Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta will return to the director's chair with a web series titled 'Baby Patankar - Narcotics Queen of India' as he has acquired rights for the story of Baby Patankar, who established the country's biggest narcotics empire.
The 10-part series will mark the OTT debut of Sanjay's production house, White Feather Films.
Initially a domestic worker, with two kids in tow, Baby Patankar was thrown out of her house by an abusive husband. She somehow made ends meet by working in many homes and delivering milk bottles before she rose in the ranks as India's narcotics queen. Sanjay and his writers are currently penning the show that will go on floors in another six months. Sanjay will co-direct the series along with Samit Kakkad.
Commenting on the development, Sanjay Gupta says, "I have been waiting for the right material to come by. Crime being my forte and I enjoy the beat very much. Here is a story that deserves to be told in all its glory. She rose from there to create and control the biggest narcotics empire in India. Her case was active till 2015."
He adds, "She was arrested after 120 kilos of MDMA was found in her residence. Our story traces her rise to power, 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 will focus on. True stories like these are fascinating."
The makers of the series,co-produced by Bhushan Kumar of T-Series, are currently discussing the opportunity with a top OTT platform for exhibition.