Public Enemies.
Hidden in the crowds of common Bengalis,
lay a monster in human disguise.
And this is the tale of Bengal's & India's first woman serial killer,
Troilokyo Tarini.
Is it so easy to finish me?
Troilokyo can't die so easily.
The first time I entered Sonagachi, the red light area of Calcutta.
That scoundrel took me there to sell me off.
I was yet to realize...
what my destiny had in store.
-Who are you?
No! Don't touch me!
No! Go away!
-No one can survive here without an immense power of endurance.
And from the very beginning, just survival wasn't my goal.
I wanted to be the best.
You could say, Troilokyo is the victim of an era.
She was married to an old man. She was from a Kulin Brahmin family.
She was widowed young.
So, then, Troilokyo went to Tara Baishnabi.
Tara Baishnabi introduced her to a man.
And where did that guy take her?
To a red light area of Kolkata.
She was sold off.
She realized she'll have to use her youth and beauty to earn a living.
-Troilokyo was a known name among all the babus of that time.
She became the topmost prostitute of the time.
And where is she?
-She's not available. -Huh?
But she's coming.
-So, Karali babu? Don't you like any of our girls?
Well, um, you...
None of them are anything compared to you.
Alright, let me serve you tonight.
Huh?!
Lokhhi.
Take him inside.
-Okay.
-And make sure we take good care of him.
Come on, go!
-Come, sir.
-Paan?
-Sure.
They'll all be going to Barishal?
Ah, right. Girls... go, get ready.
What is it?
Didn't you hear me?
They paid money for y'all!
Money!
Don't you want money?
Go!
Sold commodities don't get to have a say.
What?
The thirst of men.
Tell me the truth, you put something in my drink?
Huh?
Still don't trust me, Kali babu?
Yet you want to work with me, eh?
What a strange man you are!
-I've found takers for two of the girls.
I've brought some new ones. Train them.
We'll be sending them to Jashore next month. And remember,
we won't be dealing with the likes of Karali tomorrow.
He is a city lad from Bhowanipore.
Has deep pockets. Sending him to your room in the evening.
Take care of him.
Once she locks her door, Troilokyo doesn't change her mind.
-Tarini, Dhwani babu is here.
My destiny has led me to leave the city of Lucknow
Can you imagine what it did to my heart?
My destiny has led me to leave the city of Lucknow...
Wow! Wonderful!
Now, pour me another glass!
You belong to such a reputed family...
Takes you so long to turn on your manhood, Dhwani babu?
(Troilokyo continues humming)
What did you say!
You don't think I'm man enough? I am a man...
You're way off limits! Why do you take so long these days?
I like playing with them.
Falling at my feet...
That scoundrel who once sold me off... I see him in each of them.
-You're impossible...
Move!
Aw!
I feel so sorry for him!
Leave him a hanky at least.
If you don't come clean... we can't help you, Dhwani babu.
But, sir, I did tell you, nothing like that happened with me.
I was off to Nabadwip on Raas festival.
-I don't know anything! -But I hear our Moti babu...
He's a regular.
No, I don't go there.
His phaeton carriage is seen parked at Harkata Gali once a week.
That lad, his father & grandfather...
All of them have mistresses at home.
I'm an ardent devotee of Radha & Madhab!
How much is your salary?
How could you dare ask me such a thing?
Please leave. I'll call you again if needed, Mr Ray Bahadur.
Alright, thanks.
-Mohan... -Yes, sir?
The news of babus being looted at Sonagachi is nothing new.
But these guys are stripping them naked!
-Mohan. -Yes, sir?
Whoever is doing this...
you realize who they targets are?
The creme of the society.
Will any of them ever admit it?
-Don't think so, sir.
-Interesting.
Troilokyo dear...
This can't continue.
The police prowling at night...
Officer Priyanath is causing trouble.
He's a tough one.
The police are interrogating the pimps too.
Priyanath...
-Hmm.
Lovely name, right?
Priyanath!
Why don't you bring him here?
Stop joking.
This is serious.
Let's turn matchmakers.
They say, it's a pious deed to get people married.
-Baba, won't you go home?
-Here you are, Hari... Listen.
-Yes. -Here, keep these in the trunk.
-Okay. -Pay the grocer on your way. Okay?
Go? -Okay.
Hari...
Bring him to me sometimes, Kali babu.
See, I completely forgot I had sweets at home! Should've given him.
Take a few for him.
The women of brothels aren't fated to be blessed by the Paramhansa.
They must find their own way to attain piety.
You get it, Kali babu?
Bring Hari. I will give him the sweets myself.
Motherhood is a desire all women have.
She wanted to fulfill that through Hari.
And now, Troilokyo was getting old. Couldn't continue to sell her body.
She was losing clients.
So, the two start trying to find ways to con people.
