sLocking every shabby door, I remember checking the nuts, bolts and rafters in my south Delhi apartment before slipping under the sheets with my docile pet dog and a blunt kitchen knife. One would think that this extreme reaction was due to an unwanted intruder, ghost, or perhaps even a robber in my space, but no. It was an enthusiastic response to the chilling second season of Delhi Crime on netflix. I was horrified because of their cruel treatment to the elderly, I could not escape the appeal that came with it partly real, partly fictional and very deadly’raw material‘ The gang lurked in the familiar by-lanes. So, I continued to feed my curiosity under the comfort and safety of my blanket. And I am only one of many Indians to do so.
Violence, racketeering, murder, mystery and drama – it is difficult to attribute one reason behind the increasing fascination of true crime films, documentaries and web series in India. But it’s really exciting to watch its development.
The time for true crime under the sun has finally arrived in India.
For the illiterate, ‘true crime’ is a section Non-fiction films, podcasts, and literature that explore real examples of crime, closely studying criminals and their unsuspecting victims. Writer-broadcaster Sanjeev Verma said, “True crime drama regularly features in the top 10 most-watched shows on OTT platforms.” wrote in an article The Hindu Business Line, Meanwhile, the data obtained by the ringer It shows That true crime is “emerging as not only the biggest subgenre” [among documentaries] But growing faster than almost any other.”
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Tracking True Crime in India
The seeds of this passion in India could have sprouted from Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay byomkesh bakshi and Satyajit Ray feluda In the middle of the 20th century, developing into more sophisticated visual mediums cid, crime patrol And Savdhaan India In the early 2000s. Something about Anup Soni’s “lesson for one, a lesson for all” justified the audience’s growing obsession with horrific stories of death, destruction and murder. Each episode was punctuated with a re-enactment of popular crime cases and ended with the host’s constant virtuoso allusions and heavy doses of moral science, as if each viewer was a potential criminal who needed to be prevented from being ‘influenced’ by the material. was needed. case. But with the rise of OTT, cinematic depictions of crime in India have become more honest, brutal and graphic – spade a spade to be called a spade.
From House of Secrets: Burari Deaths from (2021) Indian hunter Anthology (2022), with Indian audiences now turning to greener pastures, the obsession is where it is – growing and evolving into more than just nauseous murders, and delving deeper into criminal psychology .
Before coming to India, this unique sub-genre found its footing in America, viz. american crime story Anthology Series (2016-) to Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019) from worst roommate ever (2022). get netflix series mindhunter (2017) for example, which shows FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench (Jonathan Groff and Holt McClany) trying to catch criminals by understanding the complexities of their psyche. From Ted Bundy to Edmund Kemper — both American serial killers of the 1970s — the series approaches crime through a new, refreshing lens by steering away from the gore. The OTT giant takes a step forward keep sweet, pray and obey (2022), which depicts the rise of the (very real) Mormon Christian cult and its demonic, abusive leader. Here, the makers have touched upon topics like rape and sexual grooming from a sensitive, sensitive point of view.
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fresh takes
These unique approaches to true crime seem to have spread to India, with directors choosing to explore not just the crime, but its victims and the many implications. In Burari Deaths, director Leena Yadav manages to send chills down your spine without showing the mass suicide of 11 members of a Delhi family. Instead, she makes proper use of news and archival footage to bring to the fore a new angle—sensational in the Indian media.
Interestingly, true crime is no longer limited to OTT platforms. It’s gone on Instagram reels and even Spotify podcasts such as Death, Lies and Cyanide (2020) and the big shots, dosa king (2020).
“Serial killers are to adults what monster movies are to kids—that is, good, terrifying fun,” said criminology and sociology expert Scott Bonn. psychology today According to an article in Mashable India, Perhaps the only thing that needs to change is the dated style of storytelling—dark backgrounds, old psychics, and distinctively dangerous music.
Thoughts are personal.
This article is part of a series called Beyond the Reel. read all articles Here,
(edited by Prashant)