The TV series American Crime Story based on the life of American footballer OJ Simpson case, played by Cuba Gooding Jr, who was tried for the murders of his ex-wife and her lover has many similarities with the Akshay Kumar starrer Rustom, based on the Nanavati case, in which an Navy officer who was tried for shooting his wife’s lover.
The TV series American Crime Story based on the life of American footballer OJ Simpson case, played by Cuba Gooding Jr, who was tried for the murders of his ex-wife and her lover has many similarities with the Akshay Kumar starrer Rustom, based on the Nanavati case, in which an Navy officer who was tried for shooting his wife’s lover. Apart from both stories having inspired screen versions, they share many similarities. Read on...
Jealousy: OJ’s former wife Nicole Brown-Simpson was murdered at her home in LA, along with her friend, Ron Goldman on June 12, 1994. Both reportedly brutally stabbed to death by Simpson. On the afternoon of April 27, 1959 Commander Kawas Maneckshaw Nanavati went to the house of his friend Prem Bhagwandas Ahuja and shot him. Both men were driven by rage by their wives paramours.
Trial by media
The Simpson case has been described as the most publicised criminal trial in American history... “The biggest story I have ever seen,” said the producer of NBC’s Today. The Los Angeles Times alone covered the case on its front page for more than 300 days and television networks’ featured nightly news broadcasts. Mumbai police historian Deepak Rao calls the Nanavati trial the “most prominent case in the city’s history.” Russi Karanjia of Blitz turned this case into a trial of patriarchy and patriotism, and elicited the people on behalf of Nanavati. The Bombay Daily Blitz, championed the cause of Nanavati. One copy of the magazine, which was priced at 25 paisa, was selling at ` 2 per issue at the time.
A race thing
Public opinion of the Simpson case was sharply divided along racial lines: many African-Americans believed the he had been framed for the killings by a racist police force. Nanavati had tremendous support from the Parsi community, The coverage of the trial pitted the Parsi and Sindhi communities in the city against each other.
Public support
Simpson became a symbol, to many blacks, of endemic racism in the justice system. And when a jury with nine black members declared him not guilty on October 3, 1995, black people across the country cheered. With the newspapers whipping up emotions, support for Nanavati was strong, particularly among the Parsis, and young women. The ladies overflowed in the courtroom in large numbers, and lined the route around Flora Fountain as the van carrying him drove up to the court. Their sympathies were with him. Flower petals and currency notes were thrown by his admirers and he received marriage proposals from infatuated women.
Getting away with murder
OJ Simpson was acquitted of the murders but was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial. Nanavati received a pardon from the Governor of Bombay Vijaylakshmi Pandit and he left Mumbai forever and migrated to Canada with his wife Sylvia and kids.
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