Delhi Crime S3 Review: Slow, Sincere, Socially Relevant

BOTTOM LINE
Slow, Sincere, Socially Relevant

PLATFORM
NETFLIX

RUNTIME
4 hrs 50 mins(6 Episodes)

What Is the Show About?

DIG Vartika Chaturvedi and her team investigate the abuse of a two-year-old baby Noor, leading them to expose a sophisticated interstate human trafficking ring. The investigation traces their trail across India, revealing how impoverished women and children are sold for exploitation. Vartika pursues its mastermind, Badi Didi, aiming to dismantle the operation and bring justice to the victims.

Performances

The show firmly rests on the foundation provided by two of its pillars: Huma Qureshi and Shefali Shah. If Shefali is the no-nonsense, focused and empathetic Vartika, Huma is the firebrand criminal Meena, ruthless in her ways, having been sucked into a hell-hole early in life. Strong supporting performances come in from Rasika Dugal, Yukti Thareja, Sayani Gupta and the generally reliable Rajesh Tailang.

Analysis

Delhi Crime Season 3, helmed by Tanuj Chopra, is out on Netflix. The instalment is loosely based on the infamous Baby Falak case in the national capital dating back to 2012. The baby was a victim of child abuse and survived multiple heart attacks over a month, her plight even inspiring an adoption drive. This incident is used as a hook to uncover the lid off a female trafficking ring.

Like the earlier seasons, the show unfolds largely as a docu-drama, peeling the details behind the ghastly crimes, layer by layer, while directing the viewer to the chaos within the lives of the police officers as well. Vartika’s daughter is now a full-fledged journalist. Neeti Singh, on the cusp of a divorce, is considering adoption. Another cop Simran, from Haryana, joins their quest for justice.

What seems like just another day at a hospital and another patient (the child) turns out to be a crucial link to a global trafficking operation, where a woman, Meena a.k.a Badi Didi supplies girls (from marginalised backgrounds) to high-profile clients. Tanuj Chopra lays bare the meticulousness of the enterprise, showing how the girls are promised the moon, groomed, only to be reduced to a piece of flesh.

In comparison to the earlier seasons, Delhi Crime Season 3 is heavier in terms of detailing. It is desperate to be a chilling exposé, exploring how a trafficking ring functions like a well-oiled machinery – something that several Hindi films, like Love Sonia, Mardaani and to an extent Lakshmi, have brought to the fore with a certain degree of success.

Multiple subplots exist in the story, highlighting the intricacies of the network, but they feel slightly repetitive at times. The deja vu hits you occasionally: the power structures, the hierarchy, the brutality of the masterminds – and the storytelling could’ve been more hard-hitting than fact-heavy. It keeps collecting data and doesn’t personalise the drama with enough variety.

The stories of various victims fall into a similar pattern. One understands why this is done: it is to mirror the trauma the victims undergo and the risks the officers undertake to break the trafficking chain, though it brings monotony to the proceedings occasionally. While one understands the seriousness of the case, the show’s strictly academic representation of realities is too much to digest.

The tension in the setting grips you in the last couple of episodes. There are several nail-biting moments where the end feels near for Meena, and yet, she gives a good, tough fight to the cops, guarding her empire till the last minute. While others perform as if they’re strictly following an acting manual, Huma Qureshi breathes fire into the proceedings with her raw intensity.

While Delhi Crime Season 3 is well-made generally, it falls short on impact because of the contrived writing. The creators gets carried away by the monstrosity of the issue (of course, there can’t be simple solutions) than the engagement value in many instances. Even if the other instalments had impressive detailing, they struck a better balance between the professional and the personal.

Delhi Crime Season 3 is a decent show with a strong antagonist, several anxious moments, and is serious about the social ill it wants to address. It takes some time to get going, and the rewards come in a little late. Though it may not be on par with the other seasons, the filmmaking and performances are neat, sincere.

Music and Other Departments?

The production quality of Delhi Crime Season 3 doesn’t leave much room for complaint. Ceiri Torjussen’s score serves as a firm shoulder that the show relies on, slightly muted in its texture and yet visceral in terms of the value addition. The cinematography (by Johan Aidt, Eric Wunder Lin) adopts a responsible gaze towards a sensitive issue, never exploiting it for cheaper gains, but only to drive the proceedings forward.

The production design, the choice of locations and costume styling are top-notch. On a writing level, however, too many characters (with and without names) keep entering and exiting the frames, making it harder for the viewer to follow their trajectories.

Highlights?

Huma Qureshi, Shefali Shah’s performances

Strong detailing

Technically impressive

Drawbacks?

Treatment lacks much novelty

Doesn’t have many strong, impactful characters beyond Huma Qureshi, Shefali Shah

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, if you don’t compare it with the other seasons

 Delhi Crime Season 3 Netflix OTT Review by M9