MUMBAI: Actress and model Shashi Khushi Rai, who is reportedly set to portray Siya Goel in filmmaker Maneesh F Singh’s upcoming feature film Who Killed Ketan Agarwal?, has made startling claims about the events leading up to the sensational Ketan Agarwal murder case.
Citing research conducted for the film, Shashi alleged that Ketan had serious doubts about marrying Siya Goel in the weeks before his death and had confided his concerns to close friends.
According to Shashi, Ketan had begun questioning the future of their relationship after noticing what he believed were unusual changes in Siya’s behaviour. Shashi claimed that during conversations with friends, Ketan had expressed concern that Siya was frequently engaged in long phone calls, often kept her phone busy, and regularly offered vague explanations whenever he questioned her about it.
She also tried to keep her phone away from Ketan’s sight and used to reply to messages and immediately put her phone away – behaviour that Ketan found annoying at times and even pointed it out to Siya, who brushed aside his concerns, but continued the same behaviour nevertheless. Ketan found this pattern disturbing and figured out that Siya was keeping secrets from his, Shashi told this reporter.
“He reportedly felt that something wasn’t right,” Shashi said while discussing the background research for the film. “According to the information gathered during the research process, Ketan believed Siya was hiding something from him and had begun to suspect that she might be involved in another relationship and was two-timing him or cheating on him.”
Shashi further alleged that Ketan had told friends he was uncomfortable rushing into marriage despite pressure from both families. According to her, while relatives were eager for the wedding to take place as soon as possible, Ketan himself was no longer convinced that Siya was the right life partner.
“His heart and mind were not ready,” Shashi claimed. “He is believed to have told friends that the timing was wrong and that he was uncertain about marrying Siya because he no longer trusted her.”
The actress also alleged that Ketan believed Siya had lied to him on multiple occasions. According to Shashi, whenever he confronted her with questions, she would allegedly offer explanations that failed to satisfy him.
“Research for the film suggests Ketan felt he had caught Siya lying several times,” she said. “He reportedly believed she would quickly make excuses and reassure him of her love, but he felt those assurances were only a façade. He had begun seeing through what he considered repeated inconsistencies and tried to at times keep his distance.”
Based on the research material reviewed for the film, Shashi claimed Ketan had even discussed the possibility of calling off the marriage before his death because he no longer had confidence in the relationship and trust in Siya Goel.
The comments come as production gathers momentum on Who Killed Ketan Agarwal?, a film that aims to recreate the investigation surrounding one of India’s most widely discussed criminal cases. Director Maneesh F Singh has previously stated that the screenplay is being developed using publicly available reports, police records, court documents and extensive background research, with the intention of presenting a balanced account rather than sensationalizing the case.
The Ketan Agarwal murder investigation attracted nationwide attention after police alleged that Siya Goel and another accused Chetan Choudhary, conspired to kill Ketan at Lohagad Fort near Pune. Investigators have since claimed to have uncovered multiple developments, including digital evidence and details relating to the alleged conspiracy.
The criminal proceedings remain pending before the courts and both accused are in judicial custody. The allegations referred to by Shashi Khushi Rai are based on her account of research conducted for the film and other news reports, as well as prosecution statements in court during ‘remand hearings’.
If officially confirmed for the role, Who Killed Ketan Agarwal? it would mark one of Shashi Khushi Rai’s biggest acting projects, with the film expected to revisit the investigation through a dramatic yet research-driven cinematic narrative – one of the first in Bollywood.