TV serial CID and its ‘charismatic’ chief ACP Pradhyuman may not be Sherlock Holmes but as the serial marches to its18th year, some of its stars may think of the question ‘What comes next? V GANGADHAR, an unabashed CID fan, offers suggestions:
Inspector Daya: The muscular senior CID officer is the most popular team member and though he allows his fists to speak for himself he can do other things too. In retirement, he can start a gymnasium or a boxing school, But he would prosper more if he started manufacturing ‘DAYA proof Front Doors’ ready to withstand any human assault’ Films are a possibility and Daya would be ideal for the lead role in the Hindi version of ‘Samson and Delilah’ where he would bring down a heathen temple with bare hands or destroy an entire enemy force with nothing but his bare hands and the jawbone of an ass.
Inspector Abhijeet: Another popular Inspector whose past continues to haunt him. Whenever the serial runs short of plots it goes back to Abhijeet’s past. Quick, efficient and intelligent the only thing where he is rather slow is wooing pretty Forensic expert Dr Taarika. Despite being friendly colleagues for several years, they have not gone beyond sidelong glances and an occasional dinner which is usually interrupted with a cryptic all, ‘Sir, ek aur laash milli’. From butter chicken and rosogulla, it is back to ‘gala dabana’ and grim post mortem rituals of Dr Salunkhae can portray a bashful lover anytime, anyplace.
Dr Salunkhe: Most amazing versatile member of the CID team. Not just a forensic expert but pathologist, detective, bone expert who from jut one look at a skeleton can give details of the victim (his age, sex, how and when and where he was killed and so on). High opinion about forensic experts but low ones about cop intelligence excluding some members of the CID squad unbelievably efficient helped by the CID team. If Salunkhe identified a corpse whose death is caused by a rare tropical, Brazilian poison and his team would have the poison bottle in the police lab before one could say ‘sodium triiodate sulphanamodide’ commonly known as jungle rat shit. The future may see him as the ideal Medical Council Chief.
Inspector Freddie: Indian crime fiction cannot do without a comedian. Naturally, Freddie is scared of police work, blood and bodies and more so of ‘Aatma’. Identifies the supernatural in every crime and would like to flee the crime scene at the earliest. Next in the list of scary people is his own wife, though Freedie admits he has to do all domestic chores. But anything to keep him away from the dreaded ‘Aatma’ is in great demand as ComicCop on TV or films.
ACP Pradyuman: The boss man for who the CID is everything possessed of supernatural and super intelligent powers and capable of solving crimes all over the world. Was the legendry ACP under estimated in not getting promoted for over 18 years and made to work under a ‘nut case’ DCP Chitole? Why is the police commissioner silent? The ACP is supremely confident his force can solve any crime in any part of the world. Which police force can identify a deadly poison from the most remote North Eastern coastal tip of Western Africa and trace it to the clinic of a doctor in Sangli?
But the CID Supermen and women can do it under its dynamic chief. But Pradyuman does not trust anyone including his crack team, even men like Daya and Abhijeet. If ever he comes to know that Daya was seen at a shady night club or Abhijeet received three calls from a stranger, the ACP got suspicious, demanded all details (never believing cops had the right not to reveal them), even suspended his men and did not have the grace to apologize to Daya or Abhijeet when they were found in the clear. Those were the times when the ACP behaved like a pain in the b***. On retirement, he would make an ideal RTI head.
