Delhi Crime

''Delhi Crime'' is an Indian police procedural crime drama television series written and directed by Richie Mehta. With creative manager Chirag Shah and produced by Golden Karaven, Ivanhoe Productions, Film Karavan and Poor Man's Productions, the series stars Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Adil Hussain and Rajesh Tailang. The first season is set in the aftermath of the 2012 Delhi gang rape. The second season focuses on the Chaddi Baniyan Gang.

Filming for the first season began in Delhi in January 2018, and was completed within 62 days. The series covers the period from the incident happening to the final arrest of the suspects.

''Delhi Crime'''s first two episodes premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival in the Indie Episodic category. The series was released on Netflix on 22 March 2019. It received critical acclaim, with praise for its performances, writing, and depiction of the real-life case that inspired it. At the International Emmy Awards held in November 2020, ''Delhi Crime'' became the first Indian series to receive the award for Best Drama Series. The show was renewed for a second season with the main cast returning. The second season premiered on 26 August 2022. The show was renewed for a third season which is slated to release on Netflix in 2025. It earned Shah a nomination for the International Emmy Award for Best Actress.

Synopsis

Season 1 of ''Delhi Crime'' is based on the 2012 Delhi gang rape tragedy that took place in the neighbourhood of Munirka, in South Delhi. The season follows the story in the aftermath of the gang rape, where Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vartika Chaturvedi is tasked with finding the culprits responsible for the physical assaults and subsequent death of the female rape victim.

The second season focuses on the Chaddi Baniyan Gang's crimes.

Cast

Main

*Shefali Shah as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi IPS
* Rajesh Tailang as Inspector Bhupendra Singh
*Rasika Dugal as Neeti Singh IPS
*Adil Hussain as Kumar Vijay (CP)
* Kuldeep sareen as Inspector Viren Chaddha (season 2)

Recurring

*Denzil Smith as Vishal Chaturvedi, Vartika's husband
*Yashaswini Dayama as Chandni "Chandu" Chaturvedi, Vartika and Vishal's daughter
*Abhilasha Singh as Deepika, the victim of a brutal gang rape and murder
*Sanjay Bishnoi as Akash Kumar, Deepika's friend who was also a victim of the attack
*Vinod Sharawat as SHO Vinod Tiwari
* Anurag Arora as Sub-Inspector Jairaj Singh
* Gopal Datt as Sudhir Kumar
*Sidharth Bhardwaj as SHO Shubhash Gupta
*Aakash Dahiya as Devinder
* Avijit Dutt as Gururaj Dixit
*Jaya Bhattacharya as Vimla Bharadwaj (Season 1)
*Swati Bhatia as Ira
*Mridul Sharma as Jai Singh
*Ayush Sehgal as Arunesh
*Rhea Bedi as Smriti
*Gaurav Rana as SHO Rakesh Verma
*Govind Singh as Amar Singh
*Vipin Katyal as Arif
*Ashok Mehta as Lead Protester
* Danish Husain as Advocate Vineet Singh (Season 2)
*Tillotama Shome as Lata Solanki/Karishma (Season 2)
*Jatin Goswami (Season 2)
*Vyom Yadav (Season 2)
*Ankit Sharma (Season 2)

Episodes

Season 1

Season 2

Production

Development

Mehta decided to write a script based on the events during the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder incident. He then conceived the idea of ''Delhi Crime'' during a conversation with Neeraj Kumar, the former Commissioner of the Delhi Police, who introduced him to the investigating team and provided access to several legal documents that were prepared as part of the investigation. Later on, Kumar asked Mehta if he would consider making a film on the case to which he denied. He then started reading the documents and was "amazed at the precision with which this case was solved, and so quickly." He also met the officers involved in the case and was "blown away by them." Mehta also sought permission from the victim's family. He said that films like '' The French Connection'' (1971) and ''Zodiac'' (2007) influenced his approach.

He modeled several portrayals of the cops based on his own observations. Mehta said that the making of the series was a "personally transformative journey" for him. He spoke to several police personnel involved in the case and tried "retracing the paths that the police took during the course of the investigation." It took Mehta six years to finish his research, adding that the writing part of the film which began in 2014 took place for more than four years, since he had to meet the cops and had to return to Canada to put his research work altogether, which took him more time. Mehta initially wanted to make it as a feature film, but as he continued the research, he realised that he could not fit the content in that length.

