<p>In the opening shot of The Hunt for Veerappan, Muthulakshmi, Veerappan's wife, coolly tells viewers that her husband was a man who could give up his life for those he trusted, and just as easily kill those who betrayed him. Then, she grins. </p>.<p>Grief, though, still lives in the folds of her eyes, which only light up when she talks about his confident stride, his luxuriant moustache and his Robin Hood-style proposal. (‘If you don't marry me, I will turn my heart into stone and never look at another girl,’ he apparently told the 16-year-old Muthulakshmi).</p>.<p>For those of us who have followed Veerappan's rise and rise and inevitable fall, this gruesome tale is neither new nor shocking. The so-called revelations — the ransom Karnataka allegedly paid him for Rajkumar's release, his links with LTTE sympathisers, or the atrocities purportedly committed by the STF — have been open secrets for long. That said, this is a gripping-enough watch, especially for those who are not familiar with the brigand's tale. The real-life shots, excerpts from the infamous Veerappan tapes, and candid interviews add much heft to what is already a sensational story.</p>.<p>But remember, this is a documentary on a merciless killer of humans and animals. After bingeing on the four-part series, however, what stuck with me was not the loot, the incessant violence and the bloodshed — though there was enough and more of that — but the love between a tragically smitten woman and her ‘attractive’ (her word) poacher-husband. </p>.<p>This says a lot about the moral dilemmas of the film makers, who half-glorify a gangster and also show his numerous crimes for what they were — cold-blooded and ruthless. And, by raising questions in the final episode about how Veerappan was "betrayed" by the STF and whether this was a "brave way to kill him", one wonders if they are making it clear where their sympathies lie. </p>
<p>In the opening shot of The Hunt for Veerappan, Muthulakshmi, Veerappan's wife, coolly tells viewers that her husband was a man who could give up his life for those he trusted, and just as easily kill those who betrayed him. Then, she grins. </p>.<p>Grief, though, still lives in the folds of her eyes, which only light up when she talks about his confident stride, his luxuriant moustache and his Robin Hood-style proposal. (‘If you don't marry me, I will turn my heart into stone and never look at another girl,’ he apparently told the 16-year-old Muthulakshmi).</p>.<p>For those of us who have followed Veerappan's rise and rise and inevitable fall, this gruesome tale is neither new nor shocking. The so-called revelations — the ransom Karnataka allegedly paid him for Rajkumar's release, his links with LTTE sympathisers, or the atrocities purportedly committed by the STF — have been open secrets for long. That said, this is a gripping-enough watch, especially for those who are not familiar with the brigand's tale. The real-life shots, excerpts from the infamous Veerappan tapes, and candid interviews add much heft to what is already a sensational story.</p>.<p>But remember, this is a documentary on a merciless killer of humans and animals. After bingeing on the four-part series, however, what stuck with me was not the loot, the incessant violence and the bloodshed — though there was enough and more of that — but the love between a tragically smitten woman and her ‘attractive’ (her word) poacher-husband. </p>.<p>This says a lot about the moral dilemmas of the film makers, who half-glorify a gangster and also show his numerous crimes for what they were — cold-blooded and ruthless. And, by raising questions in the final episode about how Veerappan was "betrayed" by the STF and whether this was a "brave way to kill him", one wonders if they are making it clear where their sympathies lie. </p>