Phantom to Produce Series on Rakesh Maria; Meghna Gulzar to Direct

The original series from the ‘Raazi’ director will be based on supercop Rakesh Maria’s life and cases.

Producer Madhu Mantena, Rakesh Maria and director Meghna Gulzar.

(Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Reliance Entertainment owned Phantom films, the joint venture between Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena, has teamed up with acclaimed director Meghna Gulzar for a new original series based on the life and cases of veteran cop Rakesh Maria. Maria has also served as the Commissioner of Police, Mumbai.

Mr Rakesh Maria’s life-experiences and his prolific career in law-enforcement are a powerful lens to explore the chronology of crime and terror, in our society - as a city, as well as, as a country and a geographical region. The potential of this content is limitless, and that is supremely exciting for me. 

Meghna Gulzar, director

Producer Madhu Mantena, Rakesh Maria and director Meghna Gulzar.(Photo courtesy: Twitter)

Meghna’s 2015 film Talvar released to rave reviews and tremendous audience appreciation. This was followed by her latest feature film Raazi, released in May, 2018, which also received critical and commercial success, earning big numbers at the box office.

Amitabh Jhunjhunwala, Vice Chairman, Reliance Entertainment had this to say about the project, “We are delighted to partner with one of the most distinguished law enforcement officers of our times, Rakesh Maria, to present the courageous accomplishments of his career, and the unacknowledged contributions of thousands of members of the Mumbai Police, safeguarding the security of our city 24x7x365. We are also pleased that Meghna Gulzar, one of the country’s most talented young directors, is collaborating with us to present and direct the series.”

Phantom Films has always been a director’s company. We are very excited about our collaboration with Meghna to produce the series on the illustrious career of Mr Rakesh Maria.

Madhu Mantena, Phantom Films

As Deputy Commissioner Police (Traffic) in 1993, Maria cracked the Bombay serial blasts case, and later moved to DCP (Crime) and then Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), of the Mumbai Police.

He solved the 2003 Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar twin blasts case. He was also given the responsibility of investigating the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 and interrogated Ajmal Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive, and successfully investigated the case.

It is exciting to re-live the journey, especially when piloted by a brilliant and sensitive director like Meghna Gulzar, and a production house of the caliber of Reliance Entertainment’s Phantom Films. More than the nostalgia, it’s also a valuable opportunity to place before the people the extraordinary work of the Mumbai Police when facing tough challenges and working against all odds.

Rakesh Maria