Mujhe laga main inko karunga bhi toh koi fayda nahin hai. So, [I thought], why not explore the television industry? I was getting so many calls [for shows]. That’s when I decided to try my hand at television,” he explains.

But, did the thought of being frowned upon ever occur to him? “Luckily, I do not have the TV actor tag. And, lines between mediums are blurring. I have Inspector Avinash (web show) coming out soon, which also stars Randeep Hooda, Urvashi Rautela and Amit Sial. Then, I have Bal Naren, a great film on the Swachh Bharat Mission. The film is already making its way through the film festival circuit. Then, there is a web show called Front Page, of which Sandeep Kaul is the director. That also has a very interesting cast. I am also doing another film based on a true incident that took place at a shelter home in Muzaffarpur (Bihar) in 2018... Achhi cheez ye hai ki I am working in all mediums, so nothing else really matters,” he shares.

What’s most important, Duggall adds, is to have work throughout the year. “I learnt while doing Khatron Ke Khiladi (reality show) that you need to put your 100% into a task. The worst that can happen is that you will fail. But, you will at least have the satisfaction of having made an honest attempt. I do exactly that with everything in life. I think one should keep working hard. Give your best and then quickly move on to the next, instead of procrastinating. That’s how life is,” he wraps up.

After playing a drug lord in Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai, it’s time for Randeep Hooda to tread on the right side of the law. The actor will be seen in the titular role in Neerraj Pathak’s web series, Inspector Avinash, which is a dramatic retelling of police officer Avinash Mishra’s efforts to tackle criminal activities in Uttar Pradesh. The unit had kicked off the shoot in January in Lucknow before the second wave of the pandemic compelled them to trudge back to Mumbai.

“One can’t sum up inspector Avinash Mishra’s life in just five episodes. I quite enjoyed working on long-format storytelling; a series is equivalent to four or five feature films. This format helps you explore more as an actor,” says Hooda, who has previously explored the digital medium with the film, Extraction and Mira Nair’s A Suitable Boy.

Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, Mishra has been a part of the Special Task Force and the Anti-Terrorism Squad, and has contributed successfully to several important cases in Lucknow. Hooda met the real-life hero before beginning work on the project. “I have played a cop in some movies. But for this project, I had to mirror Avinash ji’s accent and dialect. So, I spent time with him. When we were shooting in Lucknow, he would be on the set every evening.” The web series, also featuring Urvashi Rautela, will be shot in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.