TOI : CID completes 1000 episodes-pics pg4

Good storytelling will always find an audience and we're basically storytellers," says BP Singh, creator of CID that completes 1,000 episodes on Sony. The crime thriller which has been on air for 16 years, is the longest running show on Indian television.

The genesis of CID started with Singh who previously worked at Doordarshan as a cameraman but was always intrigued with detective stories. It was back in the '80s when he wrote the concept for the show which follows the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Mumbai and its team of detectives as they chase criminals, gather evidence and solve crime " often risking their lives. As the show grew in popularity, the characters " ACP Pradyuman, inspectors Daya and Abhijeet

and Dr Salunke soon became household names.

The show boasts of a loyal fan base and is also dubbed in Tamil and Telugu. The Bengali adaptation is titled CID Kolkata Bureau. Singh made it to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2004 for shooting an entire episode of CID titled The Inheritance " of 111 minutes " in one single take. "It took me four years to work on that one episode with a budget of about Rs 32 lakh. But it was really worth it. We wanted to create a show that no one could duplicate," he says. The show gets major eyeballs which is why Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, Rani Mukerji, Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor have made special appearances to promote their films and also aid in solving the case with the detectives.

Singh pegs the success of his blockbuster show on his team's ability to constantly reinvent. "We introduced outdoors shoots to television. We took the show to Jodhpur, Kolkata, Cochin, Delhi, Switzerland and Paris. Along with weaving a story around the place, we captured the spirit of the place which adds to the interest level," says Singh, adding that their team will be heading out to Kaas to the Valley of Flowers for their next episode. "We also kept updating with the latest in forensic science that's a very important part of the crime-solving," he says adding that the show introduced terms like finger-printing, DNA and forensic to Indian television audience.

Actor Shivaji Satam, better known as Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Pradyuman who leads the team, says turning 1,000 is a proud moment. Satam who has lost count of the number of shows he has aired in, says that for him, the characters have kept the interest alive all these years. "These are ordinary-looking fellows and easily relatable. They show a kind of commitment and loyalty to the profession with an absolute no-nonsense attitude. I think the audience finds comfort in their characters and they expect the same from law enforcers," he says.

Even though it is a crime show Satam says they make sure they are sensitive in their storytelling and make a conscious effort to tone down the violence. "We don't want to instigate anyone through the show. So we don't show anything that we wouldn't want our children to watch. A big part of why the show works so well is because it is a family show, and we try to keep it like that."

Singh says it is surprising and very satisfying that something that they started so long ago, is still going strong. "Our loyal audience has now grown up, and they now sit with their children to watch the show," he says with pride.