Hansal Mehta on comparison of his web series with Abhishek Bachchan’s The Big Bull: ‘Their film is a work of fiction’

Hansal Mehta talks about comparisons of his web series with Abhishek Bachchan’s film on the same subject - the 1992 securities scam.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta is making a web series on the 1992 securities scam, and Abhishek Bachchan will also be seen in a film based on a similar plot. Reacting to comparisons between the two, the filmmaker has said that his project sticks to Sucheta Dalal’s book while Abhishek’s film is a fictionalised version.

Based on Debashish Basu and Sucheta’s The Scam: From Harshad Mehta to Ketan Parekh, Hansal’s series will document on India’s biggest securities scams of 1992. Speaking about comparisons, Hansal told Mid Day, “When they announced their film, we were already shooting. Our approach is different from theirs. I have been told that they’ve taken the outline of the story and created a work of fiction from it.”

Asked if he has the permission of Harshad’’s family, Hansal added, “No, we went by the book. But I know that the family will thank me for making this show. I am decoding the financial system for the audience.”

Announcing his project, Hansal had earlier said in a press statement, “I had read the The Scam many years ago and even toyed with the idea of making it into a film. The film never got made! I believe every story has its destiny. With our newspapers screaming scam every single day, I think the time for telling these stories was just right. When Sameer (producer) and I met to discuss what we could do together and he offered this subject to me I had to say yes! I have a lot of respect for Sameer and his knack of choosing content that is relevant and has the potential for mass viewership. I’m looking forward to bringing this thrilling drama to life!”

Abhishek’s film will be directed by Kookie Gulati and is likely to feature Ileana D’Cruz..

Follow @htshowbiz for more