MUMBAI: Filmmaker Maneesh F Singh has announced plans to make a feature film inspired by the sensational Ketan Agarwal murder case, one of the country’s most widely discussed criminal investigations in recent months.
While pre-production has already begun, the director says casting the lead female character has proved to be the biggest challenge, with several aspiring and even established actresses reportedly unwilling to portray the role modeled on prime accused Siya Goel who cold-bloodedly murdered her boyfriend by pushing him off a cliff at the Lohagad Fort near Pune.
According to Singh, the production Vrindaavan Films, has conducted more than eight rounds of auditions over the past 10 days in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to shortlist actors for the three principal characters—Ketan Agarwal, Siya Goel and Chetan Chaudhary, the man police allege was secretly married to Siya months before Ketan’s death.
Investigators have alleged that Chetan helped Siya push Ketan off a cliff at Lohagad Fort, leading to his death. The case has remained in the headlines following claims that Siya maintained the appearance of being Ketan’s fiancée while allegedly concealing her marriage to Chetan.
Speaking about the casting process, Singh said many young women who auditioned were enthusiastic about joining the project until they learned they were being considered for the negative role of Siya. “Several actresses expressed discomfort about portraying a character inspired by someone accused in such a widely publicized murder case. They feared being judged or typecast, even though this is a performance-based role,” the director said.
He added that while actors auditioning for the roles of Ketan and Chetan have shown considerable interest, the search for the actress to play Siya is still underway. “The role demands emotional complexity. It is not about glorifying anyone but about presenting a layered narrative based on the investigation and events that have emerged in the public domain,” Singh told this reporter.
The director also claimed to have uncovered details during his research that have not received much public attention. According to Singh, Ketan had met a few people associated with the film industry just weeks before his death. During those conversations, he allegedly confided that he was uncomfortable rushing into marriage because he did not completely trust Siya. Allegedly, Ketan is said to have stated that his family was keen on ‘getting over with the marriage at the earliest, but he was not sure Siya was the one for him’.
Singh further claimed that one Mumbai-based woman who met Ketan during that period sensed that “something was terribly wrong” in the relationship after hearing his concerns. However, she reportedly chose not to interfere, believing it was inappropriate to involve herself in another couple’s personal matters. These claims are Singh’s account of his research and he said he will reveal all details once his research is completed.
The filmmaker said his screenplay will draw from publicly available reports, police findings, court remand applications and extensive background research while avoiding sensationalism. He maintained that the film is intended to examine the emotional, psychological and investigative dimensions of the case rather than merely recreate the crime.
The Ketan Agarwal murder investigation has generated widespread public attention after police alleged that Siya and Chetan conspired to kill Ketan at Lohagad Fort. The probe has since revealed multiple twists, including investigators’ claims of a secret marriage between Siya and Chetan and the examination of digital evidence as part of the alleged conspiracy. The case remains before the courts, and the accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Meanwhile, Singh said his script is only inspired by the Ketan Agarwal murder case. “My research also involves some elements of fiction as this is a commercial film. The aspects and story depicted by the script and screenplay draws from the factual accounts of the case as investigated by the police, but does not claim to be gospel truth,” Singh clarified.