The Netflix series, Delhi Crime, recently won the Best Drama Series at International Emmy Awards 2020, making it India’s first web series to bag the much-celebrated international Emmys. Much like the many critically acclaimed movies/shows, Delhi Crime too is based on a true story.
The series is based on the 2012 gut-wrenching gang rape and murder of a woman fondly called Nirbhaya(fearless) in Delhi, which shocked the world to its core. This seven-part series focuses on the police investigation that underwent to unearth the true-crime of the sickening rape and murder while at the same time, focusing on the struggles and pressures the investigating officers had to face as the case was one which had nationwide attention. The series also sheds light on the courage and strength of the officers who are often tasked with such challenging situations.
The show was written and directed by Richie Mehta, whose first feature film, Amal, had won over 30 international awards. Delhi Crime’s win is of particular significance to the Canadian filmmaker as this series marked his debut on the digital platform.
Vartika Chaturvedi, who is played by actor Shefali Shah, was based on former Delhi Police DCP Chaya Sharma, who solved this heinous crime in 72 hours. Rasika Dugal, Adil Hussain, and Rajesh Tailang were among the talented ensemble cast that brought the characters to life through their soul-capturing depiction of the struggles and emotions of the police crew. Aakash Dahiya, Avijit Dutt, Gopal Datt, Denzil Smith, Yashaswani Dayama, and Jaya Bhattacharya also appeared prominently.
Delhi Crime also has a whopping 8.5 on IMDb and a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. As if the numbers weren’t convincing enough, Shubhra Gupta, a critic for The Indian Express, wrote “Delhi Crime is a fictionalized crime drama, based on the painstaking investigation which led to the capture of the six men who attacked the couple. It works best when it sticks to the assembling of a team that the deputy commissioner of police Vartika Chaturvedi (Shah) can trust, led by the unflappable Tailang, and his band of men, crack trackers, investigators, informers, who fan out and nab the culprits, one by one. The seven-part series, expertly shot, takes us back to the crime that we all wish had never taken place. And shows that crime does lead, as it should, to punishment.”
Richie Mehta, in his acceptance speech, dedicated the award to Nirbhaya and her mother and “to all the women who not just endure the violence that so many men inflict on them, but are then tasked to solve the problem”. Leading actors and directors took to Twitter to extend their praise to the creators for the great triumph. Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, and Vidya Balan were amongst the plethora of Bollywood congratulating the talented cast and crew.
The series details the investigations led by the Delhi police in efficaciously nabbing the criminals within five days of the horrendous crime. After the seven-years long struggle of bringing justice to the victim, four out of the six perpetrators were hanged on 20 March 2020 at Tihar Central Jail. Out of the other two accused, one had allegedly hung himself in jail while the minor was sent to a juvenile reform facility.
The series brought a massive win to India with its sensitive yet fantastic recapturing of the gruesome crime that had the entire nation in disbelief.
Comments