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.”

Richa Chadha is currently filming Six Suspects, the screen adaptation of Vikas Swarup’s acclaimed novel of the same name. Keen to familiarise herself with the gritty universe of the murder mystery, the actor devoured the book before reporting to the shoot with co-star Pratik Gandhi. Her efforts to become one with the character got a boost when the diplomat-author dropped in on the set of the Tigmanshu Dhulia-directed web series in Mumbai yesterday. 

“Vikas is such an amazing writer, and that shows in his work. When I met him in person, I truly understood his nuanced vision, and by extension, my role better. Meeting him on the set further helped me do justice to this character,” says Chadha, who plays one of the prime suspects in the murder of a politician’s son, who was in turn acquitted in the murder case of a Delhi bartender.

Inspired by true events, the Disney+ Hotstar series — through its six central characters — will give a peek into the underbelly of contemporary India. The actor says that she enjoyed how Swarup astutely made a larger statement through the plot. “Rich with culture, the book was an intriguing read. I found its assorted perspectives on current India enjoyable.”