Delhi Crime (2019– ) User Reviews

Don't Miss It At Any Cost !!! Delhi Crime Is Bloody, Gruesome And Yet An Eye-Opener

[ketgup83 · 9/10 · 27 March 2019]

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

A crime from the point of view of the police

[sanketmistry9 · 8/10 · 22 March 2019]

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.

So gripping and acting is just wow

[faisalfaves · 9/10 · 22 March 2019]

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!

Can't be missed. One of the best crime series.

[nishanttiwari-54647 · 10/10 · 22 March 2019]

Delhi Crime is no easy watch. In fact, it should come with a trigger warning. The show follows Delhi Police and how they nabbed the 6 accused in the unsettling 2012 gangrape case that shook the capital. The series is, at once, an unputdownable watch but an exhausting experience.

Will make you angry and overwhelmed at the same time

[abhimanyusarin · 10/10 · 23 March 2019]

I was very angry and overwhelmed at the same time when watching this. It's an amazing take on the real heinous act of inhuman treatment and ghastly Ugly reality of our so called society which holds their values to the core but don't know how to act on them. My guts were trolling when this happened and again when i was watching this. I really hope that such demonic creatures never come into existence and the accused get the justice they deserve asap.

True determination

[daniels-thaabiet · 10/10 · 24 March 2019]

I am on episode 5, its 2am on a working day and I aint stopping till im done with the series, not that I cant stop watching but that I wont stop. If the Delhi Police worked around the clock to bring those assholes to justice, them Im staying up to honour that, just need to figure out what to tell the boss in the morning.....on a serious note, this is one hellavu show, it has everything from the most amazing moments of sheer determination to bring a**holes to justice, to sheer strength of sacrifice not to mention some relationships are funny as hell. The acting is superb, the pace is intense. Its waaaay better then most of the crime dramas out there. I highly recommend it.

Lots of respect and our Police department

[papaisomdeepkundu · 10/10 · 22 March 2019]

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.

Strong drama #

[Brit_in_Malaysia · 9/10 · 25 March 2019]

A must watch:

• Compelling viewing.
• Let down by lack of subtitles throughout.

This sort of thick accent (and I am of Indian origin) was near impossible to understand. Producers (Netflix) should have insisted on subtitles for the Hindi as well as the "English" dialogue!

A fascinating show which is brilliant in all aspects, difficult but tremendously rewarding

[Peter_Young · 9/10 · 13 March 2022]

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.

10 stars to Delhi Police Actually

[kotadia-dushyant · 10/10 · 22 March 2019]

Show is fast paced in start but slowly looses its pace. But overall really very good show a must watch. Hats off to Delhi police for the dedication shown if they have actually done it as shown in the show. Don't believe everything which media shows.

A breathtaking crime series. A true masterpiece! Pure poetry.

[janoffpeter · 10/10 · 28 March 2019]

This was by far one of the best crime series I've seen. Not only do you get an insight into the everyday lives of this mega cosmopolitan task force and the challenges it faces in economic terms, there's a is a dynamic of hopeful optimism poignantly portrayed and conveyed in a way rarely seen. What's more one gets a first hand hands on look at India and it's diverse economic and complex political structure. The script is masterfully orchestrated and the constant intertwine of Hindi and English is simply fascinating. Language plays a major roll and is definitely well used to depict the various layers of social and economic strata in that bustling nation. Aside from it holding high standards as a crime series it really was extraordinarily educational to say the least. Based on a true story or perhaps several of them this is a must for all that feel in some way social justice is out of reach. It isn't if it is found such a struggling and vast nation like India. Kudos to all involved for a magnificent team effort in producing such a beautiful and gripping series. Top notch.

Good 1st season but the 2nd one average

[pal-gandharv · 7/10 · 31 August 2022]

I'd give it 7.4/10 collectively for the first 2 seasons. 1st season was too good with minimal flaws but the 2nd season looked too flat. 1st season gripped the audience till the end of it with 7 episodes but the 2nd one despite having just 5 episodes looked a bit stretched especially after the killing of the 2 men in the pronounced group. 1st season looked more realistic but the 2nd one was entirely fictional and it was just an inspiration from the infamous kachha-baniyaan group. 2nd season had unnecessary and comparatively enlarged melodrama of the families of Policemen. A lilliputian trip of Mussoorie helped 2 of the prime suspects of one of the most gruesome series of murders cut and run from the Police Station. Leave Delhi Police aside, will any Police of the world keep the prime suspects unattended like this even for a minute who aren't even handcuffed? The DP gets a call from a PCO but it was proved to be an unneeded deliberate scene as who called, nobody knows even by the end of the season. Also, the DCP just talks in English? Wasn't that unreal for Indian Police? DCP is a prestigious and quite a high rank in Police but English that too everywhere with everyone even with the DN tribal people? Anyway, even with the lousy plot and writing, the acting of the cast was top-notch. Shefali Shah, Rajesh Tailang, the main female conspirer, and a special mention to that guy who played the role of Chaddha, all excellent acting. Also, I think it was too dark, I had to increase the contrast to see scenes properly. There could be more scenes shot in daylight. Overall, I'll give 8.9/10 for the first season and 5.9/10 for the second.

