The Far Side of the World with Richie Mehta

Meet Richie Mehta, the quiet, private filmmaker who set a new record, and brought home India’s first Emmy for a story that shook the world

- Mayukh Majumdar

Richie Mehta was in Delhi in December 2012 when the world around him collapsed, as it did for Indians all over the globe, when the heinous gangrape of a woman in Delhi’s Munirka became the headlines of the morning, and it was apparent to those involved in the aftermath of the 2012 gangrape that the world would not be the same again.

I saw the world collapse around us, and our understanding of humanity was in a really precarious place. Several months later, I was working on a project when I met Neeraj Kumar who had just retired as the Commissioner of Delhi Police. He said that I should make a film on this incident, and the investigation that followed. I didn't think it was appropriate to make a film on this, but he insisted I meet the officers involved, and read the verdict that had just come out in the Sessions Court, Mehta says.

Kumar introduced Mehta to the police officers involved in the case, leaving him intrigued as to how they had dealt with a crime that was still baffling to most. Every time Mehta would interview a police officer, they would tell him their point of view, but they would all unanimously point to one woman — Chhaya Sharma, who was DCP South Delhi at the time.

When I met her and began speaking to her, I really formed an affinity with this hero. I started to see the point of view of this woman, who led to the investigation into the crime. I began to see her point of view as a woman first, and then as a cop. As I wrote it and researched the case, many people I spoke to didn't want to have anything to do with this series. It was controversial. Florence Sloan, Pooja Kohli, and Apoorva Bakshi came together as producers, and collectively decided to take a huge chance on this project. Afterwards, it was picked up by Simran Sethi at Netflix. Neha Kaul from Netflix India led the team in releasing it, Mehta says.