Indian Predator – The Butcher of Delhi review: The story of a depraved serial killer or of exploitation of the underprivileged?

2/5

Story: When a mutilated corpse is found outside a gate of Tihar Jail, with a taunting note addressed to the police, investigators set out to catch a heinous murderer. They catch him only after two more dismembered bodies are placed near the jail and a court house, respectively. Then begins the bigger task – of finding conclusive evidence that will hold up in a court of law and get ‘The Butcher of Delhi’ convicted.

Review: In 2007, Delhi Police is stumped when a headless torso is found discarded near Gate No.3 of Tihar Jail, along with a note challenging them to solve the case and find the murderer. By the time, they actually piece together who is behind the gruesome murder, he kills two more and leaves their mutilated bodies for the police to find.

Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi is a three-part documentary about Chandrakant Jha, a migrant labourer from Bihar, convicted and serving a life sentence for these three murders, as told by some of the police officers involved in the investigation, with a dramatized recreation of some of Chandrakant’s deeds.

It also attempts to tell a different story – one that hinges on why he committed murders for seemingly silly reasons. An illiterate, unskilled menial job labourer, who’d instil fear in his victims and find satisfaction in making them feel powerless. The approach in storytelling is rather confusing – on the one hand, there are visuals of the horrific manner in which Chandrakant would kill and then mutilate the bodies and then there are accounts from former friends and neighbours in his village in Bihar, according to which he was quite vile early on and killed several people before migrating to Delhi. Yet at the same time, the show does not look at Chandrakant as a depraved man; on the contrary, he is presented as someone, who under different circumstances could have been a much better person.

And that is where Indian Predator falters – in focusing on the socio-economic conditions that push unskilled and underprivileged people into a life of crime. Yes, it makes a valid point that the judicial system is often not kind towards the poor and that the police exploits those struggling to make a living. But none of it is hard-hitting enough to make any impact. What would have been was a closer look at Chandrakant, the intelligent man who knew the value of good behaviour in jail, his deep understanding of the police and justice system, etc.

Verdict: Indian Predator – The Butcher of Delhi fails to put together a riveting narrative, despite the material in hand. It is slow, repetitive and not chilling enough.