India’s Matchbox Shots is developing a project on slain Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moose Wala.
Indian rapper, singer and songwriter Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, known as Sidhu Moose Wala, was a star of Punjabi-language music and cinema whose work charted on Billboard globally. His work was not without controversy – it delved into raw, unfiltered issues, making him a voice for many. In 2021, he joined the Indian National Congress political party and unsuccessfully contested the Punjab Legislative Assembly election in 2022. He was shot dead by unknown people on May 29, 2022. He was 28.
Matchbox Shots has acquired the rights to crime journalist Jupinderjit Singh’s bestselling 2023 book “Who Killed Moosewala? The Spiralling Story of Violence in Punjab.” The book peels back the layers of the Punjabi-language music industry and delves into the influence of drugs and the eruption of violence driven by gangsters’ growing dominance in Punjab, one of India’s northern states.
“Andhadhun” (2018), directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Matchbox Shots, collected nearly $50 million in China. The company is also behind Vasan Bala’s Netflix film “Monica O My Darling” and Hansal Mehta’s Busan-winning Netflix series “Scoop.”
Matchbox Shots is in discussions with several platforms about the project and it is not decided yet whether it will be a film or series.
Jupinderjit Singh said: “The moment the book was published there was a lot of interest from various production houses. I was really impressed with the kind of work Matchbox Shots is producing and I am thrilled that they have taken the rights to the book to develop it further.”
Sarita Patil of Matchbox Shots added: “We have always found the macabre relationship between the music industry and gang wars in Punjab extremely intriguing. With Jupinderjit’s book ‘Who Killed Moosewala?’ we know we have a strong backbone for our story.”
The project is led by Dikssha Jyote Routray of Matchbox Shots, who said: “The story is an intricate interplay of crime, fame and music in Punjab, a narrative that demands contemplation and understanding.”