13 Bollywood Movies That Were Inspired By Real-Life Murder Cases
Posted On: 04 Apr 2023 | Last Updated : 04 Apr 2023 | Views : k
There are quite a few genre categories where our Bollywood movies are classified of which the romantic, comedy, and suspense thriller grab the most eyeballs. Coming close to these genres is murder mysteries inspired by real-life cases. There’s nothing like watching a murder mystery on screen that keeps you engaged and deeply involved till the very end guessing who the murderer could be. Though we don’t get to see many films of this genre being made these days because writing and directing a murder mystery can be tricky at times. Many of our Bollywood filmmakers have got inspired by real-life murder cases or true crimes and diligently managed to bring them on celluloid. We have prepared a list of some of the best real-life Bollywood murder mysteries which not just rattled your brain cells but also left you shell-shocked!
1. Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke (1963) / Achanak (1973) / Rustom (2016) - Murder Case of Nanavati Vs State of Maharashtra
One of the first Bollywood movies based on true murder cases were Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke, Achanak, and Rustom which were based on the 1958 murder case of Nanavati Vs the State of Maharashtra. The case was that of Navy Officer Commander K.M. Nanavati who was tried for the murder of Prem Ahuja, his wife’s lover. Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke starred Sunil Dutt and Leela Naidu and was directed by R.K. Nayyar, while Gulzar’s Achanak starred Vinod Khanna and Lily Chakravarty and Tinu Suresh Desai’s Rustom had Akshay Kumar and Ileana D’Cruz in the lead roles.
2. Sau Crore (1991) - Syed Modi Murder Case
Many might have forgotten about Dev Anand’s Sau Crore which also was one of the Bollywood movies based on real-life crimes. The movie’s premise was inspired by the murder case of ace Indian badminton player Syed Modi. The unexpected murder of Syed Modi in 1988 sent shockwaves through India, especially after the police filed murder charges against his wife, Ameeta who along with her friend Sanjay Singh had conspired with the killing.
3. Sins (2005) - Mary Kutty Murder Case
Another film that falls in the category of Bollywood movies based on real-life murder cases is director Vinod Pande’s Sins which starred Shiney Ahuja and Seema Rahmani. The film was based on the 1988 Mary Kutty murder case where a Kerala priest was sentenced to death on sexual harassment and murder charges of a young girl. Despite facing objections from the Catholic Secular Forum and censor board the film was finally released in selected theatres in 2005.
4. The Stoneman Murders (2009) - Stoneman Murder Case
The Stoneman Murders was also inspired by a series of murders carried out by a serial killer, who used to crush his victims’ heads with a stone while asleep. The series of murders that took place in Mumbai made headlines in the early 80s. Director Manish Gupta’s film tried to reconstruct the events which sent chills down the audience’s spine and featured actors such as Kay Kay Menon, Arbaaz Khan, and Vikram Gokhale.
5. No One Killed Jessica (2011) - Jessica Lal Murder Case
If we talk about the all-time top 10 Bollywood movies based on real-life crimes then director Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica is a sure qualifier. Starring Vidya Balan and Rani Mukerji, the film was based on the famous Jessica Lal murder case where a lady bartender was shot dead by a politician's son, and her sister's struggle to seek justice for her death. The film emerged as a sleeper hit at the box office and showed how Jessica’s sister, Sabrina struggles to get justice and how people misuse the power and authority in India.
6. Not A Love Story (2011) - Neeraj Grover Murder Case
Director Ram Gopal Varma’s nail-biting murder mystery Not A Love Story was inspired by the Neeraj Grover murder case who was mercilessly murdered, chopped, and put in a suitcase. Starring Deepak Dobriyal and Mahie Gill in the lead cast, the movie showcased the murder of Neeraj Grover in the most gruesome manner leaving the audience numb. If you are a fan of real-life Bollywood murder mysteries then this surely is a must-watch.
