Netflix’s ‘Black Warrant’ brings India’s most infamous prison to life

Netflix India’s latest series ‘Black Warrant’ delves into the complex world of Delhi’s infamous Tihar Prison through the eyes of an idealistic prison guard confronted with corruption, violence and moral ambiguity within the system.

Based on the bestselling book “Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer” by prison guard Sunil Kumar Gupta and journalist Sunetra Choudhury, the series chronicles the true story of a prison guard’s 35-year journey through one of India’s most notorious prisons.

A black warrant is the permission of a prison guard to carry out the execution of a convicted criminal. The series takes advantage of Gupta’s inside knowledge of the prison. While working there, he supervised prisoners including Charles Sobhraj (aka ‘Bikini Killer’ and ‘The Serpent’) and kidnappers Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga Khus) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa).

The series is created by acclaimed filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane (“Sacred Games”) and writer-director Satyanshu Singh (“Chintu Ka Birthday”). “From a dramatic perspective, the book has hook after hook,” says Motwane Variety. “The first hook is Charles Sobhraj stepping in, the second hook is Ranga’s, and then you have hook after hook. I can’t believe this is a true story.”

For Singh, who has spent a lot of time researching prison systems, the project’s appeal lay in its multifaceted exploration of society. “It is sociology because it is the prison, the society of the prison, but also because it reflects the society outside,” he says. “It’s political science because it’s about resources, it’s about freedom, it’s about justice. It has ethics, moral philosophy.”

The series features an ensemble cast including Zahan Kapoor, Rahul Bhat, Anurag Thakur, Paramvir Singh Cheema and Sidhant Gupta as the infamous Charles Sobhraj. Motwane reveals that Kapoor’s casting was done through a blind audition process, while Bhat was chosen after the makers saw his 2023 Cannes performance titled ‘Kennedy’.

One of the most striking aspects of the series is its nuanced portrayal of both prison staff and prisoners, achieved in part through meticulous attention to background casting. Singh is proud of the series’ secondary and tertiary cast, who played guards and prisoners. “They were just there. Many of them didn’t even have lines. They were shooting with us every day, from morning to evening. So they created their own sense of awareness of their own inner lives in prison, and that made our work very easy,” says Singh.

“There are very few stories that really tell the stories of prison staff and what they go through,” Singh adds. “So I feel like it’s our responsibility to make sure that prison staff look at the show and say, ‘Thank God someone said this to the world that we’re doing a thankless job where everything gets in our way and there’s no one to to help us. take care of us. ”

Shot by Saumyananda Sahi, ‘Black Warrant’ features different visual treatments for each episode, reflecting the emotional journey of the protagonist. “Episode one is fun and exciting, you see the world of Tihar,” Motwane explains. “Episode two is brutal. Three is hopeful. Four is emotional. Five is even more emotional. Six is ​​heartbreaking.” This carefully structured approach allows each episode to maintain its own thematic and tonal identity while serving the larger storyline.

Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Andolan Production and Confluence Media, the series is directed by an ensemble team of Motwane, Singh, Arkesh Ajay, Rohin Raveendran Nair and Ambiecka Pandit. The series aims to spark conversations about prison reform while providing a compelling dramatic story.

“I hope this series is one that can have legs in multiple types of domains,” says Motwane. “It may appeal to people who like deep, interesting dramas. It might appeal to people who like a slightly voyeuristic, melodramatic, masala approach to certain things.” The intention in creating the series was not to make it “grim, dark and too serious,” and “not to over-intellectualize,” Motwane adds.

Season 1 of “Black Warrant” covers prison guard Gupta’s experiences through 1984. It features Motwane’s return to Netflix after “Sacred Games,” “AK vs AK” and “CTRL,” with the filmmaker revealing he is preparing on “many series and films” in the film. next five years. Meanwhile, Singh is developing a horror feature film while remaining committed to future seasons of “Black Warrant.”