‘Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi’ review: Despite the potent material, only a shallow exploration persists
Clutching purely on the brutality of the crime, this true-crime series hardly tries to break out of the mould or dig beyond the surface
(Originally published in The Hindu on July 22, 2022)
Last year, Netflix released an Indian true-crime docu-series House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths that found an audience on a global scale. The series on the demise of 11 family members in Delhi was praised for its riveting writing and deep psychological exploration. However, the recently released Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi, on the other hand, lacks both in its writing and the exploration of the subject’s psyche, instead banking on the brutality of the serial killer at the centre. This is disappointing, given that the case in hand is no ordinary one.
Indian Predator recounts the investigation into Chandrakant Jha, one of the most gruesome serial killers in the country’s history. He was convicted in 2013 for three gruesome killings between 2003 and 2007. The case’s popularity has diminished over the years, and this also doesn’t favour the makers. A lot of time hadn’t passed since the Burari incident, and hence it had the advantage of being popular in the public consciousness.
Right at the beginning, we get a glimpse into the mood that the documentary is going for with a rudimentary montage of higher authorities giving bits and pieces of information about a killer. Minutes into the opening monologue, we see a top cop say the humdrum true-crime cliche, “I have never come across a case like this in 23 years.”
The wonderful title design that we then get gives some hope, even reminding one of a Hannibal Lecter-like figure, but the first episode hardly breaks out of the cliche.
On October 20, 2006, a mysterious caller informs the Delhi police that he has left a corpse near the Gate 3 entrance of the Tihar Jail. The cops find a mutilated body of a middle-aged man, neatly packed and kept inside a fruit basket.
The story eventually unravels into one of the most shocking investigations.
Read the full review here: ‘Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi’ review