Did you know that an episode of the long-running TV series CID dealt with a fast-spreading virus? The episode, titled The Case of the Deadly Virus (Khatarnak Virus Ka Rahasya), first aired in 2013.
Actor Shivaji Satam, who played ACP Pradyuman on the series, recalled the episode, and compared its plot to the current coronavirus pandemic situation. “One of the most memorable CID episodes for me was The Case of the Deadly Virus,” he told Mumbai Mirror. “It was quite similar to the current outbreak, in which, faced with an unknown virus threat, we needed masks and bodysuits to handle it. Of course, back then, all we could show was a vial of the fast-spreading contagion, but the premise was the same.”
According to the SonyLIV website, the episode’s plot involves the CID investigating a plot to expose a major section of the country’s population to a deadly virus, after a pharma employee is fired and decides to take revenge by stealing the vial that contains it. “Then, my team of detectives and I, helped save the day,” Shivaji Satam continued.
The episode begins with a shot of a vial, and a voiceover saying, “This seemingly harmless vial contains a dangerous strand of a new virus. A kind previously unknown to man. Not only does it cause a horrifying death, it also spreads like wildfire, taking more and more lives. The only cure for this virus is death.” In the episode, a doctor informs his colleagues that the virus spreads rapidly and can be transmitted by sneezing, coughing, or shaking hands.
Previously, several other pop-culture works were discovered to have ‘predicted’ the coronavirus pandemic. While The Simpsons had an episode in which the ‘Osaka flu’ infected everyone in Springfield, a Korean drama actually featured its characters discussing a coronavirus outbreak.Episodes of The Big Bang Theory and its prequel series, Young Sheldon, have also witnessed a resurgence in popularity. In one episode of The Big Bang Theory, a paranoid Sheldon tries his best to avoid getting infected by a ‘deadly disease’. In one episode of Young Sheldon, sensing the arrival of flu season, Sheldon excuses himself from class because he doesn’t ‘want to die’. Later, he is seen watching the news on TV, wearing a mask, while the newsreader talks about a virus that originated in China that is particularly contagious among old people and children.
