Just Like Burari Series, Indian Predator: The Butcher Of Delhi Will Make You Feel Uncomfortable
Not everyone has the stomach to sit through a tale of terror based on real crime. House Of Secrets: The Burari Deaths made many people squirm. In fact, when the incident occurred?many tried not to dwell on what could have happened in that house where eleven family members allegedly committed mass suicides. If you ask the people of the neighboring area, I'm sure many would even hesitate to walk past that house of horror.??
However, there are some curious minds that like to get to the bottom of everything, including myself. When Netflix announced Indian Predator: The Butcher Of Delhi, it created a major uproar from the word go as many still remember how the capital city of the country was shaken when a serial killer was on the loose. He was convicted in 2013 for committing gruesome murders between 2003 to 2007.
?Indian Predator: The Butcher Of Delhi lacks in many aspects be it writing or getting deep into the psyche of the murderer, but the haunting tale still leaves a lasting impact on the viewerĄ¯s mind.
Without getting into the specifics of the story, if you go by the trailer, this three-part series takes a deep dive into the horrendous case of a Bihari migrant Chandrakant Jha who has an unspoken enmity towards Delhi Police. To exact revenge, he ruthlessly murders innocent victims and decapitates their bodies. He then leaves specific body parts packed in a cane basket outside the Tihar Jail with hate notes addressing the police and challenging them to find him.
This show has first-hand accounts of police officials who worked on the case, journalists who were on the field covering the heinous murders and clinical experts trying to explore the mindset of the accused. However, the narrative still lacks a certain extent in terms of the sinister aspects of the crime. It touches upon various areas including the impact of the murders on the victimsĄ¯ families, the criminalĄ¯s motive and the wild goose chase of the police but itĄ¯s only on a surface level.? It even explores the accused's childhood and how it affected his adult life. There are anecdotes shared by the people of his village who lived nearby and were a part of his early life.
Interestingly, there comes a point when for a split second, a viewer might feel pity on the criminal as the motive behind his wrongdoings isnĄ¯t all futile. His reason is definitely wrong on a legal and humanitarian level. However, what drove him to take such a drastic step isnĄ¯t something unheard of in the past.?
Through the medium of this series, we get to know the atrocities faced by migrants and how making a living in a new city can be all parts frustrating and earth-shattering for them. But it is only a small iota of a much-needed profound discussion. Extortion and bribery still exist and are the biggest societal evils that arenĄ¯t addressed on a much larger level than they should.?
What the series lacks in, it greatly makes up for in highlighting issues that arenĄ¯t given much importance.The distinction between city life and village life, the class divide and capitalism among other things
Unlike other series of the same genre, the reason why Ayesha SoodĄ¯s directorial stands out is because it isnĄ¯t a white-washing machinery for the police. The show pin-points all the flaws - be it the delay in investigations which led to another killing or how some officials take advantage of their uniforms to make money from small vendors/workers. There is no unnecessary praising or detailed depiction of how the police successfully nabbed the accused. The narration is unbiased and sticks to the details without giving out a preconceived judgment. It is entirely left at the viewerĄ¯s discretion to form his/her own conclusion.
Indian Predator might not be a flawless series but it sure makes for an important watch.?
This three-part series can be streamed on Netflix.
(To?read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading?Indiatimes BINGE)
