Hansal Mehta to direct Netflix series Scoop based on ex-journalist Jigna Vora’s prison memoir

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta is returning to the series format to helm the Netflix show Scoop. The character drama, produced by Matchbox Shots, has already gone on the floors; however, no cast members have been revealed as yet for the project.

The series, created by Mehta and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul, is inspired by former journalist Jigna Vora’s biographical book Behind The Bars In Byculla: My Days in Prison. It will follow an ambitious crime journalist, Jagruti Pathak, who is shockingly charged with the murder of one of her counterparts, Jaideb Sen. She ends up in a prison cell alongside those she once reported on.

Her co-accused include a notorious sharpshooter, a nefarious bookie and the infamous underworld don Chhota Rajan. Jagruti has to wait a long time for her trial for the truth to emerge.

Vora was imprisoned for her alleged role in the murder of fellow journalist Jyotirmoy Dey in 2011. In 2019, she was finally acquitted; Chhota Rajan and eight of his associates were sentenced to life in May 2018 for their roles in Dey’s assassination.

Lagoo and Mirat Trivedi have written the series, while Karan Vyas is penning the dialogues.

Mehta, who will be collaborating with Netflix for the first time, said, “Reading Jigna Vora’s book 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. 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 mediatized times and the human cost of stories that we consume on a daily basis.”

Matchbox Shots’ Sanjay Routray, who acquired the book’s rights in 2019, said, “When we first laid our hands on Jigna Vora’s book, 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.”

The busy Mehta has several projects on his plate. He is directing the action thriller Faraaz, starring Aditya Rawal and Zahaan Kapoor. The film is based on the 2016 terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Café in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

He is also helming the Kartik Aaryan-starrer Captain India based on a pilot's rescue mission in a war-torn country. Mehta is also directing Kareena Kapoor Khan in a thriller produced by Ekta Kapoor.

The filmmaker will also depict the infamous stamp paper scam orchestrated by Abdul Karim Telgi in the SonyLIV series Scam 2003.