Rohit Shetty is working on one of his career’s most crucial stories. The filmmaker announced in 2021 that he’s making the biopic of the celebrated former commissioner of Mumbai Police, Rakesh Maria. In an interview, he explained why it’s becoming a “problem” to cast.
When asked if the casting for the biopic has been done, Rohit said, “Abhi tak nahi ki. Karni hai. Kyunki kahani unki 1985 se Taj attack tak hai. So ek young boy se leke 50 years ka aadmi, wahan tak ki life ki kahani hai. Toh uski casting mein thodi si problem aa rahi hai (We haven't locked the casting, we're yet to do it. Because his story goes from 1985 till the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. So his life story travels from a young boy to a 50-year-old man. So we're facing a slight problem in his casting.”
He also added that he’ll starting filming once he’s finished his next cop universe movie, ‘Singham Again,’ which is slated to release this Independence Day.
An IPS officer from the 1981 batch, Rakesh Maria, cracked the 1993 Bombay serial blasts case as the deputy commissioner of police (Traffic). He later served as DCP (Crime), Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) and was appointed the Commissioner of Mumbai Police in 2014. In 2015, he was promoted to Director General of Home Guards. He retired in 2017.
Rakesh solved the 2003 Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar twin blasts case during his tenure. He was also given the responsibility of investigating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 and interrogating Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive.
The biopic is an adaptation of his 2020 autobiography ‘Let Me Say It Now.’