PR Job: Not worth it.

[nikhilnaz · 4/10 · 29 October 2019]

The entire series seems like a PR job for the Delhi police. Pity that the makers relied solely on the inputs from cops instead of opting for multiple sources, which may have helped them present a 360 degree view rather that a one-dimensional and biased perspective.

Throughout the seven episodes the makers conveniently erased and on occasions even tampered with certain incidents where the Delhi police had goofed up. For e.g the carpenter who was robbed on the same bus just minutes before the rape had informed the cops about it, but the police took no cognisance of that at the time. But in Delhi Crime they put the blame on the carpenter for not reporting the incident at all. Other moments that were twisted to favour the narrative of the police were: a) The Delhi cops treating all the accused with kid gloves, when we all know that cops (not just in Delhi but across the globe) make life hell for such criminals whilst in custody. On one occasion a lady cop even gets a sobbing accused to speak to his mother on the phone- unbelievable! b) Discrediting the media- which had exposed lapses by the cops based on evidences- by implying that they were being forced to make villains out of the police by the powers that be. c)Showing the govt in poor light by implying that they were hell bent on shifting blame from themselves by making the police commissioner the fall guy. Kumar, it is worth recalling, is a man previously charged for forging documents whilst he was working with the CBI and his work as the BCCI head of corruption also left a lot to be desired.

Also, the public protests, one felt, were underplayed. It were restricted to a bunch of students chanting 'we want justice' as if like fillers, coming on screen occasionally. But in reality, it was really the people's movement that was the crux of this story and the one major factor that made this case so different from anything that this country had seen before.

Though nicely shot and produced, the series lacks the essential element of neutrality that a viewer so desires when watching stories inspired from real life events. For a non-partisan perspective on the case, I suggest you watch the BBC documentary 'India's Daughter'.

Class of its own!

[shanveerk · 10/10 · 23 March 2019]

One of the best series India has ever produced. Quite beautifully covered the sequence and very amazingly added the essence of suspense without troubling the crust of the story.

Brilliant work by Shefali Shah. Her talent has been exposed after a very long time. Quite definitely a under rated actress.

This series definitely will make all the youth and youngsters to join Indian Police force.

Definitely everybody should watch it out!!!!

Three cheers for the team for such brilliant performance!

Investigating a real crime in New Delhi which shook India

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 6 June 2021]

In 2012 a young couple boarded a night bus in the Indian capital; he was beaten but she was brutally raped by the six men on board. They were then dumped, naked, from the moving bus. We aren't shown any of that; we just see then boarding the bus before switching to the police vehicle which does to the scene. Pressure on the police is very high with public, press and politicians demanding a rapid resolution to the case. Officers led by DCP Vartika Chaturvedi search to find the bus and its driver. The hunt for others, particularly two only known by nicknames won't be as easy.

I would heartily recommend this series; it deals with a crime that shook India and was reported around the world in a sensitive way. We do not have to see the crime to know how vile it was; descriptions of what happened to the young woman are disturbing enough. The investigation is interesting to watch as it shows the difficulties the police face as the struggle to get results quickly with limited resources. The series is shot on location and looks great; capturing the contrasts in the city. The cast is impressive; both those playing major characters and those in smaller roles.

These comments are based on watching the series in Hindi with English subtitles.

Gripping Show.

[amritaankur · 9/10 · 22 March 2019]

What a portrayal to a heart wrenching crime this country has witnessed. Phenomenal direction and a glimpse on how Police department works. Binge watch, eagerly waiting for 2nd season.

Season 2 disappointed - Season 1 was great

[ravindrav · 8/10 · 15 September 2022]

Why Shefali's character talks too much English. I can understand may be sometimes but with alomst everyone she talks in English. Which was very unrealistic. In last episode, her daughter was speaking Hindi but Shefali kept on responding to her in English only. Also the storyline wasn't as gripping as the first part.

Also the way they have releaved the culprits wasn't justified.

Good part is few episodes or else it would have felt very boring.

They missed it this time. Best of luck for the next season.

So ultimately season 2 isn't good compared to season 1 or any other crime thriller. Frankly there were no thrilling moments.

In depth view of 2012 Nirbhaya case

[learnandexplore · 10/10 · 23 March 2019]

This tv series was more on Delhi Police views.Much different then the what media had reported.The way Delhi Police chase all of the victim and captured.Also the side of politics and media.Thank you Netflix for making such tv series. Acting is superb by all the cast.

