How the Ranga-Billa case, which inspired Raakh, impacted Bobby Deol's childhood
As Raakh revisits the 1978 Ranga-Billa case, Bobby Deol recalled that his childhood friend was kidnapped by the duo and escaped. He reflected on how the crime left a lasting mark on families and children beyond the headlines.
The release of the true-crime drama Raakh has once again brought attention to the 1978 Ranga-Billa case. Actor Bobby Deol, in 2025, recalled a chilling tragedy that directly impacted his childhood after one of his close friends was kidnapped by the notorious duo.
Bobby, in an interview on Raj Shamani’s podcast, said that the incident changed the way he was allowed to live while growing up. The actor revealed that one of his close school friends had been kidnapped by the duo, whose crimes had terrorised the country in the late 1970s.
The friend, however, managed to escape alive because of what Bobby described as a confusion. The actor said, "He was the luckiest of all the people they kidnapped. There was a confusion between Billa and Ranga My friend was with Ranga, and the cops were zeroing in on them. Ranga ran and left my friend at a paan shop. The shopkeeper asked him where he lived and brought him home."
Bobby also said that while being questioned by the kidnappers, his friend was made to name other children from his school, and Bobby’s name came up. After that, Dharmendra imposed a strict curfew on him. "After that, my father didn't let me leave the house at all. I returned from school and that was it. I even learned cycling inside my house. In college, when my friends started having house parties, I wasn't allowed to go. I had a 9 pm curfew," he added.
The case which inspired Ali Fazal's Raakh
Nearly five decades after the case shook the nation, Prime Video’s Raakh revisits that period. Set in late-1970s Delhi, the series follows Sub-Inspector Jayprakash, played by Ali Fazal, a police officer investigating a case that grows darker with every lead. As the search intensifies, the series looks at the emotional toll on families, the pressures of the investigation and the atmosphere of fear in the city.
Sonali Bendre plays Mona Arora, while Aamir Bashir appears as Lt Col Ashok Arora. The ensemble cast also includes Rakesh Bedi, Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav, Divya Sharma, Vivaan Sharma, Anshul Chauhan and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. Raakh is directed and executive produced by Prosit Roy, with Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket serving as creators, writers and co-directors. Ayush Trivedi has written the dialogues of the show.
Raakh was released on June 12, 2026.
The release of the true-crime drama Raakh has once again brought attention to the 1978 Ranga-Billa case. Actor Bobby Deol, in 2025, recalled a chilling tragedy that directly impacted his childhood after one of his close friends was kidnapped by the notorious duo.
Bobby, in an interview on Raj Shamani’s podcast, said that the incident changed the way he was allowed to live while growing up. The actor revealed that one of his close school friends had been kidnapped by the duo, whose crimes had terrorised the country in the late 1970s.
The friend, however, managed to escape alive because of what Bobby described as a confusion. The actor said, "He was the luckiest of all the people they kidnapped. There was a confusion between Billa and Ranga My friend was with Ranga, and the cops were zeroing in on them. Ranga ran and left my friend at a paan shop. The shopkeeper asked him where he lived and brought him home."
Bobby also said that while being questioned by the kidnappers, his friend was made to name other children from his school, and Bobby’s name came up. After that, Dharmendra imposed a strict curfew on him. "After that, my father didn't let me leave the house at all. I returned from school and that was it. I even learned cycling inside my house. In college, when my friends started having house parties, I wasn't allowed to go. I had a 9 pm curfew," he added.
The case which inspired Ali Fazal's Raakh
Nearly five decades after the case shook the nation, Prime Video’s Raakh revisits that period. Set in late-1970s Delhi, the series follows Sub-Inspector Jayprakash, played by Ali Fazal, a police officer investigating a case that grows darker with every lead. As the search intensifies, the series looks at the emotional toll on families, the pressures of the investigation and the atmosphere of fear in the city.
Sonali Bendre plays Mona Arora, while Aamir Bashir appears as Lt Col Ashok Arora. The ensemble cast also includes Rakesh Bedi, Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav, Divya Sharma, Vivaan Sharma, Anshul Chauhan and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. Raakh is directed and executive produced by Prosit Roy, with Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket serving as creators, writers and co-directors. Ayush Trivedi has written the dialogues of the show.
Raakh was released on June 12, 2026.
