MUMBAI: Filmmaker Maneesh F Singh has announced plans to make a feature film inspired by the sensational Ketan Agarwal murder case, one of the country’s most widely discussed criminal investigations in recent months.
While pre-production has already begun, the director says casting the lead female character has proved to be the biggest challenge, with several aspiring and even established actresses reportedly unwilling to portray the role modeled on prime accused Siya Goel who cold-bloodedly murdered her boyfriend by pushing him off a cliff at the Lohagad Fort near Pune.
According to Singh, the production Vrindaavan Films, has conducted more than eight rounds of auditions over the past 10 days in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to shortlist actors for the three principal characters—Ketan Agarwal, Siya Goel and Chetan Chaudhary, the man police allege was secretly married to Siya months before Ketan’s death.
Investigators have alleged that Chetan helped Siya push Ketan off a cliff at Lohagad Fort, leading to his death. The case has remained in the headlines following claims that Siya maintained the appearance of being Ketan’s fiancée while allegedly concealing her marriage to Chetan.
Speaking about the casting process, Singh said many young women who auditioned were enthusiastic about joining the project until they learned they were being considered for the negative role of Siya. “Several actresses expressed discomfort about portraying a character inspired by someone accused in such a widely publicized murder case. They feared being judged or typecast, even though this is a performance-based role,” the director said.
He added that while actors auditioning for the roles of Ketan and Chetan have shown considerable interest, the search for the actress to play Siya is still underway. “The role demands emotional complexity. It is not about glorifying anyone but about presenting a layered narrative based on the investigation and events that have emerged in the public domain,” Singh told this reporter. Read more here.
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