Get ready for sleepless nights as Sobhita Dhulipala unleashes ‘Chikatilo’ on Prime Video—a podcast that drags you into the blood-soaked legacy of Andrei Chikatilo, history’s deadliest Soviet predator. With over 50 victims, mostly kids, this true crime masterpiece redefines podcast terror.
From the snowy wastelands of Rostov to Moscow’s courtrooms, Dhulipala narrates with unflinching precision. She starts with Chikatilo’s unassuming facade—a married engineer with a stutter—before revealing his ritualistic killings: luring prey, sexual assaults, and grotesque disfigurations symbolizing his impotence-fueled rage.
The series excels in pacing, with cliffhanger episodes on botched leads, like the wrongful execution of a innocent man, and psychic tips ignored by police. Dhulipala incorporates victim profiles, humanizing the statistics and amplifying the tragedy. Soundscapes of creaking trains and frantic pursuits heighten immersion, while her interviews with psychologists unpack the mind of a ‘non-trophy’ killer driven by compulsion.
Highlighting systemic failures—Soviet denial of sex crime prevalence—the podcast critiques how prejudice delayed justice until DNA evidence nailed Chikatilo in 1990. His trial confessions, boasting 65 kills, culminate in a firing squad end.
Prime Video’s ‘Chikatilo’ is more than entertainment; it’s a cultural gut-punch hosted by a rising icon. Sobhita Dhulipala proves her range, turning infamy into essential listening for true crime addicts worldwide.