There is something about crime that fascinates almost everyone. We don’t mean that they want to indulge in anything violent or illegal, but there is something about crime stories that people love following up on. And the television world is cashing in on this trend. Along with the usual saas-bahu shows, there is suddenly a huge rise in shows that deal with crime and criminals.
Season four of Gumraah will soon begin and the trailers are eye catching. The promos show young children saying they will grow up to become serial killers, drug dealers, stalkers.... The show hosted by Abhay Deol deals with the concept of how no one is born to become a criminal, but it’s that one wrong turn or decision in life that changes everything. Pyaar Ka The End meanwhile deals with love stories that have tragic and violent ends.
Then there is the popular Savdhaan India. There are two shows under this brand. One is Savdhaan, India Fights Back and the other one Pati, Patni Aur Crime.
Savdhaan... is more topical and depicts real-life incidents that have grabbed headlines along with examples of where helpless victims have fought off powerful politicians, panchayat leaders and society to get justice. Apart from giving viewers advice on how to deal with issues on their own and where to go for help, these shows make for great learning experiences, where we can look out for danger signs and handle situations better, therefore avoiding an ugly scenario.
Pooja Gaur, the female host for Savdhaan India says she loves doing this show because “it gives me utmost satisfaction of doing something for society as well being professionally engaged for say 15 days”. She adds, “I am happy that my own hairdresser, who was a victim of domestic violence, gathered courage to fight it. Her in-laws and her husband would torture her miserably and she would come to work all black and blue. Today, she is a happy woman.”
Pooja believes shows like these also educate people about where they can go for help if they have been subjected to crime. Sachin Mohite, the director of Savdhaan... says the reason behind the show is to educate people about their rights. “Mostly people succumb to crime as they do not want to go to the authorities and seek intervention. They dread the grilling. I myself never liked to get out of my car when I would witness mishaps on the roads. But now, after running this show, I make it a point to get out and help the victim. I think that through these shows we are promoting awareness amongst the audiences.”
Savdhaan’s other host, Shushant Singh, agrees with Sachin and says, “I agreed to host the show only when I was convinced that this crime show would bring some solace, hope and messages which would help victims. This show makes people aware of their rights on par with legal issues.”
