Netflix takes on 'Sweet Bobby'

True Crime docufilm receives mixed reviews

Kiran Assi's True Crime story has taken on a screen presentation in Netflix's Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare. The story, which originally blew up as a Tortoise Media podcast hosted by Alexi Mostrous, follows Kiran's nearly decade-long romance with Bobby Jandu, except it's not Bobby at all and there is no romance, just an elaborate ploy forged by manipulative tactics.

Her cousin Simran, who was the mastermind behind the grand plan, cemented the set-up by indulging video calls with Kiran and faking family profiles, in order to rule out any suspicions on Kiran's end. The ordeal left the victim devastated, as she was compelled to track down her beloved after being led to believe that he was dying.

The Netflix trailer earned several speculative comments from viewers. "This has to be fulfilling a deep psychological need because how can you be in a whole relationship, having never met in real life. Are people just okay with simulated lives? I can't even do long distance (relationships) for this reason. It doesn't feel real. It doesn't fulfill my tangible concrete reality. I wish the focus were less on being a victim and more on analysing why some people are especially vulnerable to this kind of manipulation," critiqued a commenter.

"The real Bobby and his wife are the real victims, and it could've ended in even more tragedy with some deranged woman stalking them and coming to their home," observed another viewer. "I feel sorry for Bobby's family and what they had to endure from this desperate woman."

"Everyone in the comments section is victim blaming Kirat, just like the police did. Her story is sad, but the comments are even sadder. Let's not forget she was surrounded by people and even her own family, pressuring her to find someone to get married to, and they were even looking forward to meeting 'Bobby'," defended one user.

Others strongly suggested that there was no need to turn the six-part podcast into a rushed 82-minute screen adaptation. "You guys have got to listen to the podcast, instead. It goes into so much detail about how manipulative and thought-out the deception was," an X user urged.