Malayalam director Srinath Rajendran is all set to make his Hindi film debut with a biopic on the notorious conman Dhani Ram Mittal. The upcoming film is based on the book Moneyram, co-authored by Chetan Uniyal and Pretty Aggarwal. With the shooting scheduled to commence in 2025, its screenplay is currently under development.
This yet-to-be-titled project is produced by Insomnia Media and Content Services Limited in collaboration with Pretty Pictures. Although the film will be shot in Hindi, it is planned for a simultaneous release in South Indian languages, including Malayalam and Telugu.
Dhani Ram Mittal was reportedly involved in more than 1000 cases of theft, cheating, impersonation, and forgery throughout his life, leading to over 90 imprisonments. His crimes ranged from impersonating a judge to releasing criminals serving long jail terms to stealing luxury cars that he fancied. Mittal passed away earlier this year at the age of 85, following a period of illness.
Notably, Srinath’s previous film Kurup (2022), headlined by Dulquer Salmaan, was based on the infamous real-life fugitive Sukumara Kurup, one of India's most-wanted criminals. Srinath made his directorial debut with the 2012 film Second Show, marking Dulquer’s entry into the industry. His sophomore directorial Koothara (2014) featured Mohanlal in a pivotal role alongside Tovino Thomas, Sunny Wayne, and Tamil actor Bharath in lead roles.