CID: The wacky world of fan fiction based on India's longest-running TV show

Isha and Sunita were walking pin cushions. Or so deduces Dr Salunkhe. Their respective causes of death were electrocution and being pushed off a terrace, but it's a wonder they'd survived this long.

A carpenter had rendered them unconscious a day earlier, embedded nails into their scalps, then "applied a chemical so they wouldn't feel pain". Also, the nail gun effect killed Isha and Sunita's pain receptors, which was why they'd remained unaware, explains the forensic expert to the CID officers.
 

Achcha.
Not too long after, Dr Salunkhe is infected by a deadly virus. Everyone who'd come in contact with patient zero dies save for Salunkhe, because only he can conduct the autopsy and help CID inch closer to an insidious villain named Herpes Dongara.

This is the ongoing plot of 'Karo Ya Maro', in which the triumvirate – ACP Pradyuman, senior inspectors Abhijeet and Daya – and fellow CID officers solve cases in 24 hours.

Fanning out
In July 2015, Multi Screen Media Pvt. Ltd., which runs Sony and affiliated channels, announced the 'Shaatir Lekhak Contest', in which the winning story for any one of three given plots would be made into a CID episode.
A thread on the CID sub-section on India Forums (IF), a discussion board for Indian TV, was created with much fanfare. But since winners — who were to be declared on January 26 — haven't been announced yet, members have gone from excitement to dejection.

This is, however, no deterrent for shaatir lekhaks on IF and FanFiction.Net (FF), the world's most popular fan fiction site. If you thought fan fic is limited to Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock and anime, have a rethink. The cornucopia that's Indian TV lends itself beautifully to this genre, with soaps and even mythological shows shapeshifting in the fertile minds of ardent fans. And as India's longest-running TV series, CID is the brightest star in the Indian fan fiction galaxy.

"I've been watching CID since I was five and never miss an episode," says 19-year-old Palak Manglik, a chartered accountancy student in Malaysia. Manglik has written 63 stories in two years. Her latest, Uljhi Manzil, is a 22-chapter opus on 'Duo' – the fan-coined term for Daya and Abhijeet.

A multitude of sub-inspectors have entered and exited CID, presenting a golden opportunity to writers: the bigger the character universe, the more ground you cover. Add to that many guest appearances, and you have a virtual jambalaya. Revered (former) characters include senior inspector Rajat, inspectors Asha, Kavin and Vineet and sub-inspectors Vivek and Tasha. But their lure is negligible compared to hysteria for Daya and Abhijeet and their respective love interests, sub-inspector Shreya and Dr Tarika.

"I love Abhirika (Abhijeet-Tarika) but write only about Duo because Tarika's boss, Dr Salunkhe, is kabab mein haddi," giggles Manglik. "My Duo stories Woh Saath Chhod Diya and Vaapas Aana Hai Tujhe crossed 1,000 reviews. That's a big deal, because there is so much Duo fiction."

The Abhijeet factor
In his 2013 Reddit AMA, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap named Aditya Srivastava as one of his favourite actors. Apart from being a staple in Kashyap's films, Srivastava – Abhijeet in CID – has female admirers aplenty.
Like Manglik, FF user Krittika considers herself one of Abhijeet's biggest fans. The Kolkata-based engineering student, who has written 51 fan fic stories, 'ships' (i.e. roots for two characters in a sexual or romantic relationship) Dayareya (Daya-Shreya), but swears by Abhijeet.

"He even faints convincingly. Not like others who faint mechanically, as if the director is saying 'Faint karo' and they just drop to the ground." But, insists the 21-year-old, she's no blind fan. "I don't like Abhirika because Abhijeet went from serious to flirtatious, line maroing in front of his seniors. Even college boys have better expressions than the ones Abhijeet uses for Tarika."

Abhirika and Dayashreya shippers battle it out on FF, adds Krittika. "They're extremely possessive of characters they love. Duo fans hate Shreya because they think she's 'separating' Abhijeet and Daya. And because I like Abhijeet but prefer Dayareya, many bash my writing."

