Release Date : October 28, 2022
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Starring: Happy Kalizpuria, Lajari Kale, Shubham Ugale, Aditya Wankhede, Snehalatha Tagde, and others
Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni
Producer: Vice Studios India
Music Director : Mangesh Dhakde
Cinematography : Deepthi Gupta, Savita Singh
Editor : Monisha R Baldawa
Related Links : Trailer
Netflix has released its third installment in the Indian Predator docu-series, and this time they came up with the story of Akku Yadav, an infamous criminal in Maharastra who was stabbed more than 70 times inside a court in the year 2004. This news sent shock waves across the nation back then. So let’s see how the series is.
Story:
Akku Yadav, aka Bharat Kalicharan Yadav, is from the Kasturba Nagar slum in Nagpur, Maharastra. He starts as a small-time robber but slowly becomes a dreadful criminal and instigates terror among the residents of the slum by committing close to 100 rapes. Akku Yadav controls the entire slum and makes the people’s lives miserable. Hence the locals out there decide to kill him to seek their revenge. The documentary series gives a detailed analysis of how notorious Akku Yadav was and the way his murder was planned and executed.
Plus Points:
The makers of the show need special applause for taking such a sensitive subject and for making people informed about such horrifying incidents. Compared to the other two installments, this third part is easily the best in the Indian Predator series. The writing team successfully made the best use of a heinous incident. The narrative sends chills down the spine with its gripping screenplay and storytelling for most of the time.
Not just the horrendous crime but the mental trauma and agony faced by the victim women is well projected. Moreover, a few social aspects, like the suffering of the low-income group and underprivileged people who get neglected by the Police department, are showcased reasonably. The show also talks about the possible collapse of social order if people themselves take the law into their hands.
Happy Kalizpuria played the hardcore criminal Akku Yadav, who is just too good in the role. His body language, mannerisms, and looks are spot-on and significantly impact the series. Lajari Kale played the crucial Usha Madhukar role, who incites confidence among the slum people, and she did a good job. The scene where she threatens Akku Yadav and his gang with a gas cylinder gives goosebumps.
Minus Points:
The initial episode takes more time to get into the actual plot, and better execution here would have made things even more interesting. At places, the series slows down a bit, and the editing team could have made more effort by trimming the show further. Also, a furthermore detailing on Akku Yadav would have brought in more depth.
The nature of the series is such that it might not be suitable for all sections of the audience, especially for those who are faint-hearted. The murder scene in the court has some gory visuals and might be disturbing too for certain viewers. In addition, a few parts of the show seem repetitive and redundant, which could have been avoided.
Technical Aspects:
The suspenseful and eerie background score by Mangesh Dhakde is too good according to the series’ theme. The cinematography by Deepthi Gupta and Savita Singh is first-rate, and the slum locations are captured quite well. The editing could have been crisper, though. The production values are fine. However, the makers have to concentrate more on Telugu dubbing.
Coming to the director, Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni, he did a decent job with the series. Umesh himself is the writer and did a fair job with the script. His narration is engaging, but a few factors could have been handled in an even better fashion. Nevertheless, he succeeds in making a show that well depicts a terrible crime.
Verdict:
On the whole, Indian Predator: Murder in a courtroom is a decent docu-series based on a gruesome crime incident. It has a fair amount of chilling moments backed by good performances from the lead cast. On the flip side, a few repetitive scenes and slow narration at places hamper the overall impact. All those who love watching crime dramas can give it a shot.
123telugu.com Rating: 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team