Originally, a documentary wasn’t a part of the plan. Director Tigmanshu Dhulia had hired Ranjeeta Kaur only to shoot the behind-the-scenes footage of Paan Singh Tomar (2012). She, in turn, suggested that they turn it into a documentary. The result — A Story That Refused To Die, which examines one of Hindi cinema’s most honest performances: Irrfan as Paan Singh Tomar.

The documentary is set to première at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Bandra on April 29, remembering the late actor on his sixth death anniversary. Proud as Kaur is to have helmed it, it also comes with regret. The actor never watched the creation. Kaur recalled, “I had sent him a DVD because he was travelling, but to my knowledge, he never saw it. Tigmanshu sir and his family saw it.”

A Story That Refused To Die comes 14 years after Paan Singh Tomar’s release, after facing hurdles of lost footage, crashed hard drives, and more. To her, one sequence in the docu remains special, in which the actor explains how he approached the scene where the lead meets his son. “When you watch that, it stirs something inside you. From an art point of view, you want to know how Irrfan sir did that,” she said.

What, according to her, made Irrfan such an extraordinary artiste? She reflected, “He was curious and valued existence. He wanted to know more — about himself, people, and their psychology. He’d bring his consciousness to his character.”

What made him unforgettable was that it didn’t come wrapped in self-importance. “He loved laughing. It was never, ‘Look at me, I’m so serious about my art’.”

Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia has major problems with the violence, bloodshed, hyper-musculinity and rough anti-hero looks of actors in most action-packed films today. Calling out heroes wearing demon-like looks in superhit films, he is surprised that they are doing well at the box office.

“The problem with today’s films, which are being made in abundance and are being loved by the audience, is with the angry characters! These KGFs, Kantaras and all show too much violence and bloodshed. This maar-kaat started with Baahubali (2015) and is just growing,” says Tigmanshu. He adds, “Bematlab ki maar-kaat rahe hain, khoon baha rahe hain! And, in a series, such films are coming and are being liked by the audience.”

Trying to decode their appeal, he says, “Probably, there is an anger in society and people are not able to vent it out, so they are maybe connecting with these films and liking them. I don’t understand the DNA of such films, but personally, I don’t like it at all.”

The filmmaker adds, “Anti-heroes are fine, but heroes ab rakshas ki tarah lagtey hain and youngsters like it and follow the trend. With such long hair and beards, they just look like rakshas we have seen in Ramayana and Mahabharata. Pata nahi kya ho raha hai!”

On the sidelines, when asked about skipping films like Animal (2023) —which has been singled out for its violence and other factors—he says, “Yes, that is also true and I don’t agree with certain things, but overall I liked the film!”

The filmmaker clarifies that his films, too, are alpha male films but exist within a framework of morality. “Yes, my films are typically alpha male films, and I admit that I can’t make (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali-type films! But, they draw a moral line – they won’t tease a girl, and if they do wrong, it will be for a bigger cause.”

He explains, “My characters are in search of freedom, and they question the authorities. Probably, that has come from the fact that Allahabadis (people from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh) don’t fear anybody, and that is a unique character of the people of the city. Since I was a kid, I have liked action, cowboy-type films, and that reflects in my characters, be it Haasil (2003), Paan Singh Tomar (2012) and others.”

National Award-winning director Tigmanshu Dhulia says that beyond the ongoing debates surrounding actor entourages and fees, the core issue lies with the exhibition sector.

“The biggest problem with cinema is due to the exhibition sector and multiplexes. We have literally thrown movie-goers out of the theatres. Ticket prices are beyond the reach of the common man. That is the only reason; it is not the content,” he tells us.

Elaborating on the issue, the filmmaker feels that earlier, people would watch all content — good or bad. “In the single-screen theatres, we had community viewing with first-class, stall, and balcony audiences all under one roof. People used to watch all kinds of movies — acchi ya buri,” he opines, adding, “With the shutting down of single-screen theatres or their conversion into cineplexes, and the rise of multiplexes, we have kicked the first-class and stall viewers out of the theatre. Picture wahi chalate thhe! They were the real audience, who now watch films on their mobiles. We have created a divide. Even if they have money in hand, they won’t spend it on taking their family to a multiplex!”

Dhulia, who is gearing up for his next feature, Ghamasaan, starring Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi, adds that the charm of big-screen viewing has vanished: “How many 70-mm screens do we have left? In multiplexes and cineplexes, we are literally watching on a big screen, with one large screen converted into three or four auditoriums, all at a higher price. The reason re-releases like Tumbbaad and Laila Majnu (both 2018) are succeeding is the low prices.”

