Atul Kulkarni to play J Dey on silver screen

Slain MiD DAY crime reporter inspires Atul Kulkarni's character in Apoorva Lakhia's remake of 'Zanjeer'

It's been two years since MiD DAY crime reporter J Dey was shot dead in broad daylight. In Apoorva Lakhia upcoming film Zanjeer 2. 0, the character played by Atul Kulkarni is inspired from the slain journalist.

The day (June 11, 2011) when Dey was murdered by motorcycle-borne sharp shooters in Powai, Apoorva's film was in its scripting stages.

Says our source, `The film that stars South superstar Chiranjeevi's son Ram Charan revolves around the oil mafia. Apparently none other than Dey inspires Atul's character, a pivotal role in the film, who's shot down in a similar manner.

Trade insiders, who have already seen the film's first rushes, are drawing the connections, leading up to the gruesome killing of Dey. `



Apoorva says, `We have twisted the storyline a little from the original and now we have the oil mafia. Atul Kulkarni plays Jaidev, a crime journalist. He is an honest and a respected journalist, following the oil mafia.

He is eliminated just before he is all set to uncover the truth. ` While confirming that the journalist's character was inspired from Dey, the director adds, `We incorporated that character in the film as we wanted it to be as real as possible. `