Inside Vishal Bhardwaj’s next: How the 500-page Tarun Tejpal verdict inspired a Rashomon-style drama

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj—known for his acclaimed Shakespearean adaptations Maqbool, Omkara, and Haider—is reportedly making a film based on the legal saga of former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal.

Speaking to Variety India, Bhardwaj shared that he spent time in Goa attending court hearings and meticulously studying the trial court’s 527-page verdict. He cited the stark divergence between the lower court's acquittal and the High Court's conviction as the primary creative trigger for the project.

"The contradiction between the two judgments makes it a perfect case for a ‘Rashomon’-style narrative. There are a lot of facts and incidents in this case that nobody knows about, and people will be amused and surprised to discover them on screen… As they say, the devil lies in the detail. How do you expect people to go through the tiring, dry legal language of a 500-plus-page court judgment? I have gone through the minutest details. I have read the judgment many times and am still grappling with it. It’s a very important case for society."

What is the 'Rashomon Effect'?

Borrowing its name from Akira Kurosawa’s cult 1950 film Rashomon, the storytelling technique relies on depicting a single event through conflicting accounts. Bhardwaj emphasized that exploring these varying viewpoints is essential to capturing the complexity of the case.

"No story is complete without all the different points of view, especially in a Rashomon structure, because half a glass of water is also half empty at the same time – the only difference is perspective… I want the actor to be unaware of the crime, if possible, and to set the judgments aside. I would love for him to approach it as fiction."

Bombay High Court Overturns 2021 Acquittal

The announcement comes alongside major legal developments in the 2013 case. A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar at the Bombay High Court in Goa set aside the May 2021 order by sessions judge Kshama Joshi, which had previously acquitted Tejpal by giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Overturning the lower court's decision, the High Court convicted Tejpal and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a ₹5 lakh fine under IPC Section 376 (rape). Additionally, he received one year of rigorous imprisonment and a ₹10,000 fine under Section 354A (sexual harassment), and three years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 354B (assault with intent to disrobe).

Timeline of the 2013 Goa Incident

The case stems from an incident in November 2013 during Tehelka's ThinkFest event at a five-star hotel in Goa, where a junior colleague accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside an elevator on November 7 and attempting to assault her again the following day.

Tejpal was subsequently booked under IPC Sections 376 (rape), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault to disrobe), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 342 (wrongful confinement). While a fast-track trial court acquitted him in May 2021 citing insufficient evidence, the High Court's latest ruling officially closes the long-standing trial with a conviction.