Bipasha Basu is set to return to acting after several years away from the screen. The actor has reportedly begun shooting for filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s upcoming crime thriller series Barabanki. The project is set in 1984 and is based on retired IPS officer Aloke Lal’s book, The Barabanki Narcos: Busting India’s Most Notorious Drug Cartel.
The series is inspired by a real-life operation led by Lal to dismantle a major opium cartel operating in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district. Alongside Bipasha, the series features Sunny Kaushal and Homebound actor Vishal Jethwa in prominent roles. Details about their respective characters are currently being kept under wraps.
According to Mid-Day, Bipasha started shooting for Barabanki in Mumbai last month. The project also marks her first collaboration with Hansal Mehta. The series has been described as a first-hand account of an IPS officer and his team as they take on influential drug cartels and attempt to bring down their operations.
Barabanki is co-produced by Prabhleen Kaur, who is known for Made in India: The Titan Story. While Bipasha’s character details have not been disclosed, the report suggests that her role will have a strong connection with the protagonist. The actor reportedly agreed to join the project soon after Mehta approached her. The filmmaker had also been on Bipasha’s wish list of directors she wanted to work with.
The report further states that Bipasha will sport a distinct look in the series, marking a departure from some of her previous on-screen appearances. The story is also expected to explore the wider network that supported Aloke Lal during his campaign against the drug cartel.
Aloke Lal spent 37 years in public service before retiring as the Director General of Police (DGP). During his career, he played an important role in dismantling the Barabanki Narcotics Cartel and also led field operations against organised armed bandits in rural Shahjahanpur. He was additionally involved in overseeing counter-militancy operations in Uttarakhand.
Lal has documented several of his professional experiences in his co-authored book On the Trail of Thugs and Thieves, which covers eight major burglary investigations.
Bipasha, meanwhile, is known for films including Raaz, Jism, Dhoom 2, No Entry, Ajnabee and Omkara. Her last feature film was Alone, which released in 2015. She later made her OTT debut with the thriller Dangerous in 2020. Since then, the actor has largely stayed away from acting projects, following the birth of her daughter, Devi, in 2022.
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