The actress’s Instagram video sparks intrigue before revealing a gripping crime-fiction novel with strong film potential
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Shreya Narayan, known for her performances in films such as Saheb, Biwi Aur Gangster, Super Nani, Laal Rang, Rockstar, and Kuch Kariye, recently sparked curiosity with a video posted on her Instagram account in which she repeatedly says, “He called me.”
The video immediately set social media abuzz, with viewers wondering who had called her—and from where. The mystery, however, was revealed in the very next clip. “He Called Me” is in fact the title of a gripping crime-fiction novel written by journalist-author Piyush Pandey. Shreya shared the video in a deliberately dramatic and intriguing style to draw attention to the book and its powerful narrative.
Speaking about the video, Shreya Narayan said, “I was among the first people to read He Called Me. This is an extremely important story that connects with every woman in this country. Although it is crime fiction, I wanted to create curiosity around it, which is why I chose a slightly sensational style for the video. There is strong potential for this novel to be adapted into a film or web series, and I truly want people to read it.”
He Called Me revolves around a young woman pursuing research in psychology. An unexpected incident abruptly alters her life, branding her a criminal and pushing her into the courtroom. As revelations unfold day after day, the case turns into one of the most sensational trials in the country.
Interestingly, while Piyush Pandey was developing the story, it was Shreya Narayan who suggested that the narrative had strong cinematic potential and should first be written as a screenplay. Pandey recalls, “Several senior people in the industry showed faith in this story. When I narrated the plot to filmmaker Shivam Nair—director of films like Naam Shabana and The Diplomat—he called it excellent. Renowned screenwriter Jaideep Sahni, known for Chak De! India and several other films, also appreciated the story after hearing it in full. That encouragement motivated me to write the screenplay first.”
Pandey further adds that during the Singapore Film Market, he even met producers interested in adapting the story. “However, at that time I was working with a major news channel and couldn’t deliver the complete screenplay with dialogues within the deadline,” he says.
In 2018, Shreya Narayan herself pitched the story to multiple producers in Singapore. “The film will be made when the time is right,” Pandey notes, “but I’m glad I have already written a novel based on an important story.”
He Called Me has been published by Penguin Swadesh. Piyush Pandey had earlier gained wide recognition for authoring actor Manoj Bajpayee’s biography, which was published by Penguin Random House in both Hindi and English. Gujarati and Marathi editions of the biography have also been released.
