My God !!! Its ACP Pradyuman and his fellowship of the CID.
Sir, yahan par kuch gadbad hai ... Daya darwaza tod do ... Abhijeet jaldi pata karo ... Freddy, Vivek, is kamre ka chappa chappa chaan maro ... Salunkhe tum case suljha rahe ho ya uljha rahe ho ... Wohi toh ... Ab jail mein sadte rehna, tumhe toh phaasi hogi phaasi
Armed with a delicious assortment of one-liners, spiced up with the chilly air of a murder trail, a formidable team of die-hard loyalist detectives, a high-tech lab of summon-at-will pseudo-Artificial Intelligence, and of course, a melodiously tremoring finger ... ACP Pradyuman can crack any case in an astonishing 1 hour time-frame; actually 42 mins if you ignore the commercials.
Its been a glorious 13 years and still running for the CID team, but ACP and team still relentlessly pursue a case with the same vigour and gusto as if it were their first. And this is what has turned the serial into something of a cult, and the protagonist into a legend among today's facebook-addicted generation.
I was never a fan, in fact I only sat through an entire episode in early 2011, but it has captivated me since then. On inquiring, I found that like me there were plenty of ignoramouses who are now steadily joining the ever-increasing fan club.
So, what makes CID so watchable, even after a decade? Here is my Sherlockian hypothesis:
1. The talented core CID team has remained unchanged since 1998.
The actors behind ACP Pradyuman, Senior Inspector Abhijeet, Senior Inspector Daya, and Inspector Fredricks, are today probably identified by their on-screen personalities rather than their own. Shivaji Satham is a very fine actor indeed, a legend in Marathi films. Aditya Srivastava has proved his mettle in small but effective roles such as in Satya (remember the guy who finally shoots Satya in the end). Dayanand Shetty (Daya) and Dinesh Phadnis (Freddy) are indispensable today; the former for his iron-frame and the consummate ease with which he breaks open the thickest of doors and the latter for his bumbling but thouroughly lovable comic timing.
2. The shaking finger ...
A picture is worth a thousand words. Period.
3. Dr. Salunkhe
The initially bald, but now well-combed forensic expert has proven himself indefatigable. He has, either invented or has been provided by the ludicrous imagination of the serial writers, an array of such equipements not yet utilized by NASA nor ISRO nor FBI to bring to light the most improbable clues that can direct a case to its logical conclusion. If there is a fingerprint to be matched, his desktop locates the match after scanning its terabite memory of a zillion criminal fingerprints all over India, nay the world. A blood sample is subjected to such acidic tests as never before discovered in medical history. A fluorescent spray that can glow hidden stains in the darkest of gravel. He is ably supported by a Dr. Tarika, who looks more like ramp-walker than forensic expert, but is believable enough. Our Abhijeet's got a crush on this lady. Dr. Salunkhe fingers around with his gizmos in such matter-of-fact manner that ACP and team can only balk and applaud.
4. The whizzy screenplay and the innumberable WTF moments
Yes, the episodes are wrought with flaws and sometimes devoid of logic. Just a reminder that all this is just a figment of someone's imagination. This however, serves to keep the viewer interested at all times.
Sample this ...
- An unclaimed toddler is found by the CID and scene cuts to the CID office where the ACP, Abhijeet, Daya and Freddy are trying to tie a nappy to the baby but since they are no pros, they fumble with nappies of various sizes, use duct tape, and finally the baby looks liks a dwarf-version of a tribal from the jungles of Mombasa.
- ACP and Salunke in the process of diffusing a bomb in the middle of a crowded street, Salunke finally cuts out the wire to halt the upcoming tragedy. While ACP is in congratulatory mood, Salunke sheepishly admits to doing an 'akka-bakka' to decide among two wires and getting lucky whereupon ACP fumes and frets but finally relents.
Typical episodes are however laced with screenplay that zooms from the CID bureau to streets to malls to garages to hotels to forensic lab, then back to bureau, all in a matter of 42 mins. THAT, keeps me engrossed.
5. Its easy on the eye ...
That there are no graphic images shown, nor any vulgarity, nor excessive violence, makes the serial watchable for every member of the family.
So next Sunday, from 2pm - 8pm, forget the IPL, forget HBO, grab your popcorn and tune in to Sony to catch the latest exploits of the legendary ACP Pradyuman and his CID team.
Garminyon ke mausam mein khoob khelo,
Garminyon ke mausam mein khoob khelo,
.
.
.
Daya in sab ke fingerprints le lo !!!
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