Talvar 2 to be based on Ryan International School murder case; Vishal Bhardwaj will direct sequel to 2015 hit

After the critical and commercial success of Meghna Gulzar’s 2015 film Talvar, the film’s writer Vishal Bhardwaj will be taking forward the franchise with a sequel. Bhardwaj’s sequel will tell the story of the murder of the seven-year-old student at Ryan International School, Gurugram last September. A Class 2 student was found dead with his throat slit inside the school’s bathroom. [caption id=“attachment_4270711” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] Vishal Bhardwaj. IMDB[/caption] Talvar, based on the 2008 murder of 14-year-old Aarushi Talwar and her family’s domestic servant Hemraj, lay bare various sub-plots of the crime. The story has riveted India since 2008 when the two were found murdered in their Noida home. The trial in the case led to a life sentence for Aarushi’s dentist parents – Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar. The Allahabad High Court in October 2017 acquitted both parents ending a nine-year ordeal. “Talvar was about much more than the heinous crime itself, the film held up a mirror to society and exposed several loopholes in the system. Such crimes shake the very moral fabric of society and need to be analysed in a much deeper sense. The world is not just black and white, there’s more to a crime than just victim and perpetrator. That’s why we have decided to continue making true crime procedurals like Talvar,” Bhardwaj told The Indian Express. Priti Shahani, from Junglee Pictures, told the  Times of India, “Our journey on Talwars more than just a film for us. It is a telling example of how big screen stories, when handled honestly and sensitively, have the power to alter the lives of people associated with the real incident. We are excited to embark on our vision of compelling storytelling, yet again with Vishal Bharadwaj, and taking the Talvar franchise forward.” Talvar starred Irrfan Khan, Neeraj Kabi, Konkona Sen Sharma and Tabu in pivotal roles.