Monday, March 28, 2005

Detectives

Jasoos Log

A series containing reviews of Indian Detectives. Also cross-posted at Desicritics as "Desi Detectives" series.


  • Literature:

    • Byomkesh Bakshi - This is the first name anybody thinks of when you think of “India” and “Detective” in the same sentence.

    • Feluda - He is probably the most energetic detective I have ever seen, as he is roaming all over India and abroad.



  • Television (Private Eye):

    • Karamchand - Karamchand is your typical black-goggles and black coat-clad, cool-headed, intelligent, slightly bumbling and eccentric detective.

    • Sam D'Silva- Vijay Anand's Sam was eccentric enough, and his sidekick played by portly Saurabh Shukla was funny enough.

    • Jasoos Vijay - Co-produced by BBC, with Om Puri as anchor, this is a fairly recent addition to DD.



  • Television (Professional Eyes):

    • ASW - OK, I have cheated a bit here. This was not exactly a detective show.

    • CID - Perhaps the most famous detective show an Indian television today, this is the show which started the series.

    • CID Special Bureau - A “spin-off” of CID.

    • Special Squad - Supposed to be a crack team of homicidal investigators and forensic experts, they are pitted against the "perfect criminals".



  • Kid Detectives:


  • Crime-fighters in Comics:

    • Bahadur - Hey, I like the guy for being one of the few original comic heroes in India.

    • Chacha Choudhari - With a “brain faster than computer” and the help of his Jovian friend Sabu and dog Raacket, Chacha Choudhary has fought many criminals in his life.



  • Lady Detectives:

    • Uma Rao - Written by Sahitya Akademi Award-winner Mahesh Dattani, the three plays show us a housewife turning into a sleuth.





Videsi Detectives


  • Literature:

    • Marcus Didius Falco - Apparently, the lot of a Personal Informer in the roman times was not so different.

    • Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast - Almost albino pale skin, with his characteristic handmade Italian black suits give him an aura of impenetrable mystery.


  • Lady Detectives:

    • Agatha Raisin - Unlike most mainline detectives, Agatha has not chosen a career as a detective.








- The Great Eagle Has Spoken