The brigand/outlaws/criminals among humanity have always fascinated the common public mostly because of their exceptional derring-do and panache, qualities that enable them to be larger than life figures and evade the law for long periods of time, for they are often showered with hysterical public adulation like matinee idols that can often substitute lawful justice and cloud perceptions. Take the case of America for an example. Al Capone, who rose to a level of prominence that has since not been witnessed during the Prohibition era and while you would expect an outlaw to cower behind the law, you would actually see this guy holding soup kitchens, stroll around in his bright coloured suits, be a regular visitor at baseball games, meeting the players too, acting like a right public figure which he was until in the early 30s he slipped up and became a reviled figure, also known as the Public Enemy Number One who later died of syphilis alone in his mansion.
But then, this is a side effect of the life you take, a life that has been portrayed many times over in many gangster movies, it could very well be the life that started gangster celebrity. Netflix has further propagated this culture by making shows/documentaries on infamous criminals like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Mindhunter( the show that delves deep into the serial killer mythology of the 70s) and more.
The latest criminal to jump on this bandwagon is none other than the mythical smuggler Veerappan, who terrorised the sandalwood trade with his lush handlebar moustache, eagle-like eyes and cocking a snook at the law each time a shipment came. He was thrust into this life after murdering an officer at 17, setting a pattern of killing police officials, informants and civilians which increased over the years. He enjoyed support from a prominent political party as well that advocated for his clemency and such was his celebrity, his wife married him for his image and the moustache, something that defines him posthumously too.
In fact, the forest officials even consulted an astrologer to get an idea of his personality and weaknesses/weak periods, which for all the skeptics here, evidently worked for they were finally able to ensnare him and kill him, bringing to justice near 4 decades of lawlessness, which was celebrated by the bursting of firecrackers.
Watch these facts and other myths come to light on the new Netflix documentary, The Hunt for Veerappan.