They informed people in the suburbs,
that they have a beautiful girl, upper-caste, available for marriage.
-There they come. -Yes.
-Come. -Hey, stop.
Hey! What is this!
Who are you? Why are you laughing? What do you want?
Why do you have weapons? -Hey!
Hey! Just shut up!
Hey! What the hell!
Don't waste time! Loot him!
-Why will she? She's my wife! -She's from our gang!
She's a wh**e from Sonagachi!
A wh**e?! You got me married to a wh**e?
-Troilokyo won't let her left hand know what her right hand is doing.
We have too many people
between me and Kali babu.
-You will never find such quality anywhere else in Calcutta. See!
It's alright.
As long as the Queen likes it.
Write down the address.
-Sure. -Take the money after you deliver.
-Sure. -Send someone who can count money.
-Of course. -We don't like having dues.
Ramjilal will deliver the jewellery today.
-Hmm.
-Okay. Write down the address.
-Here it is.
Greetings.
Check if the money's all there, Ramjilal.
What are you doing?
You killed him so easily...
I learnt it from you!
These two ran a cartel.
They expanded their empire.
And time... as they say...
that no matter how evolved a criminal's mind is,
law eventually catches up.
Hence, a man named Kali babu got caught.
'FIND HIM & GET A REWARD OF RS. 100'
This is that bugger, Officer!
This is him!
Speak up!
Tell us who's this Queen is!
Speak!
Mohan? What do you think?
Has he done it alone or is the Queen equally guilty?
Eh?
Got a wh**e to act for you?
You think you're some Girish Ghosh? Huh?!
I don't know!
Dad!
-Hari...
Tarini...
Look after Hari.
-Let's go.
Do you know her?
Is she the Queen?
-She had not come. I don't know her.
-Mohan? -Yes, sir?
You recognise her?
You have roamed all over the red light district!
How can I not know her, sir?
She's Troilokyo Tarini.
She used to be a favourite among the babus visiting the brothels!
She destroyed so many families!
-Hmm...
Call her to the station sometime.
She's so close to Kali babu...
Is it possible that she does not know anything?
Officer... that's him! That is Ramu!
Officer, that is Ramu!
Officer!
-Get up, bugger! -Speak up! Come on!
I was all alone.
Were you now? Eh? What was the name of that woman?
Troilokyo.
Who is she?
Officer!
I'll repeat, I worked all alone!
Say the truth, or else I will beat you to death right here!
There was no one else, Officer!
You know everything, sir.
I'm a fallen woman...
I make my living tending to my clients.
Kali babu used to find clients for me.
That's all.
I don't know anything more than this.
Kali babu's son, Hari,
calls me "Ma".
Women like us don't have families, husbands...
We don't get all that. So...
I have grown fond of Hari.
Oops.
So, you didn't know at all what was brewing.
I knew... you wouldn't believe me.
No one trusts people like us anyway.
I really didn't know...
what Kali babu was up to.
-The court
having read all circumstances in mitigation & aggravation,
and finding none sufficient to warrant clemency,
doth hereby pronounce in order,
that the said Kali be taken from hence
to the place from whence he came,
and from thence to the place of execution.
And that he be hanged by the neck until he be dead.
-I committed a lot of sins.
Unaware, out of greed...
out of lust...
Praise Lord Brahmananda!
The great saint, the wise one!
He says...
"Everything... Everything is an illusion!"
Everyone is fated to die one day.
What will remain?
An account of our sins.
Prostitution is the gateway to sin.
The love, the jewellery those babus have to offer...
All of it is sinful.
We consume them!
We must find absolution in our consumption.
So while you have time, purify the gains of your sins.
Praise Lord Brahmananda!
But, where will we find him?
Come here, Kusum. Come.
Cleanse yourself.
Hey... why did you bring this along?
Give it to me.
Come.
But, I don't know how to swim. Hold my hand.
-What name did you say? -Troilokyo Tarini.
State your complaint in brief.
At Chitpur, my neighbourhood...
She has been staying there for a while now.
I hear she was... -I know.
Just state your complaint in brief.
Yesterday afternoon,
she came over to invite Rajkumari for dinner at her place.
She said "I'll be leaving. If you have any grudges on me, say it."
Rajkumari went there, but never came back!
And her jewellery was gone too. The almirah was empty!
-Hmm.
-Hari? Check if the car's here.
-Okay, Shona Ma. -Hmm...
-Oh wow!
Troilokyo Tarini...
in such a guise?
Did you...
forget to paint your lips too?
Take this.
It'll help.
I have nothing to say, Officer.
I know why you called me here.
Netyokali must've complained to you against me, about Rajkumari?
Right?
Thank God you aren't a detective.
Tell me, is it a crime to invite someone home for a meal?
