TV Show Review | Shaitaan: Not a family entertainer though slotted for the prime time; Rated 2.5 Stars

Crime based reality shows seem to be the emerging trend on television channels these days. With serials like Crime Patrol, Savdhaan India and Gumrah already familiar to audiences this genre seems to be their favourite,  next to other existing reality shows such as dance and music shows.

Of late instances of reported crime have increased in the country. Every morning we wake up to shocking reports of murders , rapes , robbery, extortion, domestic abuse etc which have become rampant in towns and cities. What is it that makes a criminal commit such horrendous and gruesome crimes? Delving deep into their thoughts and psyche one has to understand the reason that leads them to commit the gruesome act. Keeping this in mind Colors have come up with an investigative series, ‘Shaitaan –A Criminal Mind.’ Produced by Miditech the show aims to break through the emotional undercurrents and understand the criminals mindset while indulging in  such cold , calculated and premeditated acts. Popular television actor Sharad Kelkar, the anchor of the show has taken on the challenge of understanding whether it is the criminal’s past, a habit or a disease which motivates him/her to behave like a devil. The new serial was aired on Colors channel on 1st December 2012 at 10 pm.

The show a documentary of real life crimes has been dramatized to make viewing more interesting to audiences.   It makes an effort to decode the criminal mind and  also helps to bring justice to the victims. The show has been backed by a research team consisting of  psychologists, psychiatrists, experts on forensics, criminology and law. The investigations are conducted with the evidence at hand and thus cases are solved.

Viewers have evolved today and are looking for more real, relatable and topical content. Crime and criminals always carry an intriguing element for them. Hence with this new genre, Colors   makes an effort to deliver variety to their audience.

Providing dramatic recreations of actual events through the facts, documents and interviews from people connected to the happening, Shaitaan – A Criminal Mind promises to take the audiences as close as possible to the crime scene . The crime always stems from an emotional undercurrent that is hidden behind the act and anchor Sharad Kelkar has accepted this show as a challenge to prove to audiences that they should re- think before arriving at conclusions.

The series presents the viewers with crime cases arising out of obsession, jealousy, leading to extortion, domestic abuse and marital rape. It also deals with juvenile cases of extreme ragging, serial killers and brutal rapists.

The case of the Meerut Cab Killers was dealt with in the first episode. A bunch of cabbies pick passengers late night from bus depots or railway stations and kill them for money, initially, then it just for  sadistic pleasure. Sunil and his accomplice Mukesh lure passengers to use their taxi service and loot and murder them before they can reach their destination. A nexus is formed which just becomes larger with more members joining the group.  They murder more than 250 people and dump their bodies across the state before they are caught. A classic study of a hive mind where a cult leader convinces a bunch of other people that were alienated by society to strike back and kill them.

Simultaneously police investigations are conducted and they go about it on a war footing. But the unabated crime, their addiction to kill , their lust and greed ultimately leads the  killers       to a point of no return. Finally a rift between the protagonists Sunil and Mukesh leads to their arrests.

We realize that the culprits are actually educated men with a good command of the English language and this how they bait their passengers. Unsuspecting passengers are gullible to their sweet talk and use their services without the least hint of the horror that is in store for them.

The protagonist Sunil in the dramatic recreation confesses that inspite of being an educated person he is forced to resort to such activities due to societal pressures. This  leads to venting of their frustrations and displaying mental instability which manifests into violence thus causing harm to unsuspecting public at large. The serial depicts the evil lurking in society which needs to be investigated before many more lives are lost to such unscrupulous elements. Citizens safety which is paramount is being violated and bringing them to book is the only way we can get rid of this devilish trend overtaking psychotic minds who seem to get a high out of committing such crimes.

Sharad Kelkar in his role as an anchor goes beyond just anchoring and analyses the mind-set of the criminal thus dissecting the complex journey of the crime. An attempt has been made to present the other side, viz. that however cruel and heartless a criminal may be his /her actions always originates from an emotional undercurrent that is hidden behind the act. The show required a host who not only had a strong personality but also a questioning mind and this is where Sharad Kelkar seems to fit the bill.  He lends himself completely to the role.

The series combines mystery, drama, thrill and horror while particularly an emphasizing  on the emotional connect associated with every act of crime.

The target audience is definitely adults but inspite of this the show has been slotted for the regular prime time when children too would be exposed to the harsh realities of life.

The dramatization and picturisation has been done well with good performances by the characters in the story.

The Police force who waste no time in trying to trace the culprits have been portrayed in good light and shown to be efficient in their duties.

It is an eye-opener to audiences and will help them to understand the reason behind a particular crime. The murders committed portray the gory and crude nature of crime and definitely not a family entertainer though slotted for the prime time viewing. As promised by the channel the producers have been successful in taking audiences close to the crime scene with the dramatized versions.

With several shows of this genre already on air there is a sense of ‘déjà vu’ where this serial is concerned but hoping that it will be different from the rest.

Adgully gives Shaitaan – A Criminal Mind a rating of 2.5 stars out of 5 stars.