Sanjay Gupta helming series on India's 'narcotics queen,' Baby Patankar
Sanjay Gupta, who is known for his sleek style of filmmaking, is all set to direct a series on the drug queen of India, Baby Patankar. The 10-part series will mark the digital debut of his production house, White Feather Films. "Here is a story that deserves to be told in all its glory," he said about why he chose this plot.
Media reports suggest that Gupta has already acquired the rights to her story. Elaborating on why he chose Patankar as the subject for his next, the director said, "I have been waiting for the right material to come by. Crime being my forte and I enjoy the beat very much....She rose from there to create and control the biggest narcotics empire in India."
This is the story of Shashikala Patankar aka Baby
Baby Patankar aka Shashikala Patankar is a "fascinating" subject indeed. She started out as a milk vendor and slowly established a flourishing drug empire. In 2015, she was finally put behind bars. As per cops, she owned several properties in Worli, Thane West, Borivali, Mahim, and Palghar. She also had a nine-acre house in Malvad area, Pune. Her fixed deposits were worth Rs. 1.2cr.
'Rivalry with existing drug-lords is another facet we'll focus on'
"Our story traces how she took over what was popularly presumed as a male bastion, her romance with a cop and how she exploited the relationship. The rivalry with existing drug lords who cut off her supplies is another facet we'll focus on," Gupta highlighted.
T-Series, Gupta to co-produce the show
Bhushan Kumar led T-Series will co-produce the show. Currently, the team behind this series, titled Baby Patankar - Narcotics Queen of India, is in talks with a top OTT platform to showcase their work. No information about the cast is out yet. Apart from this, Gupta has Visfot, which marks Fardeen Khan's comeback to Bollywood. He will produce the film along with T-Series.
Gupta has several exciting projects lined up
Visfot co-stars Riteish Deshmukh and Priya Bapat in lead roles. According to reports, the film is an adaptation of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Venezuela's official entry to the 2012 Oscars. The Big Bull helmer Kookie Gulati is its director. Further, Gupta will helm a sports drama, his first-ever venture in this genre. Meezaan Jafri, Harshvardhan Rane, and Mouni Roy are its lead actors.
