After portraying popular gangster Guddu Pandit in Prime Video India’s crime thriller show Mirzapur, Ali Fazal plays Dalit cop JP in Raakh, a slow-burn period crime drama on the platform. The series is inspired by the infamous Ranga-Billa case, where two men — Ranga and Billa — brutally kidnapped and murdered Sanjay and Geeta Chopra, the children of Captain Madan Mohan Chopra, a retired Indian Navy officer, in Delhi.Ali Fazal on Raakh’s connection to Ranga-Billa caseHowever, Ali has maintained that while the world of Raakh is similar to that of the Ranga-Billa case, the show is only inspired by the real-life incident, and not a direct documentation of the same. “It’s inspired from that. The makers have said that time and again. A lot of the stuff leading up to that incident, you would never know because it’s not in the history books. So, the better route is to take the ‘inspired’ route. The world is the same, but it’s more of a case study on the psychology of these guys,” said Ali.He also underlined that there was no intention on part of the makers to glorify or justify what the perpetrators did by offering a deep dive into their side of the story. “The first thing was there was no want or desire to glorify them, and I hope that comes out. Even in the first teaser or trailer, their faces weren’t shown. They were very particular about taking new people, so that there’s no preconceived images or notions of these actors. But at the same time, you also have to think this is from the same society. They’re also human beings,” Ali told Bollywood Hungama.“The idea was not to feel sorry and think of them as bechara, but to show that streak is there since childhood. There’s always a trigger point for everybody,” he argued. Raakh juggles between the investigation of the murder case, led by Ali’s character, the perpetrators’ back story, and how the parents, played by Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir, are coping with the sudden tragedy. Akash Makhija and Ramandeep Yadav play characters inspired by Ranga-Billa in Raakh.About the Ranga-Billa caseThe Ranga-Billa case is one of the most horrific murder cases reported in the history of Delhi. Back in August 1978, Geeta, 16, and Sanjay, 14, left their home in Dhaula Kuan to go to the All India Radio office to record a singing performance for an evening show. But when their parents found out that they never made it to the AIR building, they registered a case with Delhi Police.After the children were found brutally murdered in a forest, it came to the police’s knowledge that they were kidnapped by Kuljeet Singh, alias Ranga, and Jasbir Singh alias Billa, in a stolen car. They offered the children a lift to the AIR office after they missed a bus ride. Their intention was to abduct them and blackmail their parents for a hefty ransom.However, the children fought back very valiantly and ended up gravely injuring their abductors. Ranga and Billa, frustrated with the constant attacks, assaulted and brutally murdered them before dumping their bodies in the forest. After evading arrest for weeks, they were eventually nabbed by Delhi Police.Story continues below this adThey were found guilty by Delhi High Court and charged with murder, common intention, kidnapping, kidnapping with unlawful confinement, and kidnapping a woman with intention of sexual intercourse. The Supreme Court also upheld the verdict and awarded them death sentence. Ranga and Billa were hanged to death in Tihar Jail in January 1982.Who play Ranga-Billa in Raakh?The actors who play Ranga-Billa in Raakh, called Rajjo and Billu in the show, are relatively fresh faces. But after the show’s release, the popularity of Ramandeep Yadav and Akash Makhija respectively have soared within days. In fact, they ranked at no. 4 and no. 1 respectively on IMDb’s list of Popular Indian Celebrities this week.“Being ranked the most popular Indian celebrity of the week on IMDb within 10 days of the show releasing is something I never imagined, and I am grateful to everyone who watched the series and supported my performance,” Akash said in a statement. He also plays a polar-opposite character, Gobind Bhagat, in Gram Chikitsalay on Prime Video India.Also Read: Once champions of indie films, OTT giants are now acquiring them for as less as Rs 30 lakhStory continues below this adIn his statement, Ramandeep talked about his process of getting into the mind of the perpetrator. “I didn’t research for the role per se, but did research on serial killers. One thing that stood out was always their eyes. It was brutal and menacing, and I wanted to pass that on to the audience. The makers of the series never wanted to glorify our characters, but to portray the feelings of the parents who lost their children. I cried when I read the script because I had to play this part,” he said.