Crime dramas are Sanjay Gupta’s forte. His next, a biographical web series based on the life of drug queen Shashikala Patankar alias Baby, however, holds a special place. “I have been waiting for the right material to come by. This is India’s Narcos story waiting to be told,” begins Gupta, who will serve as the creator-producer on the 10-part series. He will also co-direct the Bhushan Kumar-backed offering with Samit Kakkad.

Envisioned as a multi-season affair, the show’s first edition will go on floors by mid-2022. Gupta believes that the journey of Meow Meow Queen — as she was known after she allegedly became Maharashtra’s biggest dealer of mephedrone aka Meow Meow — has all the ingredients for a gripping on-screen retelling. In the mid-1980s, Patankar was thrown out of her house, with her two kids in tow, by her abusive husband. She went on to live in Worli’s slums, working as a milk vendor and domestic help. In the following years, she apparently traded in marijuana and brown sugar before gaining control of the narcotics trade and dealing in mephedrone.

“She controlled the biggest narcotics empire in India. In 2015, she was arrested after 120 kilos of mephedrone was found at her residence. Our story traces the manhunt that remained unfulfilled till she surrendered. Her rise to power hinges on how she took over what was popularly considered a male bastion. How she exploited her romance with a cop is another interesting facet. We’ll also focus on her rivalry with existing drug lords who cut off her supplies,” says Gupta.

Her story has piqued the interest of many storytellers, but Gupta says he has an ace up his sleeve. “We have bought the official rights to the story. Kakkad co-ordinated the deal. Once she was on board, she was forthcoming [about the events in her life]. We brought a female writer on board so that she would be more comfortable opening up to a woman.”

The team will lock the cast in a few months, after the OTT platform is finalised. “The beauty of OTT is that you don’t have the pressure to cast a star. We have to find the right actor to play Baby. Hansal Mehta could’ve cast a known name, but he chose Pratik Gandhi [for Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story] who was a perfect fit for the role. As a filmmaker, this has been liberating.”

Vivek Anand Oberoi may have donned the uniform of a cop for cinema on multiple occasions over his 20-year career. However, he has noticed a difference in the way both he and filmmakers perceive the role. “I’ve observed police officers and realised that while they are heroes, they are also human beings with feelings and needs, and ones who can also feel weak, at times. As years have passed, I have noticed that the way cop-roles are written, has dramatically changed. Narratives have come closer to reality,” says the actor, who plays the part in the upcoming web-series, Dharavi Bank.

As a righteous police officer in Samit Kakkad’s show, he will lock horns with Suniel Shetty’s character. Oberoi sought help from his friends in the police force to prep for the part. “They’ve been a pillar of strength and have helped me prepare for films like Shootout At Lokhandwala and Company. When I am set to play one of them on screen, I know I have to do it responsibly. My endeavour is to bring out the person behind the profession.” 

While the uniform, he says, plays a crucial role in enabling an actor to become the part, he had to be mindful of staying in character when he wasn’t wearing one. “Even if you don’t wear the uniform, you have to remember that the guy you’re playing is a cop. That can make things tougher,” he signs off.

After directing Mumbai Saga, earlier this year, and bringing Fardeen Khan back into Bollywood with Visfot, Sanjay Gupta is gearing up to make a biopic on India’s most controversial and popular bar dancer, Sweety, who is essentially a man. His performances, in the garb of a woman, at Topaz Bar in Southern Mumbai, drew patrons from all over the world. BT has it that the film is titled Topaz and will be set in the 1980s and 1990s when Sweety ruled the dance bar scene in the city.

The film will be directed by Samit Kakkad, who has recently delivered Indori Ishq on MX Player. Sanjay picked Sweety’s life rights about a year or two ago and the project has been under development since then. The film is currently being cast and will be shot in and around Mumbai in the first half of 2022.

We reached out to Sanjay and to Samit for a comment. Sanjay confirmed the news, saying, “Sweety’s story has lent itself to a brilliant screenplay which I’m confident will translate into an entertaining movie. We’re now in the process of working out other details.”

Samit also responded to us, saying, “It’s been a passion project for Sanjay and me. I’ve experienced Sweety’s fame and fandom first-hand. Over several years, I’ve invested myself in trying to understand what happens to the dancers when they’re not gyrating for a hooting audience. Through Sweety, I’ve studied the dance bar scene in our city very deeply. I can’t wait to roll out the film.”