Review: 'Delhi Crime 2' presents a solid sophomore season with superlative acting performances

Delhi Crime Season 2

The Shefali Shah renaissance - coupled with some of the finest talents one can imagine in a show whose first season was one of the best things to happen not just from Netflix India but worldwide coming back for a second season - why not! I am all for it.

Having seen the entirety of Emmy Award winning Delhi Crime's Season 2, here's what I thought of it-

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Maintaining the essence, grit & relatability

Season 1 of Delhi Crime became what it did owing to the sheer grit and relatability it presented. Somehow in Season 2, the latter part is a lot more than in Season 1 which is a smart and essential move from director Tanuj Chopra and his team of writers, Mayank Tewari, Shubhra Swarup and Ensia Mirza. The case in question this time around is indeed gruesome but delves into the pre- and post- developments a lot more which allowed the writers to focus more on the personal lives of these characters that we already love and relate to. Even though DCP Vartika Chaturvedi's (Shefali Shah) personal life isn't really at display here, this time around, Neeti's (Rasika Dugal) personal life becomes one of the beating hearts and central plots of this season. 

The idea of overworked and underpaid police officers that we grew to love and care for having an obviously disturbed personal life but going on to find a work family that they can count on is done with such ease and subtlety that you cannot help but be invested in it. This is coupled with the sheer grit these officers put on display and thus the essence of these characters from Season 1 is not just maintained but honed upon with finesse in Season 2.

The Writing & Dialogues

Granted that the philosophical maximum of Season 1 isn't entirely present here but there are some gem sequences and dialogues that gives you goosebumps on more occasions than one. At one point, Shah's Chaturvedi tells the daughter of the victim to not look at their faces because that is not the last memory she would want to remember; to a small sequence when an officer is dozing at a checkpoint and when Rajesh Tailang's Bhupendra comes and asks him to be awake, he responds how he is waiting for the other guy to take over as he has been on duty since 18 hours - to this Bhupendra non-chalantly responds 'isme kya nayi baat hai?' Apart from the aforementioned writers, the dialogues by Virat Basoya and Samyuktha Chawla Shaikh are the winners in Season 2 elevating some good scenes to being incredible.

The Performances

As I literally started with it, when you have a fine ensemble like this, how can you go wrong. While the likes of Dugal and Tailang are being appreciated and deservedly so, I have to talk about and give due credit to actors Anurag Arora as Jairaj and Sidharth Bhardwaj as Subhash. They become even more pivotal to proceedings than Season 1 and are one of the best things about this season. Tillotama Shome being the fine actor she is is a worthy addition to Season 2 and the likes of Denzil Smith and Adil Hussain provide good support as well.

Shefali Shah

But of course, at the helm of things is the phenomenal Shefali Shah. It is amazing how Shah's renaissance in the entertainment industry began with Delhi Crime Season 1 and it continues with Season 2 now, three years later. As DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, she is once again fierce, stoic but also vulnerable and tired. Looking at her, you can feel her angst, her fatigue and even in that one major blowout sequence - her rage. Protect and give Shah all the best acting opportunities one can.

Losing Steam

It is inevitable yet worth pointing out that when it comes to the case itself, it is obviously not as hard-hitting or infuriating to one as the Nirbhaya case was in Season 1. The latter was a national issue and hence everything that was portrayed hit harder. That obviously lacks here with the 'kaccha-baniyan' gang's attacks being in focus. It isn't that the same is also not devastating but indeed one cannot help but feel the loss of interest, especially after the primary killers are revealed. That also becomes a problem where the plot change that it showcases in the last two episodes, while well crafted also don't have the desired impact. The whole saga about the new introduction about DNTs (De-notified Tribes) starts off really well enabling the viewers to feel for them but this is also where the writing dips a bit where things are conveyed verbally as opposed to through sequences.

The Verdict

In the end, Delhi Crime might not have the gut-wrenching core that its first season had but its second season is a worthy successor in every possible way making for some uncontrollable binge-watching. It also helps that the show is just five episodes long and even ends on a good cliffhanger for Season 3.

Rating - ***1/2 (3.5/5)

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