"Crime Patrol" is different from all the other Hindi TV crime shows. It was called "Crime Patrol Dastak", but now we know it as "Crime Patrol Satark". It is one of the oldest TV series that base their content on real cases. It is really the only show that I watch on the TV (well, SET India uploads it on YouTube on Saturday's and Sunday's). It comes on TV at 11:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
So why is "Crime Patrol Satark" special? I think it has to do with the director's (Subramanian S. Iyer) intention. The intention or the goal of "Crime Patrol Satark" is to bring awareness to the audience and to depict not only the crime for the sake of crime, but the "whole picture". Creators try to show things that can lead to crime: carelessness, greed, infidelity, hot temper or nothing at all...And "Crime Patrol Satark" team do it in a non judgemental way which is very rare and important.
"Crime Patrol" often depicts their cases as if from police's perspective. Police work is usually exemplary and heroic which often is the only thing on the show that conflicts with reality. But who knows? We, viewers, weren't there, so we don't know. Maybe there are great police officers in India who do a great job and even if they aren't, "Crime Patrol" demonstrates an ideal, a dream and a vision of how that should be and how good would it be if it was real.
"Crime Patrol" chooses to show things in real light. There would be no artificially looking sets or actors with perfect make-up and hair (unless the story is about model or call-centre girls or people attending a wedding). Great importance is given to realism, so that the story would be communicated in the clearest and most precise way. And in crime shows, the details really matter, the characters, what they wear, how they talk, where they live, their level of education, what would the real people do in that situation, what would they have for lunch, how would they think being in those situations. Everything is consistent in "Crime Patrol" and this is really the first show that has such an amazing eye for detail.
In many episodes I've found the script and the dialogue being very intelligent, even wise, poetic. I do remember many phrases that inspired me such as this one from "The Quest of Happiness" (Season 4, Episode 349):
(Son to his poor dad): "Daddy, my shoes broke!" (Dad): "Son, don't look at the shoes and you will not know they're broken!"
It's such a wise thing to say and such a good way to think! And it's not only for the shoes, it's about everything! I remember it being one of the most memorable episodes because it was just a piece of art: dark streets, labor "chauki" (stop), "theka" (alcohol shop), angry wife frying tomatoes in a pan - it was amazing!
Another episode that I loved was "Dead Woman Comes Back Alive - Rajhkot" (Season 4, Episode 210)...It started with a blinking bulb at a tiny tea shop somewhere in the fields, when a sleepy "chay wala" (shop owner) sees the dead woman he knows at the truck seat and goes numb...Being an informer, he calls the inspector and tells him he saw a ghost of the dead woman and inspector decides to investigate...I just remember it being so thrilling to watch...
It was 4 years ago and recent episodes became even better, new actors came and many of those faces became stars and I'm sure they have many fans, although we don't even know their names! Only the main cast is being mentioned in "Crime Patrol" such as the anchor Anoop Soni (love his voice!), Sanjeev Tyagi and Nissar Khan...
I could feel some experimentation happening with camera angles in the newer episodes, camera filming the car or motorcycle mirror, the wheels etc...It is nice..
The other good thing about "Crime Patrol" is the way it doesn't show "all the ugly things", such as stabbing or rape or anything that they know we don't want to see...For example, sex would be depicted by a flying "dupatta" (scarf), stabbing would be shown by blood splashing on the wall or floor... The "very" thing would not be shown...So this creates an impression that show creator is smart, intelligent and knows about aesthetics and other delicate subtleties that sometimes can be crucial when it comes to creating moods.
I am not a big fan of mainstream films and I always wanted to see films that represent the reality and reality in India is not beautiful. There are no gorgeous streets and cities like they show in Bollywood movies. Not many people are polite and smiley and helpful. It doesn't look like a paradise, but it doesn't mean it's bad either. It has it's "specialties" and I think "The Gangs of Wasseypur" expressed that very well. I think "Crime Patrol" is like a weekly version of "The Gangs of Wasseypur" with all its "khabris" (informers) and slum streets and women in casual saris...
There is nothing else to add, I'm just happy that "Crime Patrol" is there and that I can watch it every weekend. Some people tell me that I'm a "negativity addict" and that I should watch less of "Crime Patrol", but for me it's not about the crime, it's about the story, the human relationships, the psychology and the dynamics, the things between the lines, it's the HOW and not the WHAT.
