Delhi Crime

This is the first time I will be writing review of a web-series as it has provoked me to write about the terrible incident. Delhi Crime was an eye-opener of the famous Nirbhaya case which is intriguing and disturbing.

Based on the horrific incident of 2012 Delhi gang-rape of a 23 year old girl in a moving bus, which rocked the entire nation, Delhi Crime is the chronical of the detailed investigation carried out by Delhi Police and the effort spent in nabbing the 6 accused involved in the crime within 5 days.

Directed, researched (for 4 years) and created by Richie Mehta along with Laurence Bowen and Toby Bruce, Delhi Crime is one of most dark and disturbing movie I have ever seen. The seven episode series will keep you hooked to the detailed investigations starting from a wake-up call at 2 AM to the DCP of South District, Delhi Police, Vartika Chaturvedi, informing about the bleeding and naked victims, lying along streets during a cold-wintry night of Delhi, police officers travelling across the remote areas of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand to locate the accused till the confession made by Nirbhaya herself. Each and every scene has executed appropriately and accurately.

Delhi Crime has been told from the Delhi Police's point of view - how their lives got impacted along with their family during those 5 days of strenuous investigation, working endlessly at the police station and not even being allowed to go back home. The web-series details out the struggles and challenges faced by the cops mentally, physically and financially (yes ... there were budget constraint even during this critical time). Few scenes do stand out - the interrogation scene between Delhi Police and remorseless Jai Singh, who was proud of his misdeed, the scene where a police call-operator wants to leave early but is always held by the DCP, the hospital scene where the doctor tells DCP about the deteriorating condition of Nirbhaya and the scene where the judge finally comes directly to record the confession of Nirbhaya. Hats off to the director for making it bold and blunt. Delhi crime was also an eye-opener for the story on the male victim, who was being sympathized by many till now. As rightly pointed out by a police officer, he could have fought against attackers in the moving bus. The web-series also shows his willingness to be in limelight by giving interviews to media, despite being warned by the DPS twice that it might spoil their investigation. Unfortunately, the media in our country is one piece of crap who would go to any extent to sell their stuff without even understanding the grimness of the situation.

Delhi Crime boast off some strong technical support. I should start with an outstanding editing work. The background score is haunting and yet mesmerizing. The cinematography is brilliant, portraying a real-life crime with aplomb. Screenplay is fantastic, though it becomes little sluggish towards the 5th and 6th episode.

Coming to the performances, it is Shefali Shah who will make you believe in the tough investigation carried out by the Delhi Police. Inspired by real-life IPS officer, Chhaya Sharma (former DCP South District, Delhi Police), Shefali Shah lives and breathes the character of Vartika Chaturvedi. Shefali is complimented by Rajesh Tailang (Mirzapur fame), her long-time co-worker, who stands tall with her at each and every moment. The actors playing the role police officers on field were equally marvelous.

On the whole, Delhi Crime is not easy watch but it will expose the harsh reality of what happened on that fateful night and it will definitely make you angry. Go for it ...MIND-BLOWING 4.5/5

It's just great. The show shows the other perspective of the actual Happenings. The media just showed us the view point of the victims's family, the series showed us from the perspective of the investigators of the case. Thank You Netflix and Richie Mehta for making this series.

These actors are the new gems of Indian Content. Wow, their acting is just amazing. Thanks Netflix for focusing on Quality over quantity. Watch it, You will love it!

Very thought provoking.. Lots of respect and our Police department. Maybe a little slow. But to get the true the experiences they go through, it's necessity. Casting and acting is superb. Need more shows like this to erase the misconceptions of our heros.

Delhi Crime is a phenomenal film series which works both as a taut suspense thriller, a touching and heartbreaking human story, and a hard-hitting social drama. The show, which narrates the investigation following an unimaginably brutal gang rape perpetrated against a young woman, exposes images of pure, horrific barbarism in the midst of a democratic state which doesn't have enough enforcement of law and order. But then it shows that there's still hope. This hope does not necessarily come from the country's lawmakers and political authorities as it does from ordinary citizens and especially the selfless service of groups of devoted individuals who work for the police and who give their lives to make justice prevail.

The series is a wonderful commentary on the restricted budgetary resources at the disposal of those who are in charge of the case, namely the police; the limited manpower assigned to them; and the pressure, both political, public, as well as from the media, which stands in the way of proper investigation of the incident in question. The show is particularly critical of the media, its enraging tendency to resort to fake news and click baits in times when not much information is available, with some members of the media being actually portrayed as true, pathetic scavengers. But then, the importance of public discourse and protest is asserted all through, and then again, the hard work of true police officers is there to save the day.

That's where our heroine, DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, is placed. And it is through her dedication and perseverance that this story moves forward. Her selfless commitment to the mission affects and drives everyone around. The film places emphasis on the terrific work of the police, and while it is not an easy watch the whole time through, with some harrowing, horrifying portions, it actually manages to be quite inspiring and uplifting. Technically the film is superb - the cinematography is top-notch, the sound is fantastic, and the film is tremendously realistic and credible all the way through. The dialogue is tremendously authentic, and the setting provides the viewers with a fascinating insight of the Indian police and its daily practice.

Shefali Shah, one of India's finest actresses, delivers a powerhouse performance with not a single false note. Her extraordinarily charismatic and imperious presence never takes away from her constant understanding of the human core that drives this character, resulting in a true portrait of strength and compassion. Just an expression in her eyes speaks more than a million words. The way she captures Vartika's tough exterior, soft inside, and steadfast determination, is one of the great assets of this phenomenal show. But while she leads the film, she is one of a host of brilliant actors, all of whom make Delhi Crime one of the greatest treasures of Indian filmmaking, which the country can only be proud of.