The underworld and crime reporting seem to be the flavour of the season, with three crime thrillers, including one written by Hussain Zaidi, on the anvil

You can look forward to a spate of crime thrillers in the coming months, since at least three filmmakers, including Sanjay Gupta, are planning films that will depict the workings of the underworld and crime journalism.

Gupta has put Khote Sikkey on hold to make Shootout At Vadala, and has roped in Hussain Zaidi, crime reporter and Black Friday author, who was closely associated with the late MiD DAY Editor, Special Investigations J Dey, who was recently shot dead.

Says Hussain, "J Dey used to be an environment reporter but was deeply fascinated by crime reportage. I encouraged him to switch genres and initiated him into crime reporting. We were closely associated for several years at the Indian Indian Express and later, at M

id day." Gupta and Zaidi are co-scripting the upcoming film. And we are told there is a crime reporter who plays a prominent role in the script. Says Zaidi, "Sanjay Gupta is doing his own research too. We are going ahead full-steam."

"Currently, with all the focus on crime and the underworld, I think the time for Shootout At Vadala is right. So yes, I've put Khote Sikkey on hold for this project." Zaidi's book, Black Friday based on the 1999 Mumbai riots was made into a critically acclaimed film in 2004 by director Anurag Kashyap.