Eighty-one-year-old Padma Shri Dr Raj Bothra’s remarkable life, once a celebration of medical excellence and community service, was torn apart in December 2018 when an unexpected knock at his door changed everything. A surgeon and interventional pain expert who devoted decades to healing, philanthropy, and strengthening ties between India and America, he was honoured with the Padma Shri during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s administration, awarded by President K. R. Narayanan. Over the span of his career, he has worked extensively in both the United States and India, leaving an equally significant impact in each. Beyond his medical career, Dr. Bothra helped set up the Nargis Dutt Foundation, worked for the Mother Teresa Foundation, and championed awareness campaigns on nicotine use, AIDS, and alcohol abuse. Over the years, he has worked with influential public figures, including Indian prime ministers, U.S. presidents, Mother Teresa, and Pope John Paul II, and has received numerous awards in both India and the U.S. for his public service. Yet despite such achievements, Dr Bothra found himself arrested by the FBI on charges that would later be proven false. For 1,301 days, he endured wrongful imprisonment, separated from his family and stripped of everything familiar, until a jury of twelve ordinary Americans unanimously acquitted him in June 2022.
Now, Dr Raj Bothra’s memoir titled ‘USA v Raj’ comes home to India. The book was unveiled by actors Anupam Kher and Tusshar Kapoor at JW Marriott, Mumbai, a poignant moment of return for a man whose faith, culture, and family sustained him through the darkest chapter of his life. Alongside the book release came the announcement of its film adaptation, which recently drew international attention during its unveiling at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Present at the event, besides Anupam Kher and Tusshar Kapoor, were Dr. Bothra’s wife Pammi Bothra and daughter Sonia Bothra, acclaimed filmmaker Ravi K. Chandran, who will be directing the film; actors Emily Shah of ‘Jungle Cry’ fame who will be essaying the role of Dr Bothra’s daughter Sonia; and Ankur Bhatia of Aarya fame, who is also part of the film. Also in attendance was Prashant Shah of Bollywood Hollywood Productions, who will be producing the film in collaboration with Twickenham Productions. Veteran actor Kabir Bedi will embody Dr. Raj Bothra’s role with the weight, gravitas, and emotional depth the story demands.
The screenplay and dialogues are entrusted to Zill-e-Huma, Shubho Deep Pal, Hussain Dalal, and Abbas Dalal, drawing from Dr Bothra’s own memoir. The sound design will be overseen by Oscar-winner Resul Pookutty. The film will be shot across India and the UK, reflecting the cross-continental sweep of Dr. Bothra’s life and legacy.
For Dr Bothra, the arrest shattered everything he had known. “My whole world crashed, my family ruined, my businesses closed and all bank accounts frozen,” he recalled. “I was told that I would die in prison if I didn’t plead guilty. So be it, I replied. What sustained me was my firm belief that, in the end, truth will prevail against all the odds… I come from a country where dignity and honour are far more important than life itself.”
Anupam Kher expressed, “I have known Dr Raj Bothra and his wife, Pammi, for a really long time, around 30-35 years. He has done a lot for the society, so for him to say that he’s just an ordinary man, I don’t agree with that, I feel he is an extraordinary human being because of the social work he has done in India. When I heard that the FBI had taken Dr Bothra in on false charges, I was worried and shocked that America, supposedly the most developed and one of the happiest countries in the world, turned out to be a place where something as unjust as this could happen!!! But now that he’s out and justice has prevailed, I appreciate his courage, more than anything… I request everyone to read his book USA v Raj, his story.” He concluded by saying “brown lives matter.”
Tusshar Kapoor added, “Like I said, this is my 36th year of knowing Dr Raj Bothra, and no matter what people say, nothing is enough to describe what he went through, and I think the book does justice to that. All I would like to say is, I hope all of us get inspired by his life because it proves tough times don’t last, but tough people do. Maybe the universe intended for him to go through this so that he could set a solid example for people like us, marked by courage.”
The memoir becomes a powerful call to conscience. Dr Bothra felt compelled to turn his personal trauma into public awareness. “I wrote the book to bring awareness to the common people in America,” he shared. “If I had no idea of a cruel judicial system, I am sure most common people in America are not aware either. Next could be anybody.” His reflections go beyond legal reform to a deeply moral appeal. “The most formidable challenge we face is changing the culture of ‘winning at any cost.’ This cultural shift cannot be legislated or enforced… it must originate from within our hearts. Let our shared humanity and our shared desire for justice guide us towards a brighter, fairer future,” Dr Bothra added.
