'Kurup' director to explore conman Dhani's life in Bollywood debut
Acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Srinath Rajendran is all set to make his Bollywood debut with a biographical crime thriller based on the life of notorious conman Dhani Ram Mittal. The film, titled MoneyRam, will chronicle Mittal's criminal exploits from 1969 until his death in April 2024. The screenplay is currently under development and the project is expected to go on floors in early 2025, reportedly.
Rajendran's film is based on a book about Mittal
Per Bollywood Hungama, MoneyRam is based on the book of the same name by authors Preeti Aggarwal and Chetan Unnial. The film will delve into Mittal's audacious criminal activities, which included stealing cars and impersonating a judge. The cast for the movie is yet to be finalized. Speaking about his Bollywood venture, Rajendran reportedly said, "Cinema today transcends languages. I'm thrilled to embark on this new journey in Hindi cinema."
Mittal committed over 1,000 crimes
Mittal, a science graduate from Rohtak who later pursued law in Rajasthan, began his criminal career in 1969 by stealing cars from the court's parking lot. His most audacious con involved forging a leave order of a judge in Haryana's Jhajjar court and assuming his position. He released many criminals on bail during this time, asserting that jail was an exception and bail was the norm. In his entire lifetime, he committed over 1,000 crimes.
Mittal also forged driving licenses in the Haryana transport department
Anticipating that his crimes would eventually catch up with him, Mittal took up a job as a clerk in the Haryana transport department. Here, he was involved in forging driving licenses. His downfall came with a car theft in Delhi. In 2016, the 77-year-old conman was arrested for stealing a car—marking his 95th arrest. Mittal's story has piqued the interest of filmmakers and audiences alike. Rajendran described him as "arguably the most fascinating conman in modern Indian history."
