<p>It is a strange thing about Indian television. Globally, the easiest way to make a successful serial is to make a crime thriller. Be it ‘Crime Scene Investigation’ or ‘Sherlock Holmes’. Solving a murder mystery has always been the favourite theme for any serial maker. Not in India, though. Apart from ‘Karamchand’, ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’ and the more recent ‘CID’, there are very few crime-based shows that have tasted success on Indian television. Whatever may be the general feeling, there is no other reason than poor quality behind the low success rate of these serials. Even today, we are yet to come across a serial with high and slick production values like ‘Karamchand’ or one with a storyline as strong as ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’.<br /><br />The earlier edition of ‘Crime Patrol’ – a crime based show on Sony changed the rules of the game to a large extent by showcasing thrilling stories. All episodes were based on true incidents and viewers loved the simple storytelling style and the fact that it introduced us to the process of police investigations. The show is back on popular demand, albeit, in a new avatar. Hosted by telestars Sakshi Tanwar and Anoop Soni, the new season is being presented through the eyes of the police force and deals with the basic question — why and how did the crime take place?<br /><br />However, one of the reasons, the show is under the spotlight is because it is a comeback vehicle for Sakshi Tanwar. The lady who became the country’s favourite ‘bahu’, with her iconic portrayal of Parvati Agarwal in ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ is back on Indian television with this realistic crime thriller. “To be very frank with you, I was fed up working and desperately needed a break. The monotonous and strenuous regime of waking up early in the morning, working for long hours and being on my toes throughout the day, took a toll on me. Therefore, I took a break for a year. Post vacation, I felt like working again. So here I am!” says the actress, whose father is a retired Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer. <br /><br />“In more ways than one, this show evokes a lot of nostalgia. Besides reminding me of my father’s career, it also reiterated what he taught me – ‘Never come home crying’,” she adds. Sakshi started her career on television with a crime-based show — ‘Bhanwar’. As for her break from television, she used it to work for her film, ‘Coffee Break’. Sakshi also freelanced as a creative for a Doordarshan show ‘Samman: Ek Adhikaron’. “It was a wonderful experience to be behind the camera. I am happy that I could use my break to grow professionally,” she explains. <br /><br />And how does she feel hosting a show like ‘Crime Patrol’ ? “Obviously, being part of the show is very different from portraying Parvati. But, my image from ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ is helping me immensely in this programme. My interactions with people on the show are effective only because they see my as Parvati Agarwal — the ideal ‘bahu’. Therefore they tend to be more open, welcoming and share their stories without any apprehensions,” says Sakshi, who has donned a more glamorous look for the serial. <br /><br />Anoop Soni – the other host of the show is an alumnus of National School of Drama, who shot to fame with his portrayal of Bhairav in ‘Balika Vadhu’. He too is a crime show veteran, having worked in the show ‘CID Special Bureau’ earlier. Optimystix, makers of ‘Crime Patrol’ add that the new season of the show will focus on crime against women, senior citizens and children. <br /><br />The episodes will highlight the affect of crime on the family of the victim without sensationalising the situation. It will also offer advice on how to deal with crime situations. Interestingly, the show will feature a number of high profile cases like the Neeraj Grover murder and the Shiny Ahuja rape case. The makers reiterate that all the stories will be real police cases with real people and will take viewers to the actual scene of crime. ‘Crime Patrol’ is important for Sony. They have traditionally been successful with crime thrillers, and another successful run of ‘Crime Patrol’ may revive the glory of this particular show and reestablish Sony’s hold in the crime-based shows genre. Also, the channel has been suffered various failures. All the six shows launched in mid 2009 have gone off air and its much-hyped tie-up with Yash Raj Films TV did not yield the expected results. <br /><br />Watch ‘Crime Patrol’ from Monday to Thursday at 8.30 pm.</p>
<p>It is a strange thing about Indian television. Globally, the easiest way to make a successful serial is to make a crime thriller. Be it ‘Crime Scene Investigation’ or ‘Sherlock Holmes’. Solving a murder mystery has always been the favourite theme for any serial maker. Not in India, though. Apart from ‘Karamchand’, ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’ and the more recent ‘CID’, there are very few crime-based shows that have tasted success on Indian television. Whatever may be the general feeling, there is no other reason than poor quality behind the low success rate of these serials. Even today, we are yet to come across a serial with high and slick production values like ‘Karamchand’ or one with a storyline as strong as ‘Byomkesh Bakshi’.<br /><br />The earlier edition of ‘Crime Patrol’ – a crime based show on Sony changed the rules of the game to a large extent by showcasing thrilling stories. All episodes were based on true incidents and viewers loved the simple storytelling style and the fact that it introduced us to the process of police investigations. The show is back on popular demand, albeit, in a new avatar. Hosted by telestars Sakshi Tanwar and Anoop Soni, the new season is being presented through the eyes of the police force and deals with the basic question — why and how did the crime take place?<br /><br />However, one of the reasons, the show is under the spotlight is because it is a comeback vehicle for Sakshi Tanwar. The lady who became the country’s favourite ‘bahu’, with her iconic portrayal of Parvati Agarwal in ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ is back on Indian television with this realistic crime thriller. “To be very frank with you, I was fed up working and desperately needed a break. The monotonous and strenuous regime of waking up early in the morning, working for long hours and being on my toes throughout the day, took a toll on me. Therefore, I took a break for a year. Post vacation, I felt like working again. So here I am!” says the actress, whose father is a retired Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer. <br /><br />“In more ways than one, this show evokes a lot of nostalgia. Besides reminding me of my father’s career, it also reiterated what he taught me – ‘Never come home crying’,” she adds. Sakshi started her career on television with a crime-based show — ‘Bhanwar’. As for her break from television, she used it to work for her film, ‘Coffee Break’. Sakshi also freelanced as a creative for a Doordarshan show ‘Samman: Ek Adhikaron’. “It was a wonderful experience to be behind the camera. I am happy that I could use my break to grow professionally,” she explains. <br /><br />And how does she feel hosting a show like ‘Crime Patrol’ ? “Obviously, being part of the show is very different from portraying Parvati. But, my image from ‘Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki’ is helping me immensely in this programme. My interactions with people on the show are effective only because they see my as Parvati Agarwal — the ideal ‘bahu’. Therefore they tend to be more open, welcoming and share their stories without any apprehensions,” says Sakshi, who has donned a more glamorous look for the serial. <br /><br />Anoop Soni – the other host of the show is an alumnus of National School of Drama, who shot to fame with his portrayal of Bhairav in ‘Balika Vadhu’. He too is a crime show veteran, having worked in the show ‘CID Special Bureau’ earlier. Optimystix, makers of ‘Crime Patrol’ add that the new season of the show will focus on crime against women, senior citizens and children. <br /><br />The episodes will highlight the affect of crime on the family of the victim without sensationalising the situation. It will also offer advice on how to deal with crime situations. Interestingly, the show will feature a number of high profile cases like the Neeraj Grover murder and the Shiny Ahuja rape case. The makers reiterate that all the stories will be real police cases with real people and will take viewers to the actual scene of crime. ‘Crime Patrol’ is important for Sony. They have traditionally been successful with crime thrillers, and another successful run of ‘Crime Patrol’ may revive the glory of this particular show and reestablish Sony’s hold in the crime-based shows genre. Also, the channel has been suffered various failures. All the six shows launched in mid 2009 have gone off air and its much-hyped tie-up with Yash Raj Films TV did not yield the expected results. <br /><br />Watch ‘Crime Patrol’ from Monday to Thursday at 8.30 pm.</p>
