I am a huge fan and follower of this series, Delhi Crime, as I am sure many of you are. S1 dealt with Nirbhaya case, and S2 with the Chaddi Banian Gang. The pace, the raw reality, the thrills and of course the performances have been the key attributes of the earlier seasons.
Is the third season- Available now on Netflix as gripping? Does it keep the audience engaged, or digress a bit too much? Well let’s find out.
The Backdrop
Juvenile prostitution, or flesh trade, is definitely one of the worst curses of modern society. It’s harrowing to imagine girls as young as ten being forced into sex work, being snatched or lured away from their parents, with promises of better education, and more often, job opportunities. There could be worse nightmares, sometimes, parents selling their infant daughters or marrying them off to rich and old men, for money. Who in place, push their child brides into prostitution. There are pimps who pose as boyfriends to girls belonging to extremely backward families, selling their dreams of a beautiful married life, but in reality, selling them off to larger agents of flesh trade.
Delhi Crime S3 is based on the case of Baby Falak, who was admitted into AIMS in 2012. The two-year-old baby had a broken skull, bite marks on her cheeks, was injured beyond imagination. She was brought in by a fifteen-year-old girl, who claimed to be Falak’s mother, but apparently wasn’t. The girl was herself a victim of abuse at a brothel. Falak passed away, leaving deep scars and many unsolved questions.
Delhi Crime S3 Story
Renaming the baby as Baby Noor, Delhi Crime builds apowerfulstory. DIG Vartika Chaturvedi with her team busts a sex racket, which begins it’s operations from the North East, carrying teenage girls in closed trucks under inhuman conditions. Heaped like chicken, into filthy lorries, with no food, water or ventilation, they travel for days together. And based on their looks, complexion and assets, they are trained and assigned to clients by agents. Every girl holds a huge price tag.
Huma Qureshi plays the antagonist Badi Didi, a shrewd, stone-hearted agent, supplying girls to her elite clientele. She, in turn, acquires her ‘Maal’, handpicked by small-time pimps. The chase, all across the country, looking for a shipment of girls, and finally nabbing the culprits, is what forms the crux of the series.
My Analysis
Can’t help say this, but S3 was a tad bit disappointing. I will tell you why. There was too much being packed into 6 episodes. Not their fault, as sex trade is so rampant that we wouldn’t even realise that something like this might be happening right next doors. So there’s too much content and too little time. Shefali Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Rasika Duggal, and the rest of the team don’t perhaps get enough screen time to showcase their talent.
Something which we enjoyed in S1 and S2.
What’s next is, the lack of grip, or thrill. There’s too much philosophy involved, which kills the edge-of-the-seat moments. The pace somehow falters, there’s more preaching than chasing. A bit predictable and filmy honestly.
Performances
Shefali Shah is great as usual, but I somehow missed the stern but understanding Vartika. This time around, she was portrayed a bit too soft. Huma Quereshi is very good too. But again, her part is glamorised, she and her accent look made up. Unlike Tilottama Shome of S2, who brought out her burglar character so beautifully, I don’t have words to admire her performance. Huma looked more Bollywood.
Alas, Rasika Duggal and especially Sayani Gupta are terribly wasted. Sayani could have contributed so much more, such a good actress she is, but her part does absolutely nothing to enhance the story.
The last scene of S2, where Tilottama Shome confesses, touched my heart, made the audience get up and take notice.
A similar stunt was tried in S3 as well, but sadly, it falls flat.
Some Deep Takeaways
What’s really appalling is the fact that many of these agents are women. They measure the vital stats of these girls, train them to do makeup, pick the attractive ones and throw the rest, for other menial jobs, at times, begging. I wish I wouldn’t say it, but many a time, A Woman is the Worst Enemy of A Woman. Unfortunately.
There are instances mentioned, when you are told that the heinous crime of female infanticide is committed largely by the matriarchs of the house. That incident is narrated so effectively, I had goosebumps.
Also, Vartika’s own character, like Neeti’s begins to suffer from familial discord, not because of her long working hours, but because men can’t somehow, even in this age and century, tolerate a more successful female colleague. Trust me, this is very true.
The Final Verdict
Delhi Crime S3 is definitely worth a one-time watch, as long as you don’t compare it with S1 or S2. If you do, S3 is miles away. The pace slags, there’s less of excitement, drags at certain portions, but yes. It’s classy as ever, less gore. It doesn’t deal with just one particular case, but many in the periphery.
For the love of Dehi Crime, S3 should be watched, I guess.
Some Thoughts
As educated and emancipated women, I am sure we can do our part. You know, think twice before employing a child for domestic work. Ask for proper documents while employing young women in your business. Try and empathise with sex workers rather than demeaning them at the very first instant. Report suspicious activities that you have perhaps witnessed.
And most importantly, by not judging a woman for her looks, attire or age. Everyone has a story to tell, at times, scarier than what we could fathom.
By Preethi Warrier
Preethi Warrier has completed her Masters in Electronics Engineering and is an Assistant Professor. She is one among the winners of the TOI Write India Campaign Season-1, for the famous author Anita Nair. She can be contacted at : warrier.preethi@yahoo.com
