Ali Fazal Web Series Rakh: If anyone is mentioned among the most dreaded and famous names in the criminal history of India, it is Ranga and Billa. The characters of the infamous ‘Ranga-Billa’ (Kuljeet Singh and Jasbir Singh) are mainly played by Akash Makhija (Babu/Ranga) and Ramandeep Yadav (Rajjo/Billa) in Amazon Prime’s web series ‘Rakh’ (2026). Especially the work of Akash Makhija is tremendous. After years, such a villain has appeared on the screen who makes one feel hatred and fear. The role of children has also been played brilliantly. Ali Fazal has also played the role of a police officer brilliantly. While Sonali Bendre has played the role of a mother, she has given life to the character with her acting. Now this beautiful beauty of Bollywood is in the headlines for this series ‘Rakh’. The direction of Prosjit Roy, Anshu Nandkumar and Sandeep Saket is amazing.
The incident of Geeta and Sanjay Chopra murder case in 1978 shocked the entire country. This was not just a crime but an incident that wounded the soul of India of that era. This incident, which took place in the country’s capital Delhi, had raised many questions regarding law and order, security and society.
Streaming on Prime Video web series “Rakh” brings this painful chapter on screen in a very impressive manner. The biggest strength of the series is its cinematic approach. The camera work, low-light frames, background score and the attempt to recreate Delhi of that era take the audience straight to the 1970s.
What impresses the most is the acting of those actors who have played the characters of Ranga and Billa. Both the actors not only acted but also brought alive the horrific mentality of their characters through their expressions, body language, dialogue delivery and facial expressions. In many scenes his performance looks so real that the audience starts feeling uncomfortable and this is the biggest success of an actor.
The script of the series tries to stay very close to the real events. Although some scenes and dialogues have been added as a cinematic liberty to enhance the dramatic effect, the pain, fear and impact of the original incident on society has been largely retained. As a crime drama, “Rakh” not only tells the story of the criminals, but also brings to the fore the pain of the families whose world was changed forever by a crime. This is why this series becomes not only entertainment but also a document of a dark chapter in the criminal history of India.
In the language of cinematography, every frame of “Rakh” creates uneasiness, every scene increases the tension and every episode reminds the viewer that real life tragedies are more horrifying than any fictional story.
It was a gruesome incident and the plot of the series is also the same.
In the year 1978, two teenagers, 16-year-old Geeta Chopra and her 14-year-old brother Sanjay Chopra, hitchhike a car to All India Radio, where they had a show on the Yuvvani programme. Unfortunately, he was given lift by two goons who had come to Delhi from Bombay. He was a petty criminal. Their plan was to kidnap someone and collect ransom from his family. They kidnapped these children thinking that their parents would have a lot of money. But this whole matter first turned into rape and then murder.
Every moment of the day of his hanging is captured in the famous book Black Warrant. There was a strange silence that morning in Tihar Jail. The date was 31 January 1982. Ranga and Billa, convicted in Delhi’s famous Geeta and Sanjay Chopra murder case, were to be hanged.
When Ranga-Billa was hanged
The jail officials were busy in their preparations. Before hanging, both the prisoners were asked about their wishes for the last time. It is said that at that time uneasiness was clearly visible on the faces of both of them. After years of litigation and all legal avenues being closed, now their last moments were in front of them.
As soon as the morning came, he was taken towards the gallows. All formalities were completed as per jail rules. The faces of both the criminals standing on the gallows did not have the confidence that was once visible at the time of their crimes.
Read this also- Raakh Review: That truth of 1978 will take away our peace even today, know how this series based on Ranga-Billa incident is.
The executioner did his job and within a few moments the lives of Ranga and Billa were ended. Doctors declared him dead after investigation. With this, the last chapter of one of the country’s most famous and heart-wrenching crimes also ended.
In ‘Black Warrant’, based on the experiences of former officers of Tihar Jail, it has been told that the day of hanging was extremely heavy and stressful not only for the prisoners but also for the jail staff. The hanging of Ranga-Billa is also counted among the most talked about incidents in the history of Tihar Jail. The name of Ranga-Billa will never be recorded in Indian history, not for courage or adventure, but as a horrifying memory of a heinous crime.
Leave a Reply