Netflix’s latest Hindi original was the cop thriller Delhi Crime, which was based on the infamous 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape case that shocked India to its core. It stared Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, and Adil Hussain, and the series was surely a chilling retelling of all the events and the investigation that transpired after the brutal incident.
The Delhi Police, like most law enforcement organisations around the world, was burdened by a reputation as complicated as that of the city it serves to protect. A lot was written about its handling of the case – it was praised for having nabbed the culprits in a matter of days and filing a detailed and bulletproof charge sheet that was instrumental in their sentencing, but it was also questioned about its ability to prevent such crimes, and criticised for letting red tape get in the way of the investigation.
Some of the more controversial aspects of the investigation, particularly the reported unprovoked attack on peaceful protesters at India Gate, were explained; and other aspects that went unnoticed, like the minor suspect being charged as a minor (and not as an adult), were highlighted.
Delhi Crime is gut-wrenching, stylishly directed, passionately performed, and most importantly, not at all exploitative. The show’s most violent moments, in fact, we’re literally all dependant on your memory of the time, and your ability to empathise with the victim, often through her own words.
the story unfolds at a breakneck pace under the leadership of Vartika Chaturvedi, DCP- South, who wastes no time in realising that this case requires special attention and that she cannot afford to let it fall into the pit of police politics. So she assembles a crack team of her most trusted aides, led by the always wonderful Rajesh Tailang’s Bhupinder, and begins an exhausting manhunt for the four men who committed the crime.
It’s a total eye-opener and for sure if you empathise well, this would totally shock you…
