Prime Videos Raakh Re-examines the 1978 Ranga-Billa Case Through a Human Lens
Prime Video’s latest eight‑episode series Raakh turns the 1978 Ranga‑Billa kidnapping and murder into a visceral human drama.
Created by Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket, and directed by Prosit Roy, the show follows a Delhi Police investigation while keeping the grief of the Chopra family front and center. The narrative opens on an ordinary day as siblings Geeta and Sanjay Chopra head to a radio station for a broadcast, only to be snatched and killed in a brutal ransom‑for‑life plot that shocked India.
Ali Fazal plays Sub‑Inspector Jayprakash Jatav, the officer who leads the inquiry. Sonali Bendre portrays Mona Arora, the mother of the missing children, whose silent denial and rage drive the emotional core of the series. Aamir Bashir appears as Lt. Col. Ashok Arora, the father grappling with the loss of his protective role, while Akash Makhija and Ramandeep Yadav embody the two perpetrators, Babu and Rajjo. Supporting turns include Rakesh Bedi as Jatav’s father and Anshul Chauhan as journalist Nisar Rizvi.
Raakh diverges from conventional crime thrillers by weaving the procedural investigation with intimate character studies. The series repeatedly pulls back to the personal aftermath: Mona’s quiet fury, Ashok’s sense of failure, and Jatav’s frustration with a system that often overlooks caste‑based injustices. It also explores the killers’ backstories—Babu’s troubled childhood and Rajjo’s manipulative partnership—presenting them as complex individuals rather than one‑dimensional villains.
The real Ranga‑Billa case involved the abduction of Geeta and Sanjay Chopra on 26 August 1978. The children were taken for ransom but were later murdered after the kidnappers learned their father was a naval officer. Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa) were convicted and executed in 1982, and the case has since been cited in Indian legal discussions on capital punishment.
Critics have highlighted Raakh’s emphasis on emotional truth. Outlook India called the series “an emotionally stirring watch that stays with you long after it ends,” noting that it “peels back layers” of grief and loss. Digital Spy described it as a “high‑stakes crime thriller” that “gets under your skin from the moment the investigation starts.” Leisurebyte praised the performances of Fazal, Bendre and Bashir, while Scroll.in remarked that the series “humanises the unimaginable” by focusing on the victims’ lives rather than just the crime.
The show joins a growing roster of Indian crime dramas that prioritize psychological depth over action, such as Delhi Crime, Paatal Lok, Kohrra and Black Warrant. By blending investigative narrative with intimate character studies, Raakh offers a fresh perspective on a historical crime that still resonates in contemporary India.
As of now, Raakh remains available on Prime Video, and no further seasons have been announced. The series stands as a reminder of the lasting impact of the Ranga‑Billa case and the importance of remembering the human stories behind headline‑making crimes.
