Veteran actor Kabir Bedi (“Sandokan,” “Octopussy”) is set to star as Dr. Raj Bothra in “USA v Raj,” a biographical drama about an Indian-American surgeon’s three-and-a-half-year imprisonment that ended in full acquittal.
The film, directed and shot by Ravi K. Chandran (“Bhramam”) and targeting a summer 2026 release, will tell the story of Dr. Raj Bothra, who faced 54 federal charges at age 79 before being cleared by a unanimous jury verdict in June 2022. The doctor spent more than 1,300 days incarcerated while repeatedly denied bail.
Emily Shah joins the cast as Sonia Bothra, playing the physician’s daughter who stood by him during the legal battle. The project adapts the book “USA v/s Raj,” written by Dr. Bothra with co-author Jennifer DeBellis and presented at this year’s Toronto Film Festival by “Sholay” director Ramesh Sippy and “Fire” filmmaker Deepa Mehta.
Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty (“Slumdog Millionaire”) heads the technical team, while the script comes from writers Zill-e-Huma, Shubho Deep Pal, Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal.
Prashant Shah of Bollywood Hollywood Productions is producing through his partnership with London’s Twickenham Productions. Sunny Vohra and Superna Sethi of Twickenham Studios serve as executive producers. Filming will span Twickenham Studios and locations in both the U.K. and India.
Dr. Bothra, who received India’s Padma Shri honor for his humanitarian efforts, previously collaborated with Mother Teresa and advised Pope John Paul II on global health issues. He also led charitable medical initiatives providing equipment to Indian hospitals.
“This is more than just a legal drama,” Chandran said. “It’s a human story about integrity, family, emotions and the cost of systemic failure. It’s time the world sees what really happened.”
The production is currently in pre-production with casting ongoing.
variety.com
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