Sanjay Gupta was planning to make ‘one of India’s most star-studded web series’ before his death, with Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna, Naseeruddin Shah and Emraan Hashmi | Hindi Movie News
Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta, who died suddenly on October 30, was preparing to make his web series debut with an eight-part adaptation of the true crime book ‘CIU: Criminals in Uniform’. He had a large ensemble cast in mind.
A star-studded cast in discussion
The book is written by investigative journalists Dr Sanjay Singh and Rakesh Trivedi. According to the Mid-Day report, Singh said Gupta had approached Naseeruddin Shah, Anil Kapoor, Akshaye Khanna and Dia Mirza. Dr Sanjay Singh recalled, “Sanjay Gupta held several meetings with us and had prepared an elaborate pitch deck. He was in discussions with Anil Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Akshaye Khanna, Emraan Hashmi, Atul Kulkarni, Mahesh Manjrekar, and Ronit Bose Roy. His ambition was to create one of India’s most star-studded web series.”Anil Kapoor was envisioned as Mumbai Police Commissioner, Naseeruddin Shah as a bureaucrat, Akshaye Khanna as Assistant Commissioner of Police and Emraan Hashmi as a senior inspector.
Inspired by the Antilia bomb scare
The story is a fictionalised account of the 2021 Antilia incident. The controversial head of Mumbai Police’s Crime Investigation Unit leads the probe after explosives are found in a vehicle parked outside a wealthy business tycoon’s home. Dr Sanjay Singh added, “Sanjay (Gupta) believed the book had potential for a gripping web series. He understood the sensitivity of the subject.”
A career built on crime stories
Sanjay Gupta’s 32-year career included stylish crime thrillers and action dramas such as ‘Kaante’ (2002), ‘Zinda’ (2006), ‘Shootout at Wadala’ (2013) and ‘Kaabil’ (2017). Singh said his stories went beyond the crime itself: “It was about the people, circumstances, hidden truths, and the larger story that the public had never been told.”
Eyeing the Ranga-Billa case
Sanjay Gupta also wanted to revisit the 1978 Ranga-Billa case, even though Prime Video’s ‘Raakh’ had recently explored it. Dr Sanjay Singh, who has written a book on the duo, said, “When ‘Raakh’ came out, Sanjay (Gupta) felt that the makers had missed an opportunity to explore a much more complex crime story. He believed there was still tremendous potential to make a powerful and factually accurate web series on them.”Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta passed away on the night of October 30, 2026, aged 57, at his residence in Mumbai’s Versova area, after suffering a fatal head injury in an accidental fall.
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