That was one of the big pluses of the first season, this creation of interesting men and women who are in charge of law and order in rough-tough Delhi. It’s good to have them back. Shefali Shah, as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi who leads from the front, Rajesh Tailang as Bhupender Singh, her able wingman, Rasika Dugal as Neeti Singh, fast learning the ropes of her job, Adil Hussain as the political top cop whose moral fibre has still not frayed completely, and a bunch of others.
I have to say I was sceptical about this season. Very few crimes can be worse than the December 2012 bestial gang-rape and murder of a young woman, known to us as Nirbhaya. How would the new season top that one? A great deal of policing is about putting in the hours in office, endless paperwork, skirting bureaucratic hurdles, the drudgery of long-winding investigations which go nowhere. These day-to-day endeavours keep us citizens safe, and criminals off the roads, but doesn’t make for dramatic television.
Choosing to focus on a series of murders of senior citizens (based on the writings of former police commissioner Neeraj Kumar), with the specific MO of the dreaded ‘kachcha baniyan’ gang which used to be active in the 90s, was the right choice. It provides not just blood and gore, of which there is plenty, but also an examination of the underlying reasons why some perfectly ordinary humans turn into pitiless killers. Which, really, is the only reason why we subject ourselves to the horrific sights of the dead, so that those of us who still live, stay grateful of our privileges, and of the sheer luck of not being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The domestic diversions of the hard-working cops (no sleep, little money, leave cancelled, no family life) are also better meshed in this time around. Vartika’s pesky young daughter is safely sent away for higher studies, so is not able to create unnecessary diversions. Neeti’s armyman husband (Akash Dahiya) doesn’t know how to deal with his wife’s long hours at work — he isn’t a bad guy, but he is helpless in the face of his traditional upbringing. Bhupender is finding it hard to find a good match for his daughter, because of his profession. That’s real, too. All the performances, especially from the trio of Shah, Dugal and Tailang, are top-notch.
Here are some of my niggles. The ‘bad’ cop is a little exaggerated. The harsh treatment meted out to the tribal community whose members are rounded off on mere suspicion and dumped in the lock-up goes on for too long. The point of class and privilege, and that certain tribes still continue to be seen as criminals is, however, worthy of being raised, and we see one cop at least treating them with empathy, even if it comes a little late. We see a cop driving pillion without a helmet. Ooh. Was that deliberate, or an oversight? And some of the lines the characters exchange at the dinner table, citing figures etc, are much too explicatory.
But these are minor things. The degree of authenticity, despite the compulsion of leaving us on a cliff-hanger at the end of each episode and a few contrivances, is admirable. The breakthrough comes just at the right time, and the denouement is powerful. Watch out for a striking turn by Tillotama Shome, who throws a manic curveball into the proceedings. One of the most haunting scenes in the series belongs to her, as she walks into an empty flat, and looks out of the window, swinging from the sill. Which part of the Capital is her eye on? The one where she comes from, or the one where she wants to go?
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And, keeping real-life firmly in view, both the criminal and the law enforcer have to pay a price. Delhi Crime 2 stays solid, smart, and thought-provoking.
Delhi Crime Season 2 cast: Shefali Shah, Rajesh Tailang, Rasika Duggal, Tillotama Shome
Delhi Crime Season 2 director: Tanuj Chopra
Delhi Crime 2 review: The degree of authenticity, despite the compulsion of leaving us on a cliff-hanger at the end of each episode and a few contrivances, is admirable.