Rajkumari was jealous of me. She held a grudge against me.
I never knew why.
I invited her over to bury the hatchet.
We know the chain of events until here.
Tell us what happened next.
Rajkumari had a fixed client.
She brought over all the jewellery he gave her, to show me.
I fed her with my own two hands!
After midnight, she left my place.
And then...
I drank a bit...
So I don't remember the rest.
And what happened to Rajkumari's jewellery?
Did they vanish overnight?
You didn't take them?
You can't respect me & distrust me at the same time, Officer.
It's better you call me names, I'm used to that.
Did you find any proof?
Putting all the blame on a fallen women...
It makes your job easier, right, Officer?
What do you think, Mohan?
Whatever Troilokyo is saying...
Is it the truth?
Did Netyo get rid of Rajkumari...
and out of jealousy...
What if she's framing her?
Women are really dangerous, sir! Can't ever get to the bottom of it!
-Don't say that, Mohan...
We must get to the bottom of it!
-Hmm.
-Your confession will be written here.
Stop wasting our time and just confess
to everything you've done.
What do you want to know?
The truth?
Or your version of the truth?
And...
-Hari? -Shona Ma...
-Hari! -Look, Troilokyo Devi...
We all know...
that you have no one but Hari in this world.
And we also know...
that there isn't a good kid like Hari,
in this whole wide world!
Now decide...
If you don't confess to everything...
then...
I will fabricate a case against Hari...
and arrest him.
A teenager like Hari...
kidnapped Rajkumari from her home,
promised to marry her, & fled with her jewellery instead!
Remember.
Whatever the police will write, will be considered the truth.
What will you do?
This is not done, Officer.
Hari is innocent.
-Come here!
Ma'am, I told them everything!
-You're hurting me!
Help me!
Underneath the house in Chitpur, Officer.
Let Hari go, he'll die.
And the jewellery is at the house in Manicktala.
Look over there! Thoroughly! Search there!
-Whom does this jewellery belong to?
Whose is it?
Answer me!
The only savings of a fallen woman.
-I'll ask you one last time,
Tell us whatever you've done.
Why did you kill Rajkumari?
Confess everything!
-She was new to the business.
Young.
She thought she was the most sought after.
Acted all high and mighty!
It seemed to me that she knew about my crimes.
I wondered if she'd spill it all out.
Troilokyo won't let her left hand know what her right is up to!
And these?
Whom do these belong to?
You?
There's a custom...
Women engrave their names on their jewellery.
But what's engraved on them?
"Kusum."
The more you lie...
the more you will entangle yourself and Hari in your lies.
So I will ask one final time...
Confess to all your crimes.
Everyone is a sinner.
How many confess?
You're finding out because I am telling you.
Could you have caught me otherwise?
Puti & the rest are buried in the Christian graveyard.
You will obviously find many other corpses there.
Can you distinguish between a Christian skeleton & a Hindu one?
We were talking about where the jewellery came from.
You were just looting clients and newly wed grooms.
Is that all?
Where have you hidden Kusum?
Answer me!
You're trying to reach the person behind this maze.
If I don't cooperate how will you reach your goal?
Sit.
I'll answer.
-Go. -But I don't know how to swim.
Please hold my hand.
How many?
-Search over there...
Over there.
How many girls did you kill in this way?
Can we really count our sins, Officer?
Once the horse is in motion, it just keeps running & running.
Nothing can stop it.
Troilokyo Tarini Devi is considered to be India's first
woman serial killer!
Instead of Kali babu,
had an educated, sincere man rescued Troilokyo,
had he exposed her to a good environment...
she would've been Binodini too!
-You promised me, Officer.
That you will look after Hari.
You know that he's innocent.
So how do you find it? A fallen woman's story?
Very different from the wives in your homes?
Write it all down, Officer.
This life is priceless.
Everyone will salivate at the chance of reading about a murdering wh**e!
Your book will sell a lot!
Who will I be in your story?
Will you write what I told you?
Or will you muddy it with your words?
Will my truth prevail, or will yours?
Is it so easy to kill Troilokyo?
Troilokyos never die.
Prisoner Troilokyo be taken from hence
to the place from whence she came
and that she be hanged by the neck
until she be dead.
-Troilokyo.
If I have to write about her...
I don't know where to begin.
All I can say is...
her eyes will remind you...
of a naive doe.
But if you get trapped in those innocent eyes...
she will take the form of a tigress...
and bite your head off...
without a warning.
Troilokyo was that person...
who the reader will be relieved...
to have never met.
And be able to sleep in peace.
-Troilokyo is a horrifying name in Bengal's crime world.
Like her, there was another don of Bengal who was equally horrific.
He owned a lot of money. A huge mountain of money!
Satta King. Rashid Khan.
Watch in the next episode.