Casting

The casting director of the series is Mukesh Chhabra. Mehta decided to focus on actors from theatre background, without being influenced by the need to have recognised faces from Hindi film industry. Shefali Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain and Rasika Dugal were a part of the prominent cast members in the series, with whom Mehta worked in their first feature film '' Amal'' (2007). When Mehta spoke to Chhabra he stated that he had a little time to process the completion, so Mehta did not agree to cast star actors in the series, which unleashed Chhabra's imagination. He also added that the rise of streaming platforms had given much recognition to "some of the best acting talent in the world that comes from India".

The character of Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah) was based on Chhaya Sharma, the former deputy commissioner of police in Delhi. Mehta met Sharma, who was in the team who caught the perpetrators. They spoke for months as Mehta wanted her point of view in the crime. Shefali Shah agreed to don the character after Mehta's narration spanned for five minutes and also met Sharma for the preparation of the role. Tailang's character was an amalgamation of different investigating officers, but he spoke to one police officer and used him as reference point.

Filming

The series spans six days, covering the period between 16 December and 21 December 2012, from the incident to the final arrest. The film went on floors in Delhi in January 2018 after taking permission from the Delhi police and the victim's family, and was shot over the course of 62 days. Mehta decided not to show the rape on screen as he wanted "not to cross that line into exploitation." To make the experience more cathartic for the audience, director Richie Mehta revealed that they used handheld cameras on purpose. He says, "We wanted the audience like they are a part of our narrative and all that was happening on the sets. To make them feel more inclusive, we have shot those scenes with a handheld camera."

The shooting commenced in Delhi, mostly on the roads and no sets were used. Neeraj Kumar, for whom Mehta conceived the idea of the script stated that he advised the producers not to involve my successors who would neither approve of the project nor would they give any support, since the case was their predecessor's — a common failing observed in the police. Thus, the entire shoot was done almost without formal permissions.

Before the shoot, Kumar called the entire cast including Shefali Shah, to brief them about police hierarchy, the rank structure, body language of the police and the works so as to find the series to be an authentic depiction of the police on account of these briefings. Kumar has not visited the shooting spot, with the exception of one scene at the India Gate because his visits to the locales would have spread the word that he was getting ''Delhi Crime'' being made for his glorification.

Release

The first two episodes of the series was premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival at the Indie Episodic Category, held on 23 January to 3 February 2019. Netflix acquired the streaming rights of the show later, and on 14 February, with the official announcement of their new original contents (including series and films) for their 2019 original slate, the makers confirmed their scheduled release of 22 March 2019. The official trailer of this series was unveiled on 11 March 2019. The show was released on Netflix on 22 March.

''Delhi Crime'' season 2's official trailer was released on 8 August 2022.Delhi Crime Season 2 premiered on 26 August 2022 on Netflix. The entire season, consisting of 5 episodes, was released simultaneously worldwide. It is available in multiple languages, including Hindi, English, Telugu, and Tamil, with subtitles.

Reception

Season 1

The first season received universal acclaim upon its release. On Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 7.25/10.

Daniel Fienberg of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' called it "consistently different enough to be interesting." He also felt the police-procedural conventions felt "reasonably fresh and consistently engaging." Ben Travers of '' IndieWire'' wrote: "An expertly told, hard-to-watch true crime series, ''Delhi Crime Story'' won't be for everyone — but it won't let go of anyone who watches." Shubhra Gupta of ''The Indian Express'' wrote: "Where ''Delhi Crime'' scores is in the portrayal of a beleaguered police force, which is easy to point fingers at."

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV called the series "grim, gritty and grounded in the everyday." He further wrote: "''Delhi Crime'' is a knockout punch of a series: unsettling and enthralling by turns." Piyasree Dasgupta of ''HuffPost'' noted that the series "comes across as such an elaborate exercise to valorise the Delhi Police that it actually seems deeply insensitive." She also said that the "only people the show humanises are the police." Rahul Desai of Film Companion wrote: "It's the tiny infusions of well-informed opinion into what is essentially dramatic long-read reportage that make ''Delhi Crime'' one hell of a ride." Rohan Naahar of ''Hindustan Times'' called it: " gut-wrenching, stylishly directed, passionately performed, and most important, not at all exploitative." Avinash Ramachandran of ''The New Indian Express – Cinema Express'' in his review wrote: "Delhi Crime might be a glorification of the police force, but it is also a mirror to our society. It might absolve the Delhi police of its alleged dereliction of duties, but it is also a reminder that we vouched, and hoped, for a similar incident to never happen again."

