ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
‘USA vs Raj’ to world premiere at CSAFF
The biographical drama starring Kabir Bedi and Shabana Azmi chronicles the real-life courtroom saga of Indian-American physician Dr. Raj Bothra
-
Avani Acharya - Wed, 19, Aug 2026
- 17:24 EDT
- 48
Film Poster / CSAFF
The Chicago South Asian Film Festival will open its 2026 edition on Sept. 18 with USA vs Raj, a biographical drama based on the legal ordeal of Indian American physician Dr. Raj Bothra.
It stars Kabir Bedi, Shabana Azmi, Emily Shah, Fisher Stevens, Douglas Henshall, Tracy Ifeachor and Mena Massoud.
Also Read: Jackie Shroff brings a different kind of superhero to families worldwide
USA vs Raj follows Bothra, a respected Michigan surgeon who left private practice in the early 2000s to establish a pain-management center in Detroit serving patients who were turned away by other clinics.
Over the years, he treated tens of thousands of patients and was recognized for his humanitarian work with India’s civilian honor the Padma Shri. He also advised the Vatican on global health and worked alongside Mother Teresa.
The film centers on the dramatic turn in Bothra’s life when federal authorities indicted him in 2018 on 54 counts, with 19 charges against him individually. At 78, he was denied bail and remained incarcerated while awaiting trial.
According to the film's account, Bothra repeatedly refused to accept a plea deal, insisting that the truth should come out.
While he remained in custody, his wife Pammi and daughter Sonia fought to find legal representation. They eventually secured attorneys Alan Rogalski and Arthur Millen, who took on the case and went to trial against the U.S. government.
The film moves between Bothra’s time in custody, the courtroom and the experiences of his wife and daughter as they confront the personal and emotional toll of the case.
The story is based on Bothra’s memoir and recounts his 1,301 days in custody before a federal jury unanimously acquitted him of all 54 charges in June 2022.
For the Indian American community, the film brings to the screen the story of an immigrant physician whose decades of medical and humanitarian work became intertwined with one of the most difficult chapters of his life in the United States.
Tickets to the premier can be purchased here.
Leave A Comment
Related
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
E Paper
Video
Comments
Start the conversation
Become a member of New India Abroad to start commenting.
Sign Up Now
Already have an account? Login