Delhi Crime Season 3 Review: the light still burns, though it flickers now ft. Shefali Shah

Delhi Crime Season 3 Review: Story - Time has passed since we last met DCP Vartika Chaturvedi (Shefali Shah). She is now transferred to Silchar in the North East, far from Delhi. But destiny decides to bring her back to the capital as she busts a human trafficking nexus, only to realise there is more to it than what meets the eye. IPS Neeti Singh (Rasika Dugal) has now found her voice completely and can even investigate a case in the absence of her Madam Sir. As the two women investigate different cases, they realise their paths cross and they are hunting the same monster. Badi Didi (Huma Qureshi) must be found and brought to justice, and you are not prepared again.

Delhi Crime Season 3 Review:

There is a very interesting space in the realm of visual arts where life and cinema collide, and what you see on screen mirrors the reality around you. It does not seem like a manufactured pocket of the world you exist in but the world itself, and that does not happen every day. Delhi Crime, which entered our lives almost half a decade ago, is one such example. It reflects what society has become, a mirror of the dark times and corners ready to engulf us all. No matter what, we all must fight not only to save ourselves but the world at large. As Madam Sir returns for the third time to tackle yet another case, the world only gets worse and vultures stronger, but hope lies in Vartika, and that is what this stands for at the end of the day, which is delivered well here.

Delhi Crime as a concept lends itself to multiple settings. Even when it limits itself to the capital, there is still a decent amount of ground to explore. As it returns for season three, you are reminded of the gut-wrenching and powerful impact the show had when it entered your life. Originally created by Richie Mehta, this franchise, even at its weakest, remains stronger than much of the content we see today, and that is a fact. When season three decides to wear running shoes, it still manages to hold interest. The world has evolved. Madam Sir is far from home, family, her colleagues, and her city. Back in the capital, everyone lives their routine lives until one fine day a woman leaves a wounded little girl in the lobby of a government hospital.

The chaos begins again. Delhi Crime season three does not spend much time building this new world because it expects the audience to keep up, as they did in the earlier seasons. Directed by Tanuj Chopra with Mayank Tewari, Anu Singh Choudhary, and Michael Hogan on the writing team, the conflict this time revolves around human trafficking. A lady called Badi Didi wants to traffic innocent girls out of the country and sell them to the wrong people. The season once again captures the tension effectively, making you root for the police officers as they investigate. And this is not achieved by shaping them as gods but by showing the weight of what is at stake, which is how writing should be.

Also Read: Delhi Crime 3 trailer reactions: Fans enjoy Huma Qureshi’s villain avatar, praise Shefali Shah’s iconic return

The biggest strength of Delhi Crime’s writing has always been that it never needed embellishment. No one announces Vartika’s entry or emphasises her influence in a room. The show rarely indulges in over-the-top drama or theatrics that make the narrative loud. The drama comes from the story itself in the most subtle way possible, which is what drew us in from the beginning. Remember when the seriousness of what had happened was visible in Vartika's eyes in season one, episode one? That is the essence of Delhi Crime. Season three ensures it does not lose that element. However, it does resort to theatrics a few times, and those moments feel slightly out of place here.

The beauty also lies in how it shapes the villain. Badi Didi is a victim of the same system she now protects because, even when faced with danger, she chose to become a parasite and built her world. Huma Qureshi as Badi Didi is phenomenal in every scene. She manages to make you despise her, and that is a job well done. However, at the scripting level, Badi Didi is not given enough space to grow. She is given limited scope to flourish, which is not enough for an actor of Huma’s calibre and a character with such potential.

Of course, Shefali Shah is brilliant, but Rasika Dugal’s Neeti has become my favourite character in the show. She is the one who has undergone the most transformation. When she gives orders with unwavering confidence or puts men in their place when they try to undermine her, it is a treat to watch. Also, whoever thought of casting Mita Vashisht and Sayani Gupta deserves applause; the cast keeps getting better, and the performances even more so.

Having said that, the third season of Delhi Crime certainly has more flaws than usual, and they cannot be ignored. The screenplay forgets to explore Vartika's personal life, which had depth in the previous seasons. Her daughter, now a journalist, is conveniently kept away for most of the show. Events fall into place too easily, making things seem overly convenient. The screenplay appears in a hurry to bring Madam Sir back to Delhi, which is not ideal for a show of Delhi Crime’s stature.

While DOPs Johan Heurlin Aidt and Eric Lin ensure you feel the gore and fear within every situation, they overuse extreme close-ups for much of it. It is commendable that the actors still deliver crackling performances despite the camera being so intimidatingly close, but it becomes overwhelming when it does not relent.

Also Read: Delhi Crime 3: Shefali Shah on her chemistry with Rajesh Tailang, ‘Vartika and Bhupendra have..’

Delhi Crime Season 3 Review: Final Verdict

Delhi Crime is an IP so strong that it will remain better than most recent content even at its weakest, but maintaining its gold standard is equally important. Season three has spectacular performances but also stumbles more often than before, and it is not always smooth. Yet Madam Sir remains as powerful as ever.

Delhi Crime season three is now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more reviews like this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.-