Trigger warning: Mentions of violence, gore, and human trafficking
Some shows thrill you, some thoroughly entertain you, and there are shows like Delhi Crime Season 3 that make you ponder long after the end credits roll. Silence fills your chest, and a deep, unsettling void makes you think of everything wrong happening around you. Delhi Crime, the Emmy-nominated Netflix show by Richie Mehta and Tanuj Chopra, is back with a third season.
Shefali Shah leads the cast, reprising the role of DIG Vartika Chaturvedi, along with Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, and new cast members like Huma Qureshi, Sayani Gupta, Mita Vashisht, and Yukti Thareja in the third season. While the show has its fair share of flaws in the third season, here’s why I think the show is a must-watch.
Stream Or Skip: Delhi Crime S3 Shines For The Most Parts; Dulls Out In Some
Plot Overview Of Delhi Crime S3
The third season of the much-acclaimed Delhi Crime takes inspiration from the Baby Falak case of 2012 that shook India. For those unversed, the case revolved around a battered infant that was abandoned in the trauma center of AIIMS, New Delhi by her alleged 15-year-old mother. The case gained national attention, mainly because of its severity and how it exposed the systemic and social flaws that only enable horrific crimes like human trafficking and child abuse.
While DIG Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah) is investigating cases in Silchar about vulnerable girls being trafficked into international sex trafficking and organized crime, this New Delhi case seems to have a strange, unnerving connection with the human trafficking ring. How the police officers investigate these cases and uncover horrific realities forms the crux of season 3 of Delhi Crime.
What Works
1. The Humane Gaze Is Intact
One of Delhi Crime’s greatest strengths has been its ability to view crime from a humane gaze. It does not justify the culprits’ crimes but views them with empathy, delving into the ‘why’ of a crime. It simply lays bare the grim realities that shape people’s choices and victims’ fates.
2. Shefali Shah’s Quiet, Restrained Performance
Shefali Shah returns as Vartika with a more restrained presence than her past two seasons. She’s commanding, tender at times; however, Shefali’s performance seems too tired – as if her character is fed up with the reality she’s living in. Despite that, the restraint works beautifully in her and the show’s favor.
3. A Deeper Look Into Neeti’s Life
Rasika Dugal’s ACP Neeti Singh gets more character development this time. Her divorce remains a highlight, and her efforts to finally gain control – both on a professional and personal level – have been shown well. Her character adds dimension to the show, and her simmering intensity turns out to be a key highlight of the show.
4. Real Moments That Hit Hard
For a season that otherwise lacks big emotional punches, one scene stays with you: ACP Neeti, while investigating a case in a different city, checks into a police guesthouse. She spots that the latch in her room is broken and proceeds to block the door with a sofa. Before sleeping, she places her gun on the bedside table, subtly revealing how, despite being a police officer of her stature, a woman always has to be vigilant, even when she’s a police officer. This one scene, without any dialogue, shows the lived reality of Indian womanhood, even when she’s protecting the country.
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Where The Season Falters
1. A Slow Burn That Becomes Just…Slow
The first episode builds tension promisingly, but the pace starts wobbling by the second and third episode. Episodes 4 and 5 dull down the narrative slightly, and the screenplay loses its grip. Even the lighting in some scenes is so off that I had to increase the brightness. What starts as a promising watch ends up becoming a slow, tiring burn that doesn’t give you enough incentive to keep watching.
2. Huma Qureshi’s Villainy Is Terrifying And Troubling
As Badi Didi, Huma Qureshi brings an icy, eerie calmness that makes her presence both unnerving and unpredictable. She’s layered, sometimes inconsistent, but her accent is what does not work in her favor. The accent is jarring and distracting at times, masking her icy evilness beneath it. However, as a viewer, you get a brief, predictable glimpse into what led her to go down the path she was on.
3. Largely Unexplored Characters
Season 3 had the potential to dive into the contrasting, layered realities of its antagonists and victims, but it does not scratch the surface enough. Yes, it has moments when you understand a little more deeply about these characters, but for the most part, the show focuses more on the police investigation. Despite strong performances by Mita Vashisht and Sayani Gupta, you don’t really get to understand where their motives stem from. And this is what downplays their characters in the larger picture.
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Summing Up
Seasons 1 and 2 were compelling – showing a balance of crime, social commentary, and emotional rawness. However, I felt that season 3 is its weakest link yet. The bar has been raised so high that Season 3 gets crushed under its own weight. With a faltering, wobbly screenplay, uninspired characters, and a shallow plot, the season feels like it wanted to do a lot, but ended up only scratching the surface.
However, should you watch it? Absolutely yes. The subject matter is sensitive, hard-hitting, and much needed at a time when these crimes have become normalized in India. The show, despite its technical flaws, presents a story that deserves to be heard, acknowledged, and questioned by the viewers.
