Filmmaker Khalid Mohamed's new novel to be murder mystery

Filmmaker and critic Khalid Mohamed's new novel will be a murder mystery inspired by real-life incidents, publisher Westland Books announced on Friday.

"The Imperfect Prince", a fictional narrative based on real-life events, will tell the tale of Shifa Syed Qureshi, an investigative journalist, who sets out to unearth the mystery behind her half-brother's death.

The story follows the life of the titular prince and her half-brother Rao Raja Jaiveer Singh who had grown up in the royal household of Aryagarh after the death of their parents.

Despite having lived apart, his shocking murder sends shockwaves through her own life, sending her on a quest that changes everything around and within her.

"'The Imperfect Prince' is a chunk of my heart that I never dared to dissect before. Based on a hushed-up murder in the aristocracy, it required all the courage I had in me because I was imagining justice through it," the writer of films like "Mammo", "Sardari Begum" and "Zubeida" said.

Mohamed has also directed films such as "Fiza", "Tehzeeb" and "Silsilay".

"We're delighted to have acquired The Imperfect Prince, which sees Khalid Mohamed at the very top of his game. This pacy, gritty novel is layered with the menace that only real life could have lent it," Vidhi Bhargava, acquiring editor, Westland Books said.

The book will be released in October this year.