From the creators of The Tinder Swindler, Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, Sweet Bobby, is set to explore a shocking case of catfishing that rocked London’s Sikh community.
The victim, Kirat Assi, a respected Radio Desi presenter, was manipulated for over a decade in a sophisticated online deception orchestrated by someone uncomfortably close—her own cousin.
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, shines a spotlight on the terrifying realities of online dating and catfishing, a theme that The Tinder Swindler’s creators have proven adept at handling. Kirat’s story is particularly heartbreaking, as it wasn’t an anonymous stranger who lured her into an emotional labyrinth, but her cousin, Simran Bhogal.
Beginning with a seemingly harmless Facebook connection in 2009, the online relationship spiraled into an emotionally abusive bond. With claims of illness, near-death experiences, and emotional crises, the fictitious “Bobby Jandu” kept Kirat deeply invested and increasingly isolated from her friends and family.
“What happened to me is just one crazy story”, Kirat says in the official Netflix trailer, “You can’t make it up”. Watch the official trailer:
For ten years, Kirat was kept in the dark, unaware that her every move was being controlled by Simran, who played multiple online personas to maintain the ruse. The emotional toll was severe, as Kirat trusted her family implicitly, making the betrayal all the more devastating when the truth was revealed.
Scheduled to release on October 16, 2024, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare promises to be an emotional rollercoaster, exploring the darker side of human relationships in the digital age. The filmmakers behind this documentary, known for their gripping true crime storytelling, aim to show just how fragile online trust can be and how deep the emotional scars can run when it’s violated by someone so close.
