The Emmy-winning Delhi Crime team on returning to set for a new season

When the series Delhi Crime began streaming on Netflix over three years ago, it revisited the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case that shook the nation. The semi-fictionalised show introduced us to DCP Vartika and her squad of police personnel, who, amid public outcry, overcome several stumbling blocks to nab the assailants. After winning acclaim and an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, the series is back with a second season, directed by Tanuj Chopra. For the original cast, working on it was akin to homecoming. “When we were all together and read it, it took me back instantly. Everything fell into place. On the script, those weren’t just words on paper anymore. It all came alive,” recalls Shah. Dugal describes the feeling of familiarity as “quite surreal”. “It’s like meeting an old friend,” she says.

Working with a close-knit team has its advantages. “Though our relationships were written on paper, our chemistry is something that can’t be worked on. It either comes naturally or isn’t there,” says Shah. As co-actors they feed off on each other’s strength. “Filmmaking is not a solitary process. I am as good as my team is. I become richer when I am surrounded by their strength,” she says.

The series Delhi Crime began streaming on Netflix over three years ago but it revisited the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case that shook the nation (Courtesy: Netflix India)

During the making of the first season, Shah and Tailang had met only a day prior to the shooting of their scenes together. Their characters, however, share a warm understanding and trust even though Vartika is higher in rank. It was a bond that was created just as easily off screen. “A lot about relationships is intangible. It can’t be written down. It has to be created (in front of the camera),” says Tailang, whose initial worry about finding the vibe of the new season similar to that of the first one was put to rest as soon as the cameras started rolling. Shah adds, “From day one of the shoot, it was like we’d known each other for years.”

For Chopra, who came on board at the end of 2018, the experience has been “at times of wonderment, at times maddening, but always dreamy. These are some of the finest actors in the world. Sometimes, the only direction is to say ‘action’ and ‘cut’ and stay out of the way,” says the Indian American director.

In the OTT space, true-crime dramas and documentaries have emerged as a favourite genre, especially in the last few years (Courtesy: Netflix India)

In the OTT space, true-crime dramas and documentaries have emerged as a favourite genre, especially in the last few years. Does it demand the actors be dispassionate while recreating these gruesome incidents? Dugal, who tries to be immersed in every possible way during the shoot, finds the shooting process itself distracting. “In order to be completely immersed with what you are doing, you have to learn to work in spite of those distractions. The worry is not to be dispassionate but whether I am passionate enough,” she says. For Shah, the absorption is organic. “I go to work, come back home, shower and have dinner with my family and then go straight back to the script. At that point of time, I can’t feel anything other than the script. I don’t know any other way,” she says.

When they started working on the new season, Dugal was curious to know how the writers had taken the story forward. “The novelty of creating characters was dealt with in the first season. The characters have to go on a journey in the second one and retain their hardwiring,” she says. Her concerns regarding writing were soon set aside. Chopra and the writers had spent time meditating on this. “When characters do new things, it’s exciting for everyone. The juice is in uncomfortable or new situations,” he says.

Shefali Shah believes that ‘Delhi Crime’ changed her life (Courtesy: Netflix India)

Shah says this is a show that the team wholeheartedly believes in. “We wouldn’t be sitting here otherwise. Both the seasons have two different directors. They deal with two different crimes. In the first one, the characters come in after the crime takes place. In the second, the show has already invested in the characters. It is unfair to compare two seasons. It’s like comparing my two children,” she says.