‘Scam 1992’ to ‘Bad Boy Billionaires’: 6 Indian web series based on real-life stories
From Pratik Gandhi starrer Scam 1992 and Shefali Shah’s Emmy Award winning Delhi Crime to Bad Boy Billionaires, an anthology of infamous businessmen from India, here are the 4 Indian web series that are based on real-life stories
Jun 13, 2021
Online streaming platforms are bursting with fresh and exciting content, especially with the pandemic induced lockdown causing theatres to shut down. Most of the web series and movies which have gained popularity are based on real-life stories. From Pratik Gandhi starrer Scam 1992 and Shefali Shah’s Emmy Award winning Delhi Crime to Bad Boy Billionaires an anthology of infamous businessmen from India, here’s a list of six Indian web series that are based on true incidents...
Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story
Pratik Gandhi starrer Scam 1992 which narrated the real-life story of Harshad Mehta was an instant hit and helped Pratik Gandhi gain overnight stardom. For the uninformed, Harshad was involved in a stock market scam. The series was reportedly adapted from journalist Sucheta Dalal and Debashish Basu's 1992 book The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away. It emerged as a top-rated Indian web series and has now been renewed for a second season - Scam 2003: The Curious Case of Abdul Karim Telgi.
Delhi Crime
Based on the tragic 2012 Delhi gang rape case that took place in South Delhi, Delhi Crime led by Shefali Shah is a spine chilling investigative thriller. Directed by Richie Mehta, the series narrated the incidents involving Deputy Commissioner of Police Vartika Chaturvedi, portrayed by Shefali Shah. She is assigned the task to find the culprits. This cinematic adaptation of the crime that shook the nation earned global recognition and was awarded the best Drama series at the 48th International Emmys.
Kaafir
Inspired by the true story of a Pakistani girl and her struggles, Dia Mirza and Mohit Raina-starrer Kaafir told the story of a young girl who crossed the border and got jailed when she was mistaken for a spy. Dia Mirza plays the role of that girl, Kainaaz, who moved people to tears with her performance. Kaafir goes on to narrate how the girl manages to break-free with the help of a journalist-lawyer, portrayed by Mohit Raina. This web series also marked the digital debut of Dia.
Bad Boy Billionaires: India
Bad Boy Billionaires: India was an anthology web series which followed the lives of four of the most prominent business magnates of India: Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Ramalinga Raju and Subrata Roy. It used real-life footages to show three different stories. Three out of the four episodes (one for each businessman) of Bad Boy Billionaires released globally on Netflix in October 2020. The first episode of the series showcased the journey of beer baron and airline owner Vijay Mallya. The second episode focused on diamantaire Nirav Modi and the third episode was about Subrata Roy and his Sahara Pariwar.
Rangbaaz
Based on the true story of a notorious gangster in the criminalised world of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Rangbaaz follows his life from his first involvement with the criminal world and then showcases his journey to becoming one of the deadliest gangsters of the 90s. The series stars Saqib Saleem, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ranvir Shorey, Aahana Kamra, and Ravi Kishan in lead roles.
The Forgotten Army
This Amazon India Original, released a couple of weeks before Republic Day 2020, is based on a chapter from Subhash Chandra Bose’s book The Indian National Army. The story charts the journey of an Indian army troop fighting for India’s Independence during World War II.
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