Kriti Mehrotra
Starring Tahar Rahim and Jenna Coleman, ‘The Serpent’ is a crime drama series based on the real-life actions of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj. Though the slayer was eventually apprehended and imprisoned, he had already terrorized Western tourists throughout Southeast Asia during the mid-1970s, with no one having a clue about the masks he wore. From the outside, at one point, Charles seemed to be an ordinary man, sharing his life with a wife and daughter. But as we all see in the series, it didn’t last long. So now, if you’re curious to know more about his daughter, in particular, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Charles Sobhraj’s Daughter?
In the latter episodes of ‘The Serpent,’ we are introduced to Charles Sobhraj’s first wife, Juliette Voclain, and their toddler daughter, Madhu, as they reside in Mumbai (then-Bombay), India, in 1973. However, even though Juliette and Madhu don’t actually exist in Charles’ tale, they are based on his real-life first wife, Paris-born Frenchwoman Chantal Compagnon, and their daughter, Usha Sobhraj. The eight-part series portrays their familial story as if Chantal/Juliette was already pregnant during their wedding. But in reality, that transpired a bit later, with Usha being born in Mumbai in the early 70s.
The rest of what unfolded is not entirely accurate either. Yes, Charles was arrested and incarcerated in 1973 for robbing a jewelry store at a hotel in New Delhi. But when he escaped, the entire family fled to Afghanistan, where their luck eventually ran out. Because both Chantal and Charles were apprehended this time, the authorities allowed Usha to be sent back to Paris to live under her maternal grandparents’ care. Yet, from there, she was apparently kidnapped by her father, who had managed to flee from prison once again. Ultimately, though, once Chantal was released and won custody, she and Usha relocated to America.
Where is Charles Sobhraj’s Daughter Now?
Although Chantal Compagnon had moved to the United States of America with Usha Sobhraj to ensure that her daughter would never get into her father’s clutches again, she herself went back to Charles in 1997, when he was residing in Paris, France as a free man. In saying that, though, it remains unclear whether Usha has since formed a relationship with the convicted criminal or not. After all, as she grew up in the Western side of the world with her mother and step-father, she had already established a good life for herself by the time Charles secured his temporary freedom.
Usha, in her early 50s, is almost two decades older than her father’s current wife, Nihita Biswas (the daughter of his Nepalese lawyer, Shakuntala Thapa), so we assume that that must be a bit awkward for her as well. Furthermore, as she prefers to stay well away from the spotlight, apart from presumptions and theories, the only thing we know for sure about her is that she still resides in America. In simpler words, answers to questions like whether Usha has a relationship with her parents, if she considers France her home, or even her plans for where she might want to head in the future are in the air.
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