Back in 2019, the first season of ‘Delhi Crime’ was released which was based on the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape case which literally shook the viewers the same way it did the nation when the crime took place. The show was received well both by the audiences and the critics and went on to receive many international awards as well. Now three years later, its second season is released on Netflix which is based on the famous ‘Kachcha Baniyan’ Gang which was very much active in several parts of the country in the 1990’s.
The show opens up with a murder of two elderly couples in South Delhi which builds up an atmosphere of fear and tension in the whole city. To handle the situation DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (played by Shefali Shah) and her team are back and are on a mission to fetch the notorious ‘Kachcha Baniyan’ Gang. That’s pretty much what the story is all about. It’s plain and simple but what actually works in its favor is how it is treated. In the initial couple of episodes, neither the audience nor the police have any clue about the criminals which manages to keep us on the edge of our seats. You’ve to give it to the director Tanuj Chopra who has really done a smart job here to separate the series from the genre of usual crime thrillers.
The series not only explores the crimes of Delhi and mindset of these criminals but also to take a closer look at the conditions under which the officers work. Take for example, ACP Neeti Singh’s (played by Rasika Duggal) married life where troubles have started building up as she is unable to give time to her husband and family because of her duty. The way the whole thing is crafted it definitely develops a sense of sympathy in your heart for the police officers and paves a path in breaking their stereotype image.
As a kid I remember hearing stories about the ‘Kacha Baniyan’ Gang from my grandparents and while watching the show it felt like a visualization of the same at some points – especially how nicely all the minute detailings were done. Cinematographer David Bolen’s camera captures the streets of Delhi in both day and night with ease whereas the background score by Ceiri Torjussen sets the perfect atmosphere needed for this kind of dark mysterious thriller.
What works best in ‘Delhi Crime, Season 2’ is its strong star cast. Every actor seems to have been cast perfectly. Shefali Shah once again shines in and out in the role of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi. No lying, but her strong personality and screen presence elevates the whole series to an extent. Rajesh Tailang as Inspector Bhupendra Singh is as natural as he could be. Adil Hussain does leave a mark in his limited screen space as Vartika’s boss, Kumar Vijay. However, I’m a little disappointed with Rasika Duggal’s character. In order to show the struggle between her personal and professional life, her character gets messed up. For me the most surprising and unexpected performance comes from Tillotama Shome as Karishma, the cold-blooded killer who brings the depth the story demands for. It won’t be an exaggeration if I say Shefali Shah and her performance are the main reasons which differentiate ‘Delhi Crime, Season 2’ from average to good.
Well, it’s pretty easy to connect with the audience when you have already built a fan base. And that’s exactly what the case is with ‘Delhi Crime’. The show has rightly attracted a huge number of viewers with its first season who have been excitedly waiting for the next season and it nowhere let them down. The show is entertaining, engaging, thrilling and everything you would expect it to be only when no comparisons are made from the previous season. As the first part was purely made out of a real incident, it was hard-hitting at so many levels whereas in the second part a lot of things are fictional. Overall, Delhi Crime Season 2 might not be as good as the first season but it is still a very good watch if you’re a fan of crime thrillers.
This five episode long series spanning around 40-45 minutes each is based on the chapter Moon Gazer from Delhi’s former Commissioner Neeraj Kumar’s book Khaki Files.
You can now stream ‘Delhi Crime, Season 2’ on Netflix!