Nawazuddin Siddiqui returns as Inspector Jatil Yadav to investigate another gruelling case in the sequel of Raat Akeli Hai. The Netflix film, directed by Honey Trehan, will kick off from where it started. The first schedule began on January 9 in Delhi. The second edition will bring back four principal characters, including Radhika Apte, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Ila Arun.

Raat Akeli Hai followed the journey of a small-town cop who is asked to investigate the death of a local politician. The film received critical acclaim for its direction while Siddiqui won awards for his performance as a quirky cop.

“The sequel will be a fresh crime story. The only connection from Raat Akeli Hai is Radhika [who plays Radha, his paramour], Tigmanshu as senior SP Lalji Shukla IPS and Ila Arun [as Sarita Kumari, Jatil’s mother]. The film opens with Jatil enjoying domestic bliss with Radha, till a new series of crimes unfold and he is asked to solve the case,” reveals a source.

Raat Akeli Hai 2 will be shot across four Indian cities, Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur and Mumbai in a two-month schedule. The film is expected to wrap up by March 12 in Mumbai. “Everything is being shot in a hush-hush manner as the OTT channel wants to announce the sequel in a planned manner,” informs the source, adding that Apte will join the schedule in February.

“Radhika gave birth to a baby in December last year. She is currently on maternity leave and will join the cast and crew from February. Her character in the sequel is expected to be darker. There will be a twist to it. A lot of Honey’s research is based on real-life situations and cops so there is a lot of authenticity in his work,” inform the source.

The recently concluded Koshala Literature Festival, Lucknow had an interesting end when renowned filmmaker, Tigmanshu Dhulia, known for movies Paan Singh Tomar, Shahid and Bullett Raja came for a session titled Qissebaazi.

At the culminating day of the festival, the filmmaker delved into an intriguing yet witty conversation with academician Nishi Pandey. Tigmanshu spoke about his work as a director and actor, stating that cinema is the most modern art form and that film is the director’s medium. Tigmanshu shared, “I prefer actors to follow me when I direct, and when I am acting, I become a puppet in the director’s hands.”

On working with the current youth, Tigmanshu said, “The present generation‘s concentration level is zero, due to more self-indulgence and social media. They have become so dislocated that they can forget the whole scene within 10 minutes.”

On the purpose of making films, he said that whatever film he makes, he wants it to work, and the producer should get his money back. “Art for the sake of expression is gone. The producer should get the reward of the money he has spent, at least because film-making now is an expensive art,” said Tigmanshu.

He also mentioned that only 10% of Hindi films work, and the rest are “trash.” He added, “Over the years, only a handful of people made good films, and 90% of the pictures are such that they need to be dismissed.”

Tigmanshu also talked about OTT, saying that people here aren’t able to handle it properly, which is why they don’t subscribe to OTT channels. “In cinema, only big tamasha movies are running and good cinema has such less footfall, hence the survival of cinema is difficult,” said Tigmanshu.

The session captivated the audience with Tigmanshu’s honest take on how it feels to be part of the cinematic world as an actor. He has acted in films like Zero, Gangs Of Wasseypur, Yaara and several OTT shows. “I am glad for not pursuing acting, main kitna bhi acting karta tab bhi Shah Rukh Khan nahi ban pata,” said Tigmanshu about his acting aspirations.

The prominent filmmaker further added that he now plans to make films with bigger subjects, and not just cast a big actor. Tigmanshu revealed making a biopic about the Mughal-e-Azam filmmaker K Asif and a documentary on Prayagraj, his hometown.

Nishi Pandey culminated the session by asking Tigmanshu to share a romantic qissa from his real life. Recalling his school love story, Tigmanshu shared how he met his now wife. An interesting tale in itself, Dhulia shared when he was 8 and she was 7 years old, “Hum nibhane wali generation thay,” he said.

Sharing his relation with the city, Dhulia said, “Lucknow is connected to me with the language. I don’t feel that connected to Mumbai the way I do with Lucknow.”

Sometimes, heroes and their achievements are lost in the annals of time. Palwankar Baloo’s is one such story, remembered only in the inner circles of Indian cricket. With his 2002 book, A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport, historian Ramachandra Guha put the spotlight on Baloo, the country’s first Dalit cricketer. Now, producers Ajay Devgn, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Priti Vinay Sinha are set to make a film on the sportsperson, who triumphed over caste discrimination to earn his rightful place on the pitch.

