Producer Dr. Raj Bothra, an Indian practising in the USA, has produced USA V/s Raj with Kabir Bedi and Shabana Azmi in the lead roles. The film is based on Dr. Bothra’s own legal battle with the FBI in the US.
The FBI arrested Dr. Raj Bothra on 54 counts but rather than plead guilty, Dr. Bothra preferred to take on the FBI. After a protracted legal battle, Dr. Bothra was acquitted on all the 54 counts and came out unblemished. But he had to spend a long time in jail.
Kabir Bedi plays Dr. Bothra in USA V/s Raj. Says Dr. Bothra. “I’ve spent more than Rs. 50 crore to produce the film” which is now being readied for release. The cost of production would appear too much for a film which does not star a young or saleable actor, but that’s partly because Dr. Bothra’s line producer, Prashant Shah, fleeced him.
Dr. Bothra alleges that Shah, to whom he gave almost complete authority, signed his own daughter and son-in-law to play important roles in the film, paying them disproportionately high remunerations. According to Dr. Bothra, Prashant Shah also committed other frauds and vanished from the hotel in London after the last day of shooting, without clearing payments of the cast and crew members.
Anyway, all that is behind Dr. Raj Bothra who doesn’t sound bitter or vengeful in spite of such a bad experience. “I’ve made a good film, and I now look forward to its release,” he says triumphantly.
USA V/s Raj is directed and cinematographed by Ravi Chandran.
