MUMBAI: It's changing all right. After jump starting the changing spree with musical game show Kuch Kehti Hai Yeh Dhun and later introducing a weekly thriller Sambhav Asambhav, next on the Sony agenda is a reality show Crime Patrol. Launching on 9 May at 10:30 pm, the show that marks the television debut of model Diwakar Pundir, is gearing up to strengthen the channel's Friday line up.
The reality show on the One Alliance bouquet's flagship Hindi entertainment channel will feature crime as it happens, incidents such as speeding or drunken driving and how the police deals with such offenses. According to Sony Entertainment Television executive vice president Sunil Lulla: "Crime Patrol aims at becoming a distinct and preferred viewing alternative for our viewers, drawing in the male audience."
Speaking to indiantelevison.com, Cinevistaas' creative director of the show Neeraj Naik said: "The half an hour show is as real as any reality show gets. It is not just about thrilling the audience with wild chases and life and death encounters, every episode conveys a message." During each episode, the channel claims to investigate a minimum of two to three cases ranging from petty crimes to serious felonies.
Clearing up few facts, Naik said that though the comparison of the show with the much popular Police Videos currently airing on Star World is unavoidable, the outlook of both the shows is different. While Police Videos is a police department compilation, the production house has a wide network across the country on the job that is either stationed or constantly in touch with the police stations and follows the police to watch the crime unfold before their eyes.
Amongst the many content providers, one pivotal is Nalini Singh's TV Live India that will be capturing the footage and supplying it. According to Sony Entertainment Television (SET) creative director Rajesh Devraj: "From interrogations to crime scene investigations, Crime Patrol shows it all. You may get to join a police raid or have a truly chilling encounter with a murderer. At another level, there may be an amusing piece on bickering neighbours or a breathalyser test. Either ways, it's a world you've never seen on television before."
Every story will showcase the unraveling of a crime or incident or the apprehending of the defaulter by the police. While the research for the show and the required permissions from the authorities might have taken eight long months of homework, the actual crime doesn't come with a warning. The entire team including directors S Subramanium and Rohit Khanna is always on hold, ready to film with their DV cameras.
Containing all the masala, surprisingly the glamour angle is not provided by former Grasim Mr India Diwakar Pundir- who calls his transition to screen as a natural progression. This former pilot will be a sort of a sutradhar, who will take the viewer along to experience and witness the police in action.
Speaking of his role, he says that despite the protocol, even he is forever on the call as he is not supposed to just host it but provide an on the spot analysis. "With the nature of the crime being so volatile and the job profile being not your usual anchor presenter kind you don't have a script ready."
With a good track record of the channel with crime related shows like Bhanwar, it is just a few hours wait for Crime Patrol to unveil and prove its mettle.