Vistas Media Group acquires screen rights to journalist Mazhar Farooqui’s memoir for crime series

Vistas Media Group has acquired the screen rights to ''The Maz Files: Scoops, Scams and Showdowns'', the memoir of Indian investigative journalist Mazhar Farooqui, and plans to adapt it into a crime series. The investigative crime series will trace some of the most complex cases handled by Farooqui over a three-decade career marked by reporting across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Lucknow-born Farooqui, also known as Maz, has worked with leading Indian and international news organisations and is known for investigations into cross-border crime, financial fraud and organised scam networks. Published by Westland in 2024, the book documents his reporting on underground economies and international syndicates. According to the makers, Farooqui's investigations have resulted in legal action against more than 250 individuals worldwide and have been linked to the dismantling of an international cyber crime syndicate involved in large-scale online fraud, including the ''digital arrest'' scams. Vistas Media co-founder Piiyush Singh said the material demanded ''integrity and depth''. ''We've worked closely with Maz on research, scripting and development to ensure the series captures not just the crimes, but the courage behind uncovering them,'' Singh told PTI over phone, adding that the team was planning an eight-episode season. Farooqui, who is currently based in Dubai, said the intent was not sensationalism. ''These stories were written to expose truth. The series will show how crime really operates,'' he told PTI. Vistas Media Group has interests across film and streaming content, while its India-based production arm Golden Ratio Films is known for projects such as Manoj Bajpayee's ''Bhonsle'', SonyLIV series ''JL50'' and Dhanush-starrer ''The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir''.