Vishal Bhardwaj to make film on Tarun Tejpal case: ‘Perfect for a Rashomon-style narrative’

Vishal Bhardwaj told Variety India that he was in Goa for the hearing and has read the 527-page trial court judgement several times. What particularly drew his attention, he said, was the divergence between the trial court’s findings and the High Court’s subsequent ruling.

‘A perfect case for a ‘Rashomon’-style narrative’

“The contradiction between the two judgements 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,” he said. For Bhardwaj, however, the appeal appears to lie less in the sensational aspects of the case and more in the enormous legal record surrounding it. He said he has repeatedly gone through the trial court judgement, studying its details and attempting to understand the different versions and interpretations contained within it.

“As they say, the devil lies in the detail,” Vishal Bhardwaj said, adding, “How do you expect people to go through the tiring, dry legal language of a 500-plus-page court judgement? I have gone through the minutest details. I have read the judgement many times and am still grappling with it. It’s a very important case for society.” Bhardwaj is also conscious that the film cannot begin with a predetermined conclusion. He said it is too early for him to decide exactly what the film is about, but insisted that he wants to approach the material as a detached observer. “It’s too early for me to make up my mind on what the film is about. But I’m very clear that the approach must be that of a dispassionate observer, like a true film journalist, if I may say so.”

‘No biased starting point’

For the filmmaker, that distance is not simply a creative choice but an essential part of telling a story involving competing accounts and interpretations. “Any crime of this nature, one with many points of view beyond reasonable doubt, must be approached without preconceived ideas or a biased starting point. 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,” he said.

He also wants the actor playing the central character to approach the material without being guided by the real-life case. “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.”

The project is being produced by Vishal Bhardwaj along with a major Bollywood studio, although he has not revealed its name. He also appeared to place the story outside the immediate context of the current moment. “It’s not about India in 2026. It’s about the truth, which must come out at any cost, at any 26th year of any century.”

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What was the Tarun Tejpal case?

The case dates back to November 2013, when a junior colleague accused Tarun Tejpal of sexually assaulting her on two occasions inside a hotel lift in Goa. She informed colleagues about the alleged incidents and subsequently emailed a complaint to Tehelka’s managing editor, seeking an apology and an internal inquiry. Tejpal sent two apology emails before the allegations became public and an FIR was registered. He was subsequently tried on charges including rape by a person in a position of trust or authority, as well as sexual assault, sexual harassment, wrongful restraint and confinement.

In May 2021, a Goa sessions court acquitted Tejpal of all charges. The ruling included observations about the survivor’s conduct and whether her behaviour was consistent with how a victim of sexual assault was expected to respond. The Goa government challenged the acquittal before the Bombay High Court (Goa Bench).

On August 6, 2026, the Bombay High Court in Goa overturned the acquittal, convicted Tejpal of aggravated rape and related offences, and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, while granting him four weeks to surrender. The court also rejected the notion of a “perfect victim”, emphasising that neither a court nor an accused can prescribe how a survivor should respond to or process trauma.