Starting out as a groundsman at cricket clubs in Pune, Baloo shifted to Bombay in 1896 and was selected to play for the Hindu Gymkhana. In 1911, the left-arm spin bowler played in the all-Indian team during their England tour in which he took 114 wickets.

While today he is considered the greatest Indian cricketer of the early 20th century, he faced discrimination throughout his career as he belonged to oppressed caste. It is said that during tea intervals at matches, his tea would be brought separately outside as he was not allowed entry in the pavilion. His lunch was served at a separate table.

While in 2017, Dhulia had hinted at helming Baloo’s biopic, he says he will only serve as a producer here. “No story could be stronger than this one,” he says, remembering how he was impacted by the cricketer-political activist’s journey. After he approached Sinha, she bought the book adaptation rights from Dr Guha, and story rights from Baloo’s family.

The historian says that the producers’ sincerity and years-long attachment to the material makes them the right people to take it to a wider audience. “I have admired Tigmanshu’s work. I’m hopeful the [producers] will do justice to the extraordinary story. The story of the struggle of the Dalit cricketers, Baloo and his four brothers, is so important. People feel that Maharaja [KS] Ranjitsinh ji was the first great Indian cricketer, but it was Baloo. He was as great as Ranji—he was a bowler, not a batter; a Dalit, not a prince. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon.”

Dr Guha highlights that since no records were available on the cricketer, he referred to old newspapers for his book. “He was completely obscure till I researched his life and brought him into the public domain. After doing a lot of research, I pieced together the details of his life as a cricketer and what Baloo meant to the Dalits of western India in his time. It’s the pre-Ambedkar story of the Dalit struggle.”

The makers have yet to lock the lead actor and director for the biopic. Hoping to roll the film by the year-end, Sinha says, “We are inspired by Baloo’s incredible story of courage, mental strength and sportsmanship.”

Filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia and late actor Irrfan met during their National School of Drama (NSD) days, and that’s where the foundation of their lifelong bond was laid. “I joined NSD in 1986 and he (Irrfan) was in the third year. Apni jodi bass bann gayi, and we both grew in our personal and professional lives together,” Dhulia, 56, shares as he remembers his “support system” on International Friendship Day today.

Irrfan, who died in April 2020, had once said in an interview about Dhulia, “Mera bahut aziz hai woh aur iklauta dost hai. Har janam mein main uska dost bana rahunga.”

With mutual feelings and a heavy heart, Dhulia shares with us, “Mera bhi koi dost ab bacha nahin hai... He was the only one jo meri saari galtiyon aur kamzoriyon ko jaanta tha. He knew all my plus and minus points. In front of him, I could just be myself. Now, when he has left us, it’s not an age when you make new friends.”

The two first worked together in the TV serial Naya Daur (1995). They went on to do several projects together, from Dhulia’s directorial film debut Haasil to the National Award-winning Paan Singh Tomar (2012) and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns (2013).

“He used to catch my mistakes at once. He had the ability to peep inside me and say everything to my face. Uske saamne main kuch lambi-lambi haank nahin paata tha... Par ab apni kamzoriyon ko chupaate hi rahunga as I can’t share with anyone,” Dhulia signs off.

Filmmaker-actor Tigmanshu Dhulia recently witnessed the ugly side of social media, when his Instagram account was hacked, and was used to dupe his costume assistant. “I have an account on Instagram, but I am not very tech-savvy and don’t engage with it,” he says, recalling that the hacker asked his assistant for Rs. 800 on the pretext that his online payment app wasn’t working. Unsuspectingly, the assistant transferred the money, only to receive requests for additional funds totaling around Rs. 4,000.

Alarmed, Dhulia filed a police complaint, and the matter is being investigated by the cyber cell. “It’s quite shocking and disappointing to see malicious acts targeting innocent people. I wonder what’s the reason behind such actions,” Dhulia exclaims.

Following this encounter, the 56-year-old admits that he is forced to take extreme measures to ensure his safety online. “I’m not using Instagram at all now, and the police are handling the investigation and recovery process for my account. I plan to follow up with the cops in a week about the progress,” the The Great Indian Murder director states firmly.

As a precautionary measure, he has uninstalled Instagram on his phone, but has vowed not to return to the platform for the time being. He says, “I find social media very useless; it’s a waste of time. Having a blue tick or maintaining my social media presence doesn’t bother me. I want social media out of my life.”

