‘Indian Predator: The Butcher Of Delhi’ Review: A Well-Developed Recreation Of The Horrific Crimes Of Chandrakant Jha
Netflix’s The Butcher of Delhi is the first part of the brand new Netflix true-crime documentary based on serial killers i.e. Indian Predator, it dares to tell us a tale so spine-chilling that it blew our minds in the past and still, continues to do so, on the screen. The story recreated the crimes of Chandrakant Jha, the serial killer convicted in 2013 for the heinous crimes that he committed between 2003 and 2007.
The documentary covers great details of the crimes committed by Chandrakant Jha. Honestly, the most shocking part that was disclosed by this documentary is the sheer number of people that this man has killed. I mean, how the hell did this man go unnoticed for such a long time? Revelations like these tend to leave you in shock. If a man who is capable of something like this, goes unnoticed for years, imagine how many others might still be roaming the streets of the country, looking for their next victim?
The aspect that really had me interested from the get-go was the fact that the introduction of the show’s name itself, was very well-developed. I mean, the way it progresses into the faces of some of the most well-known criminals in history, was really great.
Also Read: ‘The Butcher Of Delhi’: Netflix’s New Indian True Crime Docu-Series Covers Some Shocking Crimes!
The Major Misses In The Series
Although the series is brilliant, there are some parts of that seem to be a miss. One of these is the fact that the series portrays the Delhi police as a lacking department. It clearly mentions that there are over 500-murders every year and yet, they go unnoticed. In fact, the show also highlighted that unrecognizable corpses remain with the department for three days and if they aren’t able to identify the bodies, they just perform their last rites and close their cases. I mean, this being said on a global scale just sounds wrong.
We don’t get to hear much about the life of the suspect. The show clearly mentions the fact that people who are poor and belong to ‘certain backgrounds’ are mistreated by the police which is probably what pushed Chandrakant Jha to go on a rampage. I don’t really understand that reasoning. The funniest fact in the series is the fact Chandrakant Jha actually stays at the scene of the crime and helps the police cut the wrapping off the body. After this, they thank him and let him walk away without so much as a question. I mean, WHAT?
Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi Brings A Western Twist To Indian True Crime
Indian true crime documentaries in the past used to lack the elements that could make them comparable to international true crime documentaries. This is probably why it always felt like these documentaries lacked some finesse. Thankfully, Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi managed to fill in that blank by adopting a traditional interview method.
It dared to uncover the story behind the arrest of Chandrakant Jha, a cold-blooded serial killer. He was known for befriending people and then dismembering them after which, he scattered their body parts around the national capital. What’s truly chilling is the fact that, along with these, he would leave trails of abusive letters where he dared the Delhi police to ‘catch him if they can’. I mean, who has the guts to do something like that?
The series has a brilliant narrator and some of the best experts in the field, covering every aspect of the story. When questioned about her choices on the matter, Ayesha Sood, the director has been quoted saying, “Characters narrating the story in a documentary or docu-series play a significant role. These characters preferably need to be close to the story, they should have a personal connection to the threads of the story or the characters in it. Some characters are required to build the context, it may be a social milieu that needs unpacking or the psychological aspect, these characters would weigh in as experts.”
She believes that it is essential to cover all aspects of the story and this is honestly, one of the parts that impressed me the most. Usually, true crime documentaries tend to retell the story as we know it and introduce us to the background lives of these criminals but, they forget to address the psychological factors at play. This documentary had a brilliant expert present, to cover the psychological examination of every suspect along with, telling us a little about him from her point of view. The journalistic viewpoint was also covered very well.
One of the things that she mentioned at the very end, remained with me- She mentioned that criminals like these are well aware of the fact that they cannot stop or control themselves unless they’re made to stop and yet, Chandrakant Jha is currently out on parole. Has he really been able to learn control or has he just, learned how to fake it?
Also Read: ‘Dr Arora’ Review: An Attempt To De-Stigmatise Sex Problems With Sensitivity Albeit Half-Baked Subplot Makes For A Confusing Watch
Verdict
I totally have to say that despite its misses, the three-part series is an absolute must-watch. It takes Indian true crime documentation much closer to the global standard. The Butcher of Delhi dares to go above and beyond as it focuses on the social and psychological factors behind the crimes.
It’s a look inside an Indian criminal’s mind like never before. So, if you love watching true crime documentaries, you totally have to give this a try.
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