Shooting Underway For John Abraham’s Rakesh Maria Biopic; Rohit Shetty Owns Rights to Both Books
Rohit Shetty’s John Abraham-starrer Rakesh Maria biopic casts 580 actors and recreates 26/11 events authentically.
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty confirmed on Friday evening that he is already deep into production on a biopic of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, with John Abraham in the lead role and an unprecedented cast of nearly 580 actors. Speaking at the star-studded launch of Maria’s second book, When It All Began, Shetty revealed he had quietly acquired the rights to both of Maria’s memoirs—including his first bestseller, Let Me Say It Now—years ago, well before anyone else could stake a claim.
The announcement came after Nana Patekar jokingly warned the audience that filmmakers would soon “fight for the copyright.” Shetty immediately interjected from the front row, “I already have it,” drawing huge laughter. Taking the stage later, he described the project as “an honor” and spoke of a “cosmic connection” with Maria, whom he has known since childhood. “We’ve cast 580 actors—no film has ever shown this,” he said, explaining that Maria’s books name every constable, inspector, hawala operator, and officer involved in decades of landmark cases, from the 1993 blasts to the 26/11 attacks.
A key sequence will recreate the Mumbai Police control room during the four hours of the 26/11 terror strikes, when 1,300 distress calls flooded in simultaneously. “No film has shown what actually happened inside that room,” Shetty emphasized, promising an authentic portrayal of the police response that Maria documented in meticulous detail. The scale, he added, is unmatched in Indian cinema.
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The event at a suburban Mumbai hotel saw Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Mahesh Bhatt, and Boney Kapoor share personal anecdotes about the legendary IPS officer. In a lighter moment, Shetty revealed that Maria’s juniors affectionately nicknamed him “Mari Biscuit” during his career, prompting the director to jokingly suggest a biscuit-brand sponsorship.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV after the event, Rakesh Maria said he has complete trust in Shetty and Abraham’s vision and has chosen not to interfere in the creative process. “I don’t have to see into anything. I trust them completely,” he stated. With shooting already underway, the yet-untitled biopic is shaping up to be one of Rohit Shetty’s most ambitious projects, blending high-octane realism with the untold stories behind Mumbai’s biggest crime investigations.
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