Director Srinath Rajendran
Malayalam filmmaker Srinath Rajendran, known for the 2021 hit crime thriller Kurup, is making his Bollywood debut. Srinath will helm a Hindi film inspired by the life of Dhani Ram Mittal, a famous conman and forger. The film is based on the book MoneyRam, co-authored by Preeti Aggarwal and Chetan Unniyal.
Dhani Ram Mittal, varyingly dubbed ‘Super Natwarlal’ and ‘Indian Charles Shobraj’, was implicated in over a hundred theft and forgery cases and arrested 95 times. He had a penchant for stealing cars and once posed as a judge and granted bail to undertrials. He passed away earlier this year at 85.
Srinath’s last film, Kurup, starring Dulquer Salmaan in the title role, also detailed the exploits of a criminal. The film was based on the real-life story of Sukumara Kurup, one of Kerala’s most infamous fugitives.
“Cinema today transcends borders and languages,” Srinath said in a statement. “I am thrilled to embark on this new journey in Hindi cinema. Dhani Ram Mittal, or Money Ram, is arguably the most fascinating conman in modern Indian history, and I can’t wait to bring his story to the big screen.”
The film is currently in the writing stages and will begin filming in early 2025. It is produced by Insomnia Media and Content Services Limited, in association with Pretty Pictures.