Along with the story telling and the premise of the series, the cast also received widespread appreciation for their performances in the series. Priyanka Roy of ''The Telegraph'' said: "And while the rest of it is worth a watch, Shefali Shah is reason number one why you shouldn't give Delhi Crime a miss." Nandini Ramnath from ''Scroll'' wrote: " Rajesh Tailang, Anurag Arora, Adil Hussain, Jaya Bhattacharya, Gopal Dutt and Vinod Sharawat are among the numerous actors who display the same dedication to their craft as did their fictionalised selves to the investigation." Namrata Joshi from ''The Hindu'' said: "Tailang's control, poise and measured way plays out beautifully against Shah's dynamism to give us arguably the best on-screen buddy-cop team seen yet in India."

Season 2

The second season of ''Delhi Crime'' received widespread critical acclaim, though some reviews noted uneven execution and pacing issues. Reviewers praised its exploration of socio-economic divides, performances (particularly Shefali Shah's), and taut pacing, while critiques included graphic violence and formulaic storytelling.. Anuj Kumar of The Hindu called it a "worthwhile experience" that balances "heartfelt performances" with a critique of systemic biases against marginalized communities. He highlighted the series' ability to weave "moral dilemmas" into its narrative without becoming didactic..Abhimanyu Mathur of Hindustan Times described it as "more brutal and graphic" than the first season but praised its emotional depth, stating it "retains enough sensitivity and finesse to be one of the best shows around." He singled out Tillotama Shome's "scene-stealing" performance and the show's focus on the investigators' personal lives..Neela Debnath of Express UK clarified that while inspired by the historical "Kachcha-Baniyan gangs" of 1990s North India, the season fictionalizes events rather than depicting a specific case. She detailed the gang's real-life tactics, including oil-covered bodies and posing as laborers, and noted director Tanuj Chopra's research into case files and community perspectives..Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV awarded the season 4/5 stars, applauding its "perceptive and powerful portrait of a city at war with itself." He noted its "near-documentary realism" and the layered portrayal of female characters, particularly Shah, Rasika Dugal, and Shome..Namrata Joshi of National Herald emphasized the series' examination of class conflict and police corruption, calling it "sharp and smart" while critiquing its occasional inauthenticity in dialogue delivery..Shweta Keshri of India Today noted that the season "lacks the depth of the first season" but provides a "peek into the lives of the cops." She praised Shah's "author-backed role" and Shome's "intense act," while critiquing the "grim and dark tale" as potentially challenging for some viewers..Udita Jhunjhunwala of Livemint praised the "rock-solid cast" but observed that the season "starts slow," with English-language dialogues feeling incongruous in a Delhi police setting. She commended its depiction of aspirational economics driving crime..Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in offered a mixed assessment, calling the season a "clumsy exploration of systemic bias in policing." She compared it unfavorably to films like ''Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!'' and ''Titli'', which she felt better portrayed Delhi's aspirational crime. Ramnath criticized the "formulaic approach," uneven pacing, and incongruous English dialogue, adding that the show avoids addressing the Delhi Police's real-life controversies post-2019 protests..News18 highlighted the show's critique of caste and class structures, stating it "perfectly depicts" societal inequities through its "talented cast.".Sunny Mahat of The Annapurna Express lauded the series' intensity and Shome's performance, though cautioned viewers about its "gruesome" violence..Zee News highlighted positive social media reactions to the season, with netizens praising Shefali Shah's "brilliant" performance. Users lauded the series' gritty realism and called it a "worthy successor" to the first season.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Hindi-language television shows
Netflix television dramas
Indian anthology television series
Indian crime television series
Television shows set in Delhi
2019 Indian television series debuts
2022 Indian television series endings
Indian drama television series
Indian television series distributed by Netflix
Fiction about law enforcement
True crime television series
Police procedural television series
Fiction about gang rape
Fictional portrayals of the Delhi Police
Gang rape in India
Indian thriller television series