Mumbai: Journalist Jigna Vora’s book ‘Behind The Bars In Byculla: My Days in Prison’ is set for a screen adaptation helmed by ‘Scam 1992’ director Hansal Mehta. As per the sources, Karishma Tanna will play the lead character of Jagruti Pathak based on Jigna in the series that will show how incidentally, the lead character ends up in the prison with a set of dreaded criminals whom she once reported on, after she is charged with the murder.
The said project co-created by Reema Lagoo’s daughter Mrunmayee Lagoo (‘Thappad’) is a fictional series titled ‘Scoop’, and will trace the biographical journey of its lead after she gets charged with the murder of senior crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011.
Jigna was sent behind bars following her involvement in the murder. As per the sources, Karishma Tanna will play the lead character of Jagruti Pathak based on Jigna in the series that will show how incidentally, the lead character ends up in the prison with a set of dreaded criminals whom she once reported on, after Karishma Tanna is charged with the murder.
Jyotirmoy Dey was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne assailants in Powai area of Mumbai. After the shoot-out, underworld don Chhota Rajan took the responsibility for the killing as he was annoyed that Dey was reporting against him. According to the CBI chargesheet, Jigna had complained against Dey to Chhota Rajan out of professional rivalry with Dey.
In 2018, the trial court acquitted Vora. However, her acquittal was challenged by then government of Maharashtra in the Bombay High Court.
Matchbox Shots has taken the onus of running the production of the series, which is inspired by the book ‘Behind The Bars In Byculla: My Days in Prison’ written by Jigna Vora, and will stream on Netflix.
Speaking about the series and associating with Netflix, Hansal Mehta said, “Reading Jigna Vora’s book – ‘Behind The Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison’ piqued my interest and compelled me to bring this story alive on screen. We’ve already begun filming and I’m excited about this story being my first collaboration with Netflix.”
He added, “Great stories can only benefit from a service that can make it reach a wider set of audience, ‘Scoop’ is that kind of a story and with Netflix, we will be able to take it to audiences across the globe. With my co-creator Mrunmayee Lagoo and producers Matchbox Shots, I am seeking to delve deep into a tale of our mediatised times and the human cost of stories that we consume on a daily basis.”
Sanjay Routray, producer at Matchbox Shots, said, “When we first laid our hands on Jigna Vora’s book ‘Behind the Bars in Byculla’, we were astounded and instantly knew that this inspirational story of grit and courage needs to be told on a wider medium. Netflix was the obvious choice for us because filming it as a series gives us the opportunity to nuance the characters and their emotions further.”
“For a tale with such a gut-wrenching narrative, only a mastermind like Hansal Mehta would be able to do complete justice. He’s a natural when it comes to bringing such hard-hitting, real-life stories to life. Honestly, our collaboration with Hansal and Netflix just aligned seamlessly, and it’s the perfect combination for stellar storytelling”, he concluded.