Perfect investigation in a horrible crime

[dr_mehtasam · 8/10 · 23 March 2019]

Season One is based on investigations in Nirbhaya gangrape case. Series relied upon real events and facts surrounding the investigations. Nirbhaya was brutally gangraped and her boyfriend was assaulted on a moving bus in winter of December-16. There were six culprits. Everything happened in the dark of the night. So to recreate the chain of events, to find out the bus and to identify the victims were very difficult tasks. But Delhi police under the leadership of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi crack this case in five straight days. She forms her own investigating team and each team works on minute details and leads. Though there are some really powerful performances, by and large, all cast did their job nicely and fit into their respective characters perfectly. Characterisation was so good that you can very well predict how one would behave in a given situation. Writer did include some drama by using subplots involving families of cops and some politics of Delhi. This does interrupt the buildup of tension. But overall, series is written very nicely and most the time it does not lose grip over the main plot.

Wonderful

[asimhkhan-03744 · 9/10 · 31 March 2019]

I knew Shifali Shah would do a fantastic job in the series and she did exceptionally good acting. It was made brilliantly. Screen Play was fantastic.

I am having nightmares, couldn't stop thinking about it.

[artfilmcritic · 10/10 · 25 March 2019]

Finished watching "Delhi Crimes" and, I think its story breaks all the records made by "Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Game of Thrones." Its semi-documentary narrative based on the Delhi gang-rape case shattered my heart into pieces. Last night, I had nightmares. Couldn't sleep and couldn't stop thinking about it's brutality. Indeed, a very well made Netflix series by Richie Mehta. A must watch those with strong heart.

I would give it a better grade but I found it a bit one sided

[Zaffy-1 · 6/10 · 26 June 2020]

As a procedural it is very good. Great directing, good acting, a very gripping story based on real events. It is so interesting that I watched the whole thing in one day. My main issue with the series is that sometimes it looks like if a PR agency wrote the script to glorify Delhi Police. Mind you, I know nothing about Delhi and their police, but I doubt any police force in the world is as holly as the one in this series.

Delhi Crime, Season 2 review and rating

[bablu7 · 5/10 · 29 August 2022]

Season 1 was very well done, and even though we knew the story (being based on the infamous and tragic Nirbhaya case), it was taut.

Season 2 is also taut for 3-3.5 of the 5 episodes. But because it is fiction (as the modern version of the infamous past Kachha-Baniyan gang), they have a hard time coming up with a way the police can track any member of the new gang. Suddenly in ep. 4, the police magically get the mobile number of one of the gang members. They show some unexplained scene for about 10 seconds, after which the police IT guy gets a gang member's name and mobile number! This sleight of hand in the script, totally lost it for me: if you can do such sleight of hand, then no crime thriller will be credible (and that after being led down the garden path of a taut credible thriller for about 70% of the show), will not be worth spending one's valuable time on, and will be the death of the genre. Furthermore, in ep. 5, they subsequently show some other very unrealistic events, it seems in an attempt to hurriedly bring the show to a conclusion, that puts further dents into the overall story. Also, they could have shown the police consulting a psychologist to determine what could have led a person to commit such horrific crimes against rich elderly people (psychopath personality along with how that may have developed could have been one explanation), but there was no such reveal. Instead the police DSP (the main character played by Shefali Shah) just ends with a weak (to paraphrase): "Even the criminal can't answer the question of why they committed such crimes". What a cop out and what a damp squib of an ending! If you can't finish well, then the whole endeavor is a waste. And wastes the viewer's time.

BTW, IMDB really needs to separate the ratings of different seasons of a show, as they can be such different animals, and it is misleading to the viewing public if the good rating for a good season falsely bolsters the rating for a poor one, and vice versa.

Great!

[johnseegers · 9/10 · 30 August 2022]

Season one would be very hard to top but season two came pretty close. This series reminds me of the original Day of the Jackal. Slow, methodical detective work. With the exception of the tech guy these officers are working with the most basic tools and they still get the job done. English dubbing is excellent where the subtitles seem a bit off. After season two I think they should make action hero figures of this team! Culturally worlds apart but still very engaging for this US viewer. All the b-roll of Mumbai is actually a treat. Not sure where it could go from here but I'm glad that we had seasons one and two.

Life in the police force

[kanikasaini-20617 · 9/10 · 27 August 2022]

As much as the show is willing to show the audience the gruesome side of the ongoing and unfortunately, increasing crimes, the series also cover a side that is hardly shown in most crime fiction/non-fictions!

The life of a cop is not easy and neither is that of a citizen who is witnessing an endless phase of monstrosity. The show balances these two aspects well and gives the audience a well scripted package that lets us be a part of both of these worlds.

Season 1 is based on a true story while season 2, although picked from real events takes on a fictional path to portray an event which shakes us from the very core.

Acting is superb along with the direction and cinematography. It is a must watch series.