Sony LIV’s new thriller web series Manvat Murders follows one of the most disturbing historical crimes in the 1970s in rural Maharashtra. Directed by Ashish Bende and produced by Storyteller’s Nook, the series stars filmmaker-actor Ashutosh Gowariker as Ramakant S. Kulkarni, a famous CID detective who is compared to the genius literary detective Sherlock Holmes. Here is all you need to know about the Manvat Murders web series’ true story (since it is based on a real story), OTT release date, cast and more.
Based on the autobiography Footprints on the Sands of Crime by Kulkarni, the Manvat Murders true crime show unfolds his relentless pursuit to unravel a series of eerie serial ritualistic murders that rattled the country. Gowariker’s portrayal promises to bring the dedication and sharp intellect of the detective to life as he races against time to solve these chilling cases.
The web series is not for the faint-hearted. If it sticks to its source material, it will feature or at least mention acts of savagery that will freeze your soul. We also hope it will highlight the sociopolitical backdrop of the setting, the village, that ultimately gave birth to these heinous crimes.
Manvat Murders: The chilling real story behind a village’s darkest secrets
The Manvat murders case, along with the Nithari killings that inspired the recent Netflix movie Sector 36, remains one of the most disturbing criminal cases in post-independence India. It was characterised by brutal killings that targeted women and girls in the village or town (the Supreme Court judgment claimed its population was 15,000 in 1977). It left acts of cruelty with no apparent motive. It also bamboozled the law enforcement officials. This tale involves superstition, treasure hunts and human sacrifice.
Apart from the utter savagery of the killings, the case also highlights troubling flaws that continue to plague India’s justice system even today.
The blood of virgins: A desperate desire and the Munjya movie connection
A darkness appeared to descend on Manvat or Manwat (as it is called in the Supreme Court judgment), situated in the state of Maharashtra. A series of grisly murders, of innocent young girls and women, plunged the village into a state of terror and confusion.
At the centre of this darkness lay a woman named Rukhmini, belonging to the Pardhi tribe (the judgment calls it a caste), who, despite being in her thirties, had entered a period of premature menopause. This biological reality ignited a desperate desire within her — a yearning for a child that seemed impossible to fulfil. Her lover, Uttamrao Barshate, former President of the Manvat Municipality, wanted to satisfy her wish.
Their desperation led them to seek help from charlatans and quacks who promised to restore Rukhmini’s fertility and, also to reveal the location of a legendary treasure trove believed to be buried beneath what the Supreme Court judgment calls the “ancient Pimpal tree” (which is almost certainly peepal or sacred fig tree) in their house). The tree, revered as a symbol of the Hindu God Vishnu, was also believed to be the haunt of spirit-diety Munjaba or Munjya, the spirit of an unmarried Brahmin boy according to a local legend. Yes, in case you are wondering, the 2024 Bollywood horror comedy movie Munjya was also based on this legend.
According to the folklore of Manvat, treasure troves lay hidden somewhere in the village and were left by older inhabitants who fled from invaders. The charlatans, capitalising on the couple’s desperation and the villagers’ superstitions, prescribed a ritual that can only be described as horrifying — the sacrifice of virgin girls to appease Munjaba and, in turn, reveal the location of the hidden treasure. The blood of these victims, they claimed, was the key to unlocking the secrets of the earth as well as granting fertility to Rukhmini. It may be that Uttamrao was involved just for the mythical treasure.
The grim harvest: A series of brutal murders
Driven by their respective desires, Rukhmini and Uttamrao, along with a group of accomplices began to execute this macabre plan. Among the first victims were a woman in her 30s, an 11-year-old girl, and a mother with her two young children — a nine-year-old daughter and an infant. Their blood, extracted from their private parts, was offered to Munjaba. The treasure, however, remained elusive. And yet, the killings continued. The murderers reached the heights of barbarity. The faces of some of the victims were disfigured to make their identification nearly impossible and some of the victims’ genitals were slashed to extract the required blood.
A baffled investigation: The police struggle to solve the crimes until an anonymous letter
The villagers were apparently afraid of the whole thing and did not want to cooperate with the police, meaning the investigators had a puzzle with very few pieces, and even fewer leads. Also, despite heavy deployment of personnel and a strong patrol in the area, the police seemed to gain very little. The murders kept happening; it was as if the police presence had made no difference.
That is, according to Kulkarni’s book, until a fateful anonymous letter arrived that pointed fingers at Uttamrao.
The trial and its aftermath: Justice and the scars of Manvat
However, the High Court acquitted Rukhmini and Uttamrao, perceived as the masterminds of the terror, citing that there was not enough evidence to link them directly with the murders. According to Scroll.com, they had been convicted earlier in the sessions court. The Supreme Court judgment linked above upheld their acquittal.
Movies based on Manvat murders
Manvat Murders is not the first piece of dramatisation of the Manvat murders. There have been several movies like Amol Palekar-directed Akriet or Unimaginable (1981) and Smita Patil-starrer Sarvasakshi (1978).
Manvat Murders full cast
In addition to Ashutosh Gowariker, the Manvat Murders web series also features Makarand Anaspure, Sonali Kulkarni, and Sai Tamhankar in major roles.
(Hero and featured image: Courtesy of Screenshot/SonyLIV via YouTube)
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
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