Dhulia is also apprehensive regarding potential misuse of his own social media accounts, especially since he comes from the film industry: “Being in this industry, I can’t help but think about how the hacker could have tarnished my image in other ways.”

The death of actor Irrfan Khan in 2020 has affected filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia’s career. He believes that no other actor can portray complicated characters the way his long-time friend and collaborator Irrfan did.

“He was such a wonderful actor. I loved writing complicated characters and situations, because I knew he would be able to understand them and play them well. I believe there is no other actor who has that kind of understanding,” Dhulia told PTI.

The 55-year-old, who won his first National Film Award for Paan Singh Tomar (2012) while Irrfan bagged the Best Actor gong for the film, added, “Irrfan would push me as an artiste. My growth has slowed down since he left us. Even if I have to do something ambitious, I will not be able to do it because he is not with us.”

The duo worked together on films such as Haasil (2003) and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster Returns (2013). Irrfan died at the age of 54 following his battle with cancer.

Tigmanshu Dhulia, who won a National Award for his film Paan Singh Tomar (2012), is excited to direct another biopic. This time, his subject of interest is producer-director K Asif, who is most noted for the 1960s classic Mughal-E-Azam.

The filmmaker shares that he has been working on the idea for the past few years, and as soon as he wraps up his film Ghamasaan, he is taking a long break to work on this project. 

On his fascination with Asif, Dhulia says, “The film says a lot more than Salim and Anarkali’s love story. Then I came to know about some popular kissey (incidents) about the making of the film as well as K Asif, which intrigued me. Imagine, that man was a Class 5 or 6 dropout; tailoring was his craft, and he made just about two films in his life: Phool (1945), Mughal-E-Azam and Love and God (1986, released 15 years after he passed away in 1971).” 

The filmmaker goes on, “The film is said to be a magnum opus, but from where I see it, that man was a magnum opus — his vision, flamboyance, four marriages, fallout with (late actor) Dilip Kumar (who played Salim), and so many other things. Sometimes, I feel that he was sent by God with a farman (order) to make this masterpiece.” 

The 55-year-old further informs that “renowned journalist and Urdu exponent Rajkumar Keswani had written a lot about Mughal-E-Azam, its making and people associated with the film in his memoirs”. “Sadly, he (Keswani) died in Bhopal in May 2021 but Priti Sinha (Dhulia’s OTT series The Great Indian Murder producer) had taken its rights when he was alive. We (Dhulia with writers Kamlesh Pandey and Iqbal Rizvi) are working on the story,” says the filmmaker, who is also well-known for his role as Ramadhir Singh in filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s cult movie, Gangs Of Wasseypur.

Prepping for a part can be a process of discovery, as one learns more about the character, his flaws and foibles. Pratik Gandhi swears by it, more so when given a meaty role like that in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Yash. The crime thriller traces the life of dacoit Shiv Kumar Patel aka Dadua, who was gunned down, along with several gang members, in 2007, in a Special Task Force operation led by then-SSP Amitabh Yash. While Arshad Warsi steps into the role of the dacoit who operated on the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi plays the cop who ended his reign of terror.

Gandhi, who recently kicked off Yash’s shoot in Uttar Pradesh, says it has been preceded by weeks of prep. “There is a lot of material available online — from news reports to video clips. I read up on all the information I could source on the IPS officer. Before writing the script, Tigmanshu sir also dedicated a lot of time to his research,” says the actor. 

His performance in Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) showed us that the actor has a knack for immersing himself in his character. As he steps into another real-life character, he says that the idea is not to imitate, but to play the part with conviction. Gandhi is excited about Yash for multiple reasons. “I’ve never done a cop drama before. Also, it gives us an opportunity to tell the story of one of our real-life heroes.”

He is only too happy to reunite with Dhulia after The Great Indian Murder (2022). “It gives me a chance to continue my learning experience with him.”

The year ahead holds promise for the actor, who has Ananth Mahadevan’s biopic on Jyotirao Phule, and Hansal Mehta’s ambitious web series, Gandhi. “It is the biggest project of my career so far,” beams the actor, who wants to explore different genres and work with different filmmakers.

On his wish list are Anurag Kashyap, Anurag Basu, and Zoya Akhtar. He adds, “I’ve always admired their work. I’ll be very happy if I get a chance to work with Mani Ratnam sir.”

