Assam's infamous 'The Rajkhowa Murders' set for reel adaptation; Nawazuddin to lead

Guwahati, Oct 5: After the phenomenal success of Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Sirf Ek Banda Kafi Hai and Neeraj Pandey's Special Ops, award-winning writer Deepak Kingrani and Almighty Motion Picture have joined hands to bring the spine-chilling story of Assamese judge Upendra Nath Rajkhowa, who gained notoriety for the horrific murder of his family members in 1970, to the big screen.

The film, The Rajkhowa Murders, is based on the bestselling novel The Rajkhowa Murders - A case that Shocked India by author Niluptal Gohain. The film will deliver an intense dose of drama and suspense.

Rajkhowa was awarded a death sentence and hanged till death inside Jorhat Jail. However, he never revealed the motive behind the murders.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is set to take on the challenging role in the upcoming film that will delve into the dark events that led to Rajkhowa's arrest and execution.

"The story explores a shocking and unprecedented event in Indian history: the first case of a judge being hanged for his crimes. No crime like this has ever occurred before in the country," said Prabhleen Kaur, founder of Almighty Motion Picture.

"We at Almighty Motion Picture are thrilled to collaborate with Deepak Kingrani for a thrilling, roller-coaster ride based on this true story. It's a story that deserves to be told in the most gripping way possible," she added.

Deepak Kingrani said, "When I first encountered this story, what drew me to write the script was the startling paradox—a judge, whose very role is to deliver justice and imprison criminals, being accused, convicted, and ultimately hanged for murdering his own family."

"While the book captures the narrative in its unique way, the extensive research presented to me by the producers revealed even more shocking details that left me stunned," he said.

"The quadruple murders of the wife and three daughters of the retired District and Sessions Judge, Upen Rajkhowa, were known to the masses as 'Dhubrir Hatyakando', 'Rajkhowar Fasi', etc. The name "The Rajkhowa Murders' had come into vogue with the book, and not before it," he added.

The case has garnered the attention of the entire nation recently after the publication of the book, even though it has been 50 years since the infamous murders happened.

"It was Prabhleen Kaur of Almighty Motion Picture who trusted on the potential of the story and acquired the book for visual adaptation even before its publication. I thank her from the bottom of my heart. Now, after knowing that the book is soon going to be made into a movie, I feel extremely elated," said Nilutpal Gohain.

"This is one story that deserves to be told, as nowhere in the world has a judge been accused of a murder and tried in his own court before. I am confident that a movie under the banner of Almighty Motion Picture with a storyline this gripping would definitely be a blockbuster," Gohain said.