Today on Amazon Prime Video, Daldal wants viewers to dip into the murky, rain-soaked underbelly of Mumbai’s crime world. Adapted from Vish Dhamija’s bestselling novel Bhendi Bazaar, the seven-episode series is a psychological crime drama that attempts to be both a gritty police procedural and a deep study of a character. Though frequently lost in its own “quagmire” of subplots, it is buoyed by an exceptional supporting cast.
Plot: A City Under Siege
The series’ narrative centers on DCP Rita Ferreira (Bhumi Pednekar), a newly promoted officer in the Mumbai Crime Branch who is as broken as the cases she sifts through. As a cold-blooded serial killer starts leaving a trail of ritualistic murders in the streets, stuffing victims' mouths with raw meat and slashing their wrists, Rita has to do some scrambling against time to unearth a pattern. But the “daldal” (quagmire) isn’t so much on the streets it’s in Rita’s head. Haunted by a traumatic childhood and workplace sexism, her investigation is continuously interrupted by her own psychological unravelling.
The Highlight: Samara Tijori and Aditya Rawal
The series is sold as a Bhumi Pednekar vehicle but its true "spark" lies in Samara Tijori and Aditya Rawal for the parallel story. Samara Tijori (Anita Acharya): A crime journalist with a mysterious dual life, Samara brings a captivating performance to the screen. She is more engaging than the main investigation, offering a gentle, androgynous rawness to her role.
Her chemistry with the camera and her gift for ambiguity turns her into the show’s real revelation. Aditya Rawal (Sajid): A drug addict subjected to orphanage terrors, Rawal is eerily realistic. He seizes on the desperate self-destruction of his character with such a vulnerability that he becomes the most “human” part of this morbid story.
Bhumi Pednekar's Stoicism
Bhumi Pednekar gives a performance that is characterized by restraint. As Rita Ferreira, she is humourless, brooding and almost “disabled” by her own internal storm. Although you can tell that she gives her all for the role, the writing often renders her character one-note and thus hard to root for. As the third episode reaches its third episode, the predictable “angry cop” trope becomes redundant, despite Bhumi’s most admirable attempt to layer the role with her expressive eyes.
Direction and Technicals
The director Amrit Raj Gupta is able in creating a clear atmosphere. The low-key color scheme and relentless Mumbai rain and the muted palette represent the "moral swamp" the characters live in.
- The Good: hauntingly creepy soundtrack and the use of old songs such as Gumnaam Hai Koi makes the psychological moments resonate with the people.
- The Bad: The pacing is uneven. The show often disrupts its own rhythm with overlapping flashbacks and an accessory plot that too easily tells you who the killer is, sucking the “whodunnit” out of tension.
The Verdict
Daldal is full of ambition but a badly executed show. It wants to engage with gender violence, child abuse and structural rot but often seems to be checking boxes instead of having a sense of story. But it has to be savoured for the excellent supporting performances and the bleak, immersive world-building.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5 Stars)