A decade after helming Paan Singh Tomar (2012), another dacoit story has caught Tigmanshu Dhulia’s attention. The director is neck-deep in prep for Yash, a crime thriller that will trace the life of dreaded dacoit Shiv Kumar Patel aka Dadua, leading up to the 2007 encounter that claimed him and many members of his gang. While Pratik Gandhi will step into the shoes of Special Task Force SSP Amitabh Yash, who spearheaded the 2007 encounter, Dhulia has found his Dadua in Arshad Warsi. Being cast against type gives Warsi — who has shone in comedy — the opportunity to sink his teeth into a role that is grey and gritty.

Becoming the dacoit, who operated in the ravines and forests on the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, will require extensive homework. Rising to power in the ’80s, Dadua ruled for three decades in Chitrakoot, as well as in Vindhya region of Madhya Pradesh. He exerted control over 10 assembly segments and 500 villages, spread across Fatehpur, Banda and Kaushambi districts of Uttar Pradesh and Rewa, Satna, and Panna districts of Madhya Pradesh. While he had multiple criminal charges against him, his family went on to join politics. Through the narrative, Dhulia will also examine the dacoit-politician nexus in the states.

A source says, “As part of his prep, Arshad will have to pick up the local Bundeli dialect, besides perfecting the colloquial Hindi spoken in the UP villages. The actor also plans to stay in the forests of Chitrakoot to get a better understanding of his subject’s surroundings.”

Warsi, who is currently in Dubai with his family, says he will start prepping in November. “We plan to kick off the shoot in December 2022 or January 2023. It’s a challenging character [in terms of the] look, language, and behaviour. I will have to live in a jungle for the project, and learn the Bundeli language,” he says.

Having appreciated Dhulia’s work over the years, the actor is eager to collaborate with him. “Tigmanshu will guide me every step of the way.”

Dadua was killed in 2007

Actor Jatin Goswami is basking in the success of his recent OTT outings, including The Great Indian Murder and the second season of Delhi Crime. He believes tables have finally turned for him, and people have started taking notice of his work.

“Stalwarts like Tigmanshu (Dhulia, actor-director) sir and Manoj (Bajpayee, actor) sir praising my work and me getting to share screen with the legendary [actor] Sharmila Tagore in the film Gulmohar is proof enough that I am moving in the right direction,” he tells us.

A graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, Goswami says he was clear from the very beginning that he had to succeed, come what may. “It was clear in my head ki kuch toh bada karna hi hoga. I had to find work and characters that give me proper screen space. And I knew how to add those extra nuances to make my characters stand out,” he shares, adding that the position he is at is something he has always dreamt of.

“This is something that once I craved for and today, I am getting to live it. As a performer, I can never be fully content with my career, so I guess the game will go on,” says the Anek actor.

Having started his career in showbiz with Babumoshai Bandookbaaz in 2017, alongside actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the actor has often been compared to the latter. But, he has no qualms.

“It’s absolutely fine, it means I am doing something right with my craft! But at the same time, I want to make it clear that I don’t ape him (Siddiqui) mindlessly,” says Goswami, who is shooting for his next series, Garmi, at present.

Having left the first season of The Great Indian Murder on a cliffhanger, writer-director Tigmanshu Dhulia is gearing up for the second edition. A chunk of the upcoming instalment of the Pratik Gandhi and Richa Chadha-starrer was to be shot in Afghanistan, primarily in and around Kabul. However, owing to the current situation in the war-torn country, the makers have cancelled the plan. With the series expected to go on floors by July, the team is now working at a brisk pace to find alternative locations. 

A source close to the production team reveals, “Filming in Afghanistan is out of the question because of the change in the country’s leadership. We are now looking at places with a similar landscape.” It is heard that the makers are considering Uzbekistan, and parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan for the stint.

The Disney+ Hotstar series is adapted from Vikas Swarup’s bestseller, Six Suspects, and traces the murder investigation of a politician’s son. While one of the suspects was shown dead at the end of the first season, the spotlight will now be on the remaining five characters — essayed by Ashutosh Rana, Raghubir Yadav, Paoli Dam, Sharib Hashmi and Shashank Arora.

While actor-filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia does acknowledge that OTT platforms have changed the appetite of audiences, he says that there is still a long way to go before he can consider our audience intelligent.

“I don’t think we can say that the audience is smart now. It is not that the audience has become very intelligent. A small portion of the pie is conscious of content. Kayi ghatiya films bhi chali hain,” he says.

