It doesn’t matter whether he is behind the camera or in front of it, Ashutosh Gowariker feels at home in both places. What matters to the actor-filmmaker is how compelling the script is. Evidently, Manvat Murders delivers on that count. The upcoming Marathi web series (dubbed in Hindi) – an adaptation of former (or current?) IPS officer Ramakant S Kulkarni’s book, Footprints on the Sands of Crime—chronicles the kidnapping and murders of women that took place between 1972 and 1974 in Maharashtra’s Manwath village. Gowariker steps into the shoes of the late cop, who led the investigation.

How was it facing the camera for the SonyLIV thriller barely a year after his last acting gig, Kaala Paani (2023)? More than anything, Gowariker feels “fortunate” to have played Kulkarni, who was also known for cracking the Raman Raghav case. “Ramakant S Kulkarni solved numerous cases that might have otherwise remained unsolved. Footprints on the Sands of Crime provided amazing insight into his process, his eye for detail, the way he handled suspects and made them confess,” he shares.