Mother lode
Why do people write fan fiction? The answers are as plentiful as plankton in the sea, but it's usually an outlet for fans to 'remedy' character pairings or plot holes. And if FF is a cauldron of romance-based CID fan fic, IF is a go-to for whodunits. Contests on IF's CID forum are much like wordplay and repartees in qawwali… on steroids. Members here challenge each other with some inane plot devices. Such as:
"One of CID's main character is abducted who founds himself at Mr Beans flat. On the other side the team gets into a time machine which carries them back to 1990's. Here they come face to face with Mr Bean. Well! If he is actually Mr Bean then who is the one at the flat??? [sic]"

They take what they get head on, these storytellers – many of whom write poetry and entire screenplays.

Forum stalwart 'gadhadada' has written 100-odd stories in five years. There's also 17-year-old Bangladeshi student Khandaker Rifah Tasnia, who implores producers BP Singh and Pradeep Uppoor to give audiences "decent, investigative episodes rather than supernatural crap".

"But my favourite stories are by visrom," she says.

'Visrom' is Usha, a digital marketer from Hyderabad who's watched CID since its inception in 1997 and has created 20 cases of her own. "I was a fan of Ashutosh Gowariker, who played inspector Virendra. The show was fantastic until 2007 and deteriorated after. But I and many fans remain positive, hoping creatives will understand what audiences want."

The bold and the dutiful
Daya and Abhijeet are the small screen's Jai and Veeru, their bond a bedrock for innumerable stories on both FF and IF. Fan fiction is replete with same-sex friendships progressing into love, one-night stands, and whatever else the mind is capable of conjuring… but not when it comes to CID fan fic, which, like the show, is Platonic Central. Most bright-eyed and bushy-tailed writers, it seems, lose interest in matters of the groin.

Or do they? A trawl through FF's underbelly reveals a handful of T (not suitable for children) and M (content suitable for mature teens and older) rated fan fic. Users 'storiesbyAbby' and 'girl.with.passion' (whose Heat of Passion has a kiss between Daya and Abhijeet) received brickbats for broaching LGBT territory, unlike the few who pen explicit, but heteronormative stories. One of them, 'Raven'sCAT' – an Abhirika shipper – writes about handcuffs and rough sex in equal measure.

"There's only two of us, to the best of my knowledge, who ship slash (pairing same-sex characters) in CID fandom. We did face bashing, since most writers and readers still think homosexuality is taboo. Some even use bloopers for the word 'gay'," 'storiesbyAbby' shares.

Regardless of whether erotic CID fan fic is welcomed or not (it isn't), writers unanimously feel the show is a shadow of its former self. They take hours or weeks at a stretch to write arcs they wish would be adopted. "Avoid the so-called funny scenes. Also, no YSPT (yeh-sab-plan-tha) stories where one cop is shown dead, then wakes up saying 'It was a plan'," offers Usha.

"CID now lacks relatable female characters. They only serve as romantic interests or wait for orders," Krittika feels.

Meanwhile, FF member Srija, who'd like for the romance to be understated, says she'll continue writing regardless. "I'm studying to become an oncologist but see myself creating fan fic for life. You need some entertainment. Even if it's once in six months."

Satam speaks
"I haven't read the fan fiction, but have heard about it," laughs CID showrunner Shivaji Satam. "At least two-three families visit the set every day. When I was in London, a young West Indian pointed an air gun at me, as one of my signature moves on the show. I'll never forget that."

And what of all the memes and jokes his character ACP Pradyuman has spawned? "They're amazing," he cracks up. "It's great to have people remember your dialogues and gestures."

Chitrole clarifies
Producer BP Singh, who plays DCP Chitrole on CID, says he's unaware of the reams of fan fic, though "team members check feedback on some platforms". When told about the changes long-time viewers would like to see, he hints that CID shaped up to avoid shipping out. "Viewing habits have changed, and there's so much competition. We need to change our storytelling to stay alive."

As for the announcement delay in the 'Shaatir Lekhak Contest', Singh says it's just a matter of time. "We got almost 12,000 entries, but our schedule is so tight, we've been unable to find a window to declare the winner and shoot the episode. It will happen soon."