7. Madras Café (2013) - Rajiv Gandhi Assassination
Director Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Café starring John Abraham, Nargis Fakhri, and Raashi Khanna was based on the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The film was set against the backdrop of the Sri Lankan civil war that took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the time of India’s intervention in Sri Lanka. The film showcased how the planning of the assassination took place and how it was executed despite Indian intelligence agencies decoding the intercepts by militants.
8. Ankur Arora Murder Case (2013) - Ankur Arora Murder Case
Ankur Arora Murder Case directed by Suhail Tatari was based on the real-life incident and death of an eight-year-old boy Ankur Arora. The film looks into the urgent and disturbing issue of Ankur Arora who dies during surgery on the operation table due to the doctor and medical staff’s medical negligence. The film served as an eye-opener to many people making them aware of their rights when such an unfortunate incident happens. The film was written and produced by Vikram Bhatt and starred Arjun Mathur, Tisca Chopra, Kay Kay Menon, and Paoli Dam.
9. Shahid (2014) - Shahid Azmi Assassination
Director Hansal Mehta’s Shahid happens to be one of the most authentic films made on real-life murders. Shahid featuring Rajkummar Rao in the titular role is a biopic of activist-lawyer Shahid Azmi, who was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, and later was assassinated in 2010. Rajkummar Rao’s performance earned him the National Award for ‘Best Actor’ while Hansal Mehta got the ‘Best Director’ Award at the 61st National Film Awards ceremony.
10. Rahasya (2015) / Talvar (2015) - Noida Double Murder Case
Talk about 10 Bollywood movies that were based on real-life murder cases then who can forget Rahasya and Talvar which were inspired by the 2008 Noida double murder case? The Noida double murder case was that of the real-life murder of Arushi Talwar and Hemraaj where Arushi Talwar’s father and mother, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar were the main accused. Meghna Gulzar’s Talvar featuring Konkona Sen, Irrfan Khan, and Neeraj Kabi showed the inner conflicts of investigation departments without much melodrama. Manish Gupta’s Rahasya too didn’t have much to offer except executing the dramatic version of the murder mystery that still has no answers.
11. Dark Chocolate (2016) / Ek Kahani Julie Ki (2016) - Sheena Bora Murder Case
The Sheena Bora murder case was adapted twice by Bollywood filmmakers in 2016. Agnidev Chatterjee’s Bengali-Hindi bilingual crime thriller Dark Chocolate starring Mahima Chaudhry and Riya Sen and Aziz Zee’s Ek Kahani Julie Ki starring Rakhi Sawant. Both these films were based on the real-life murder of Sheena Bora, daughter of media barons Indrani Mukherjea and Peter Mukherjea. Though both films received a lukewarm response at the box office but Mahima Chaudhry and Rakhi Sawant's portrayal as the character of prime accused was appreciated.
12. Indian Never Again Nirbhaya (2018) / Delhi Bus (2019) - Nirbhaya Murder Case
There have been quite a few web series inspired by the Nirbhaya murder case but the ones that stand out are the Bollywood movies, Indian Never Again Nirbhaya and Delhi Bus. These two crime thrillers may not figure among the top 10 Bollywood movies based on real-life murder cases for they didn’t have any big stars attached to them. The films were dedicated to Nirbhaya, the 23-year-old paramedic girl student who was gang-raped and thrown out of a moving bus in New Delhi in 2012.
13. The Tashkent Files (2019) - Lal Bahadur Shastri Murder Case
Director Vivek Agnihotri’s The Tashkent Files starring Shweta Basu Prasad, Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty, Pankaj Tripathi, Pallavi Joshi, Prakash Belawadi, and Mandira Bedi, brought to light the death of India’s former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri who died under mysterious circumstances in Tashkent after signing the Tashkent agreement in 1966. The film showcases the formation of a panel of experts by the government, who reopen the file of the unexpected death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri to investigate the truth and what was the real cause of his death.
