The Great Indian Murder intricately deals with the class divide and revenge but with a lot of glamour, says producer Ajay Devgn

The Great Indian Murder (2022) is the second book of author Vikas Swarup to be adapted. His 2005 debut novel Q & A was famously adapted into the Oscar-winning feature Slumdog Millionaire (2009) by Danny Boyle.

Needless to say, expectations are high from the upcoming Disney+ Hotstar web-series which has been adapted from Swarup's 2008 follow-up, Six Suspects.

The series is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and features a talented ensemble cast comprising Pratik Gandhi, Richa Chadha, Ashutosh Rana, Shashank Arora, Raghubir Yadav, Paoli Dam and Jatin Goswami.

The Great Indian Murder trailer: Pratik Gandhi, Richa Chadha investigate a high-profile case in this intriguing mystery

Dhulia, who has previously directed Hotstar specials Criminal Justice (Season 1, 2019) and Out Of Love (Season 1, 2019), said the project had been a great journey for him. “While working on The Great Indian Murder, I was taken back to my love for thrillers and murder mysteries,” the filmmaker said. “Vikas Swarup’s Six Suspects has been on my list of top thrillers, so envisioning it for the screen was doubly exciting for me.

"The story does an excellent job of blending mystery, murder and fate with a unique storyline. Every character in the series holds fort with their characteristic individuality that adds to the raw eclectic feel of the series. It is unlike anything I have worked on before.”

The Great Indian Murder is co-produced by Ajay Devgn and Priti Vinay Sinha. Devgn is also making his digital debut as an actor on the same streaming platform. He will star in Rudra: The Edge Of Darkness, an adaptation of the Idris Elba-starrer Luther.

“Six Suspects, as a book, intrigued and fascinated me,” the multi-hyphenate artiste stated. “As an ardent fan of thrillers, I am looking forward to The Great Indian Murder as it intricately deals with a common subject like class divide and revenge but with a lot of glamour.

"Collaborating with Tigmanshu Dhulia to bring alive this exhilarating thriller on screen was an obvious choice, given his phenomenal creation of some of the best thrillers in India," Devgn continued. "Disney+ Hotstar and I share a strong relationship and I relate to their creative ambition and ability to think big.”

Producer Sinha added, “It has been an adrenaline-filled three-year journey from the day I acquired the rights of the book from Vikas Swarup to producing The Great Indian Murder into a fascinating series with a talented cast and crew. I am excited to share our web-series with the audience. Ajay and I partnering as producers under our banner ADF & RLE Media for the first time and working with Tigmanshu Dhulia and Disney+ Hotstar has been a dream run.”

Chadha, seen recently in the award-winning Amazon Prime Video series Inside Edge (Season 3, 2021), plays DCP Sudha Bharadwaj in the series. She said the thriller genre had always excited her as it challenges and stretches one’s ability as an artiste.

“When I read the script for The Great Indian Murder, I knew instantly that it was a project I wanted to be a part of,” she recalled. “There is an intriguing story to tell here, and Tigmanshu is a brilliant director who was there for me and for the rest of the cast to guide and direct. Each character in this series has an intense motive and justification for their actions — it is somewhat relatable, yet nerve-wracking. It is an exemplar of thriller series writing which only Tigmanshu Dhulia could have pulled off!”

Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020) star Gandhi is a determined CBI officer here. The award-winning actor said he thought a great deal about choosing his next digital role and The Great Indian Murder fit the bill.

“My character, Suraj Yadav, was a whole new challenge for me,” Gandhi said, adding that he hoped the character would receive a lot of love and appreciation. “He is someone who represents the law but never shies away from breaking it or mending it to ease his way. This grey layer and his easy transition between the dark and light sides make him special and human. I am grateful to Tigmanshu Dhulia and Richa Chadha for constantly being by my side and helping me to interpret the character.”

The Great Indian Murder is due to be released on Disney+ Hotstar on 4 February in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali.