Delhi Crime is back with the third season, and again, the series relies on its strongest asset, namely, fantastic acting.
Shefali Shah, in the role of DIG Vartika Chaturvedi, exerts her trademark gravitas and empathy, and Huma Qureshi, as the vicious trafficker “Badi Didi,” gives a chilling performance that is going to stick in everyone’s memory. The emotional value in this season rests to a significant degree on their energies.
The new season addresses a very bleak topic, human trafficking. It starts with two startling threads, an injured two year old girl named Noor, discovered in a Delhi hospital, and disturbing news of noisy traffic of young girls in Assam, Silchar.
These are the storylines that all meet in an excruciatingly bloody chase headed by Vartika, whose team is working on a frantic investigation to find out a devastating network.
Performances & Characters
- The emotional core is still held by Shefali Shah. Balanced between her moral conviction and personal vulnerability, as Vartika she has to endure the heartaches of her profession with no bluffs.
- The best antagonist is Huma Qureshi as Badi Didi. Her image is cool but threatening, i.e., she is in control of her trafficking business and conducts it with a cold and sometimes violent rage.
- Rasika Dugal reappears as Neeti Singh, and her presence is even more nuanced by her subtle addictive will and sense of righteousness. This season is more subtle with her personal plot, in particular, her relationship dynamics.
- The other cast, such as Rajesh Tailang, Gopal Dutt, Mita Vashisht, and Sayani Gupta, are very realistic and emotionally saturated in their roles.
Story, Direction & Themes
Under Tanuj Chopra, the series keeps the realism of the series, there is no sensationalizing and exploiting of people. Instead, it humanizes.
Much more than aping the crime, the narration focuses on the emotional aftermath of victims, both victims and law enforcement.
The book sketches extremely disturbing social topics: the exploitation of women, the ineffectiveness of the system, and the morally vague justice system.
Although procedural elements are present in the show, the main issue of the show is their internal struggles.
What Works & What Doesn’t
Pros:
- Excellent acts, particularly by Shah and Qureshi.
- An emotional, realism-based approach to human trafficking in a non-sensation-bracket way.
- True depiction of police work faulty, compassionate, and human
Cons:
- Other critics complain of the slowing down of pace towards the final and the climax being mundane.
- Some of the audience are of the view that the character development of some of the characters, such as Neeti, could have been done better.
- In the social media circles, it is received with various responses, as many commend the acting, though others feel that the season is not as sharp as some others.
Delhi Crime season 3 is not a remake and probably does not necessarily have to be. It builds its own history by emphasizing the emotional and moral gravitas of its crime stories.
Snapping with Shefali Shah at the helm and Huma Qureshi as an extremely formidable villain, the season is a punch. It is not the most wayward, yet it is one of the more mature, thought provoking crime films by Indian OTT.
video credit : Netflix official site
