Lasts long, really long
Serials on Indian television have the reputation of being more like stories of Scheherazade, they simply go on and on. So while a new serial titled Veera makes its debut, we look at investigative series C.I.D which has completed 15 years of existence.
I was under the impression that CID was barely ten years old, further research proved it older by five more years. I wouldn’t say I grew up with this criminal investigation series but I sure did watch a large part of it early on. It started in January 1998 and is still going on in the form of a series call C.I.D Most Wanted. Let’s start with all the honours it has won such as it being the longest-running TV series in India, at present. The popular detective series got into both the Limca Book of Records and the Guinness Book of World Records for its record-breaking single shot episode which was titled Inheritance.
C.I.D when introduced came as breath of fresh air on Indian television — it was our very own criminal investigative series. Something on the lines of X-files and the antics of the detective agencies abroad. Bollywood is anyway fascinated with the murky underbelly of Mumbai namely the Underworld and so what better topic for a serial. Crime sells and it sells big in India. Murders, rapes, kidnappings are lapped up by eager families sitting down to dinner and so when C.I.D burst onto the screen with a promise of all this in one hour, it won the hearts of the public.
Characters of the serial like ACP Pradyuman, Senior Inspectors Abhijeet and Daya, Fredricks, senior most forensic expert Dr RP Salunkhe have been there since the beginning in 1998 fighting crime alongside new entrants.
Like a Salman Khan movie where script is the least of the audience’s worry here, dialogues are the least of the viewer’s concern. After years of watching the serial, you can almost predict the next dialogue like in a Karan Johar romance film.
What has made this serial click so far, I would like to present few of my observations. Firstly, good looking officers – Inspectors Abhijeet and Daya the only candy in the serial according to some hard core fans of the series. Oh and Daya has some serious muscle, he’s the one that breaks all doors to a crime scene. The female agents in tight suits and skirts do provide able entertainment. Secondly, ACP Pradyuman, the one man army, his expressions and methods of deduction are ones to watch out for. Thirdly, the immortality of the characters on the show. Like the roadrunner on Cartoon Network, the characters refuse to die, so you see plastic surgery is out of the question.
So coming back to the all important question… What makes CID such a huge hit? Another reason could be the impact the serial has had on its viewers. It’s the characters and their weird quirks that makes the serial all the more interesting the ACP’s expressions, Abhijeet and Daya’s camaraderie, Abhijeet flirting with forensic team intern Tarika, Fredrick’s fear of the supernatural, his moments of cowardice, the banter between the ACP and Dr Salunkhe and more make the serial endearing. Though sleuths, they are presented like normal people with their own vulnerabilities and strengths. The crimes that they solve also seem very probable. The popularity of the serial has increased to such an extent that the serial has been dubbed in regional languages as well.
In conclusion I would like to leave you with something on the serial’s longevity doing rounds on the Internet. It’s been fifteen years and still ACP Pradyuman, Daya and Abhijeet are working for the same salary and no one has been able to buy the team a new Qualis. Such is the dedication.
Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi , 1,830 episodes
It was the second-longest running serial on Indian television after C.I.D. (according to number of years). But it is India’s longest running television show (in terms of number of episodes). It also set records for getting the highest television rating points (TRPs) for more than eight years.
Classic Tv
Remington Steele, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan first broadcast on the NBC network from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic comedy, drama, and detective procedural. Laura Holt, a licensed private detective played by Stephanie Zimbalist, opened a detective agency under her own name but found that potential clients refused to hire a woman, however qualified. To solve the problem, Laura invents a fictitious male superior whom she names Remington Steele. Pierce Brosnan’s character, a former thief whose real name is never revealed, assumes the identity of Remington Steele.
Did you know…
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Trending…
So here’s what you missed on Glee…Finn proposed to Rachel but then left to join the military and Rachel got in to NYADA but Kurt didn’t. Quinn got in to Yale and Mercedes got her record contract. New Directions won nationals so Mr Schuester is happy and Sue is still the Cheerios coach and now the Glee club have to decide who will be the new Rachel?
Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Lara Pulver are real life lovers. With both Benedict Cumberbatch and Lara Pulver recently calling time on their long-term relationships, not long after that naked scene, it really was only a matter of time, we think, until their on-screen chemistry spilled over to their personal lives. And it has!
Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, 1,700 episodes
Totaling 1,700 episodes, it is India’s third longest running serial. Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii was one of the top-rated shows of the 2000’s and enjoyed tremendous popularity in India and abroad. It starred Saakshi Tanwar as Parvati in the lead role.
About the Author (Author Profile)
Am a dreamer, writer and traveller. Still trying to find my niche but what counts is being able to give wings to my imagination.
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