I highly recommend this show for everyone who likes time tested quality and a little bit of philosophy! (And of course - a lot of suspense!)
So why is "Crime Patrol Satark" special? I think it has to do with the director's (Subramanian S. Iyer) intention. The intention or the goal of "Crime Patrol Satark" is to bring awareness to the audience and to depict not only the crime for the sake of crime, but the "whole picture". Creators try to show things that can lead to crime: carelessness, greed, infidelity, hot temper or nothing at all...And "Crime Patrol Satark" team do it in a non judgemental way which is very rare and important.
"Crime Patrol" often depicts their cases as if from police's perspective. Police work is usually exemplary and heroic which often is the only thing on the show that conflicts with reality. But who knows? We, viewers, weren't there, so we don't know. Maybe there are great police officers in India who do a great job and even if they aren't, "Crime Patrol" demonstrates an ideal, a dream and a vision of how that should be and how good would it be if it was real.
"Crime Patrol" chooses to show things in real light. There would be no artificially looking sets or actors with perfect make-up and hair (unless the story is about model or call-centre girls or people attending a wedding). Great importance is given to realism, so that the story would be communicated in the clearest and most precise way. And in crime shows, the details really matter, the characters, what they wear, how they talk, where they live, their level of education, what would the real people do in that situation, what would they have for lunch, how would they think being in those situations. Everything is consistent in "Crime Patrol" and this is really the first show that has such an amazing eye for detail.
In many episodes I've found the script and the dialogue being very intelligent, even wise, poetic. I do remember many phrases that inspired me such as this one from "The Quest of Happiness" (Season 4, Episode 349):
(Son to his poor dad): "Daddy, my shoes broke!" (Dad): "Son, don't look at the shoes and you will not know they're broken!"
It's such a wise thing to say and such a good way to think! And it's not only for the shoes, it's about everything! I remember it being one of the most memorable episodes because it was just a piece of art: dark streets, labor "chauki" (stop), "theka" (alcohol shop), angry wife frying tomatoes in a pan - it was amazing!
Another episode that I loved was "Dead Woman Comes Back Alive - Rajhkot" (Season 4, Episode 210)...It started with a blinking bulb at a tiny tea shop somewhere in the fields, when a sleepy "chay wala" (shop owner) sees the dead woman he knows at the truck seat and goes numb...Being an informer, he calls the inspector and tells him he saw a ghost of the dead woman and inspector decides to investigate...I just remember it being so thrilling to watch...
It was 4 years ago and recent episodes became even better, new actors came and many of those faces became stars and I'm sure they have many fans, although we don't even know their names! Only the main cast is being mentioned in "Crime Patrol" such as the anchor Anoop Soni (love his voice!), Sanjeev Tyagi and Nissar Khan...
I could feel some experimentation happening with camera angles in the newer episodes, camera filming the car or motorcycle mirror, the wheels etc...It is nice..
The other good thing about "Crime Patrol" is the way it doesn't show "all the ugly things", such as stabbing or rape or anything that they know we don't want to see...For example, sex would be depicted by a flying "dupatta" (scarf), stabbing would be shown by blood splashing on the wall or floor... The "very" thing would not be shown...So this creates an impression that show creator is smart, intelligent and knows about aesthetics and other delicate subtleties that sometimes can be crucial when it comes to creating moods.
I am not a big fan of mainstream films and I always wanted to see films that represent the reality and reality in India is not beautiful. There are no gorgeous streets and cities like they show in Bollywood movies. Not many people are polite and smiley and helpful. It doesn't look like a paradise, but it doesn't mean it's bad either. It has it's "specialties" and I think "The Gangs of Wasseypur" expressed that very well. I think "Crime Patrol" is like a weekly version of "The Gangs of Wasseypur" with all its "khabris" (informers) and slum streets and women in casual saris...
There is nothing else to add, I'm just happy that "Crime Patrol" is there and that I can watch it every weekend. Some people tell me that I'm a "negativity addict" and that I should watch less of "Crime Patrol", but for me it's not about the crime, it's about the story, the human relationships, the psychology and the dynamics, the things between the lines, it's the HOW and not the WHAT.
I highly recommend this show for everyone who likes time tested quality and a little bit of philosophy! (And of course - a lot of suspense!)
