Vikrant Massey, Jackie Shroff give desi twist to Criminal Justice

Still from Criminal Justice

Two months after it was announced that BAFTA-winning BBC crime drama, Criminal Justice, was getting an Indian adaptation, the makers have zeroed in on the cast. mid-day has learnt that Vikrant Massey and Jackie Shroff will feature in the series that will be directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. Padmaavat actor Anupriya Goenka, Pankaj Tripathi and Mita Vashisht have also been roped in for the show, which is produced by Applause Entertainment along with BBC India.

A self-confessed fan of the original series, Massey reveals that he was only too happy to be part of a crime drama - a genre that remains largely untapped in India. Having started the shoot in a suburban studio in Mumbai earlier this week, the actor shared an image of the clapboard of the first day's shoot on his social media handle. "What I liked most was the intensity of my character. And with an outstanding director like Tigmanshu behind the camera, I am looking forward to seeing how this character unfolds," said Massey.

Vikrant Massey

The series, that has already spawned off a US adaptation (The Night Of), is being reworked by Shridhar Raghavan to appeal to the Indian audience. The directorial baton will be shared by Dhulia and Vishal Furia, who is known for his Marathi horror film Lapachappi (2016). Dhulia, on his part, is proud to be associated with the Indian counterpart of a series that has been celebrated across the world.

Jackie Shroff

"As the Indian audiences have evolved in terms of the content they want to see, directors like me have more opportunities to experiment with our projects. The story of this show engulfs you," Dhulia says. Elated about having an eclectic team for their small screen offering, Sameer Nair (CEO, Applause) says, "We are happy to announce this mix of a powerful story and a fabulous team of actors and story-tellers."

Tigmanshu Dhulia