The Verdict: State vs Nanavati trailer — ALTBalaji courtroom drama revisits controversial case from 1959 Bombay

The trailer of ALTBalaji's upcoming courtroom drama, The Verdict – State Vs Nanavati, has been unveiled. The show presents a dramatic retelling of the much-publicised KM Nanavati Vs State of Maharashtra case.

KM Nanavati Vs State of Maharashtra is still one of the most sensational criminal cases in India, where a Parsi Naval officer shot a businessman and then confessed his crime to the police in 1959 Mumbai (then known as Bombay). The case has inspired a number of other works, including films such as Rustom and Achanak, as well as the novel Nanavati ka Mukadama.

A crime of passion that divided India’s patriarchal society of 1959 & led to its most controversial judicial case.
The 3 gunshots fired by Commander K M Nanavati began a war of moralities, sexes & communities.https://t.co/0nApLNpAuA#TheVerdictStateVsNanavati #ALTBalajiOriginal

— ALTBalaji (@altbalaji) June 30, 2019

In the ALTBalaji series, Manav Kaul plays KM Naval, the naval officer who was tried for the murder of his wife's (played by Elli Avram) paramour Ahuja. Sumeet Vyas will essay the role of Ram Jethmalani and Angad Bedi will play barrister Karl Khandalavala.

Talking about playing Ram Jethmalani, Vyas had said that the character could neither be termed 'unfair' nor 'entirely fair', and that ambiguity was what fascinated Vyas about the role.

The 10-episode series, helmed by Chalo Dilli director Shashant Shah, also features a stellar ensemble cast that includes Saurabh Shukla, Kubbra Sait, Makarand Deshpande, Soni Razdan, Viraf Patel, Swanand Kirkire and Pooja Gor.

"Naval Commander Nanavati returns home to know of his wife’s involvement with Prem Ahuja. In a fit of rage, he murders him, that sparks a nationwide debate of honour vs. revenge killing. Society, media, and politics get divided by opinions; it turns into a case that divided India," reads the official synopsis. The show will be mostly based on public records, newspaper articles of the time and interviews with people who were aware of the case.