Dhulia, who directed the web series The Great Indian Murder, believes that the digital shift was inevitable.

“This was bound to happen. Covid-19 just kind of accelerated the process,” he continues, “I have been saying this for the past 15 years that only big films will work in cinemas. The films of actors Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Aamir Khan are big-screen experiences. But the problem is these stars do very limited number of films. So, now it is up to the audience to decide whether or not they want to go to cinemas and watch all kinds of films.”

The Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster films director adds that getting people to the cinemas is going to be a huge challenge now.

“The nearest cinema from my house is just seven minutes away but I still don’t watch all films. My reasons are different though, because with the eating and everything, it’s not a peaceful process anymore. Also, we have to understand that ticket rates are very high, mehengai bahut hai iss desh mein. Everybody can’t afford to spend Rs. 2,000 for every movie outing,” he concludes.

Regarded as one of Irrfan’s finest performances, Haasil (2003) was a powerful crime drama set against the backdrop of Allahabad University. Rumours are rife that director Tigmanshu Dhulia is adapting the Irrfan and Jimmy Sheirgill-starrer as a web series.

While the film had a love story and student politics at its core, Dhulia and his team of writers are broadening the narrative to weave in more sub-plots and new characters. “The filmmaker has been developing the series over the past year. After the success of the first season of The Great Indian Murder, Dhulia will soon begin filming the second edition. But before he dives into the Pratik Gandhi-starrer, he will finish scripting Haasil. Tigmanshu hopes to take this series on floors in the second half of 2022,” says a source.

When mid-day reached out to Dhulia, he confirmed the development, adding that he is more than half-done with the scripting.

The Great Indian Murder, which dropped online in February, took viewers through several twists and turns before leaving the crime drama on a cliffhanger. Now, it is heard that Disney+ Hotstar, encouraged by the audience’s response, has given the go-ahead to director Tigmanshu Dhulia for the second season of the Pratik Gandhi and Richa Chadha-starrer.

Adapted from Vikas Swarup’s bestseller Six Suspects, the Ajay Devgn-backed series traces the murder investigation of Vicky Rai, a politician’s son who was shot dead at his own party. The first edition depicted casteism, marginalisation of the tribals and powerplay in politics as Gandhi’s CBI officer Suraj Yadav and Chadha’s cop officer Sudha Bharadwaj led the investigation.

“The first season covered only a part of the book. The upcoming edition will pick up from the death of tribal boy Ekati, who was wrongly believed to be Vicky’s murderer. While Pratik’s character has his own agendas to further, it is up to Richa’s cop to uncover the mystery,” says a source from the creative team.

The remaining five suspects — essayed by Ashutosh Rana, Raghubir Yadav, Paoli Dam, Sharib Hashmi and Shashank Arora — are expected to reprise their roles alongside Gandhi and Chadha. The source adds, “The shoot will begin in Delhi in June. Tigmanshu will also introduce new characters, especially a news journalist, in the drama.” 

Confirming the filming, novelist Swarup says, “They will begin shooting from June. From the beginning, the [makers] were clear that they wanted to make it in two seasons. The storylines are all incomplete at the moment, and will reach their culmination point in season two.”

With The Great Indian Murder, creator Tigmanshu Dhulia brings a maze of politics, power and corruption. At the centre of it are leads Richa Chadha and Pratik Gandhi. The Disney+ Hotstar series sees Chadha play an honest police officer investigating the murder of a minister’s son. Before stepping in front of the camera, the actor prepped extensively, beginning with reading the source material — Vikas Swarup’s bestseller Six Suspects.

“Research empowers us with knowledge and makes us better prepared for [the job at hand]. An acting job is no different. My character required me to attain a certain degree of technical know-how before being able to portray the role responsibly. I spent a lot of time reading books and articles on high-profile crime cases. Only by becoming thorough with what my role essentially stands for, did I get the confidence to pull it off in front of the camera,” says Chadha.

The actor found a pillar of strength in Dhulia, who helped her perfect the part. “When he gave me the script, he said I am the spine of the story. He believed I could play the part with integrity and dignity. I felt humbled by that.”

She is glad to note that the director, in their first collaboration, saw her beyond her popular role of Bholi Punjaban. “He understands the artiste that I am, and cast me [accordingly]. Usually, I am expected to do a louder, crasser version of the character I played in Fukrey. Ali [Fazal, partner] had told me that I can [blindly] trust Tigmanshu. Working with him makes me a better performer.”