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CID (Indian TV series)

Overview

CID is an Indian Hindi-language detective television series that aired on Sony Entertainment Television. Created and directed by B. P. Singh and produced by Fireworks Productions, it is one of the longest-running television series in Indian television history. The show follows the cases of the Crime Investigation Department of the Mumbai Police, with each episode typically presenting a self-contained criminal investigation solved by a recurring team of officers.

Title CID
Genre Detective, crime, procedural drama
Created by B. P. Singh
Director B. P. Singh
Production company Fireworks Productions
Original network Sony Entertainment Television
Original release 21 January 1998 – 27 October 2018 (original run)
Language Hindi
Country India
Setting Mumbai

Background

The series was conceived by filmmaker B. P. Singh, who had earlier produced documentary and crime-related content. CID premiered on 21 January 1998 on Sony Entertainment Television, at a time when Indian television was dominated by family dramas and mythological serials. The show introduced the procedural format—a recurring police unit handling new cases each week—as a sustained genre on Indian prime time.

Format and characters

Each episode typically begins with a crime, followed by investigation, forensic analysis, interrogation, and resolution. The principal characters are members of the fictional CID unit of the Mumbai Police.

  • ACP Pradyuman, played by Shivaji Satam, is the senior officer leading the team.
  • Senior Inspector Daya, played by Dayanand Shetty, is known for his physical strength and the recurring catchphrase regarding breaking down doors.
  • Senior Inspector Abhijeet, played by Aditya Shrivastava, is portrayed as the analytical investigator of the team.
  • Dr. Salunkhe, played by Narendra Gupta, serves as the forensic expert.
  • Other long-running characters include Inspector Fredricks (Dinesh Phadnis), Inspector Vivek, Inspector Tarika (Shraddha Musale), and Sub-Inspector Purvi (Ansha Sayed).

Production

The series was shot primarily in and around Mumbai. Episodes generally follow a single self-contained mystery, though the show has also produced multi-part storylines and longer mini-arcs. Production techniques over the years have included forensic recreations, action sequences, and outdoor location shoots.

Notable episodes

On 5 November 2004, CID aired a single continuous episode of approximately 111 minutes, which was recognised by the Limca Book of Records as the longest single-shot television episode at the time. The show has also produced several feature-length specials.

Timeline

  • 1998: Premiere on Sony Entertainment Television on 21 January.
  • 2004: Record-setting single-shot episode aired.
  • 2004 onwards: Spin-offs and related shows produced, including CID Special Bureau and the youth-oriented C.I.D. Calling; the franchise expanded with the related Sony series Adaalat.
  • 2018: The original run concluded on 27 October after over 1,500 episodes.
  • 2024: A revival of CID was announced and brought back to Sony Entertainment Television, reuniting key members of the original cast.

Reception and significance

CID is widely credited with popularising the police procedural format on Indian television and is one of the most recognisable brands on Sony Entertainment Television. Catchphrases associated with the show—particularly those of ACP Pradyuman and Inspector Daya—became part of popular culture and have been referenced extensively in Indian internet humour and memes.

The series sustained a long, loyal audience across multiple generations and was frequently rerun on Sony Pal and other networks. Its lead actors became closely identified with their on-screen roles, with Shivaji Satam, Aditya Shrivastava, and Dayanand Shetty in particular maintaining their characters across two decades.

  • CID Special Bureau – a spin-off focusing on a separate elite unit.
  • C.I.D. Callinng / CID Gallant – youth-oriented variants.
  • Adaalat – a courtroom drama on Sony Entertainment Television set in the same broad universe of crime procedurals, with occasional crossovers.

References

  • Sony Entertainment Television – official programming information for CID.
  • Fireworks Productions – production credits.
  • Limca Book of Records – entry for the longest single-shot television episode.