Movies based on true stories have a strange way of piquing our interest. While Raman Raghav 2.0 that will release soon, may have already given your weekends a purpose, let’s take a look at films inspired by criminals.
Raman Raghav 2.0
Anurag Kashyap’s thriller that will release on June 24 is inspired by Mumbai serial killer Raman Raghav. In the 1960s, Raghav created terror by bludgeoning pavement dwellers to death with a steel rod. When he was finally caught, he admitted to committing 41 murders.
Veerappan
Ram Gopal Varma’s Veerappan was based on the life of the brigand who ruled the jungles of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Veerappan committed multiple murders and smuggled sandalwood and ivory. He was killed along with his two aides on October 18, 2004.
Main Aur Charles
This movie saw Randeep Hooda portraying Charles Sobhraj, better known as the “The Serpent,” or “bikini killer.” Charles, a psychopath murderer and con man was convicted of a dozen murders. He was convicted in India but released in 1997. He was later caught in Nepal in 2003 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Paan Singh Tomar
Tigmanshu Dhulia’s biopic had Irrfan Khan playing a dreaded dacoit of Chambal. The movie traced the journey of the one-time army man and seven-time national champion in athletics who later turned into an outlaw. In 1981, he died in a police encounter.
Bandit Queen
The movie showcased the life of Phoolan Devi, a Dalit woman who became a legendary dacoit in the ravines of Chambal. She resorted to robbery, kidnapping and killing of upper caste Thakurs to avenge the caste-based injustice she had faced. She was imprisoned and took up politics after her release. She was shot dead in Delhi in 2001.
Once Upon a Time In Mumbai
Set in the Mumbai of the 60s-70s, the film was based on the city’s underworld dons—Haji Mastan played by Ajay Devgn and his disciple Dawood Ibrahim played by Emraan Hashmi. While Mastan was killed by Dawood, the latter still runs the underworld in exile from an undisclosed location.