‘Delhi Crime’ Season 3 review: Shefali Shah’s gravitas and Huma Qureshi’s charisma light up an underwhelming season
A still from ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 3
| Photo Credit: Netflix
Staying honest to its gritty and grounded base, the third season of the acclaimed police procedural tackles the interstate human trafficking of young girls and women. Shefali Shah returns as the unflinching police officer Vartika Chaturvedi, who has now been promoted to DIG but is on a ‘punishment’ posting in the North East.
Inspired by the Baby Falak case of 2012, as the news of a battered infant left in the trauma centre of AIIMS assumes national importance, Madam Sir hits the ground running. She is joined by her reliable team, led by Neeti Singh (Rasika Dugal) and Bhupendra (Rajesh Tailang).
Delhi Crime Season 3 (Hindi)
Director: Tanuj Chopra
Cast: Shefali Shah, Huma Qureshi, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Sayani Gupta, Mita Vashisht
Runtime: 45-51 minutes
Episodes: 6
Storyline: DIG Vartika Chaturvedi and her dedicated Delhi Police team uncover a vast, interstate human trafficking ring preying on vulnerable young girls and women
What appears like a local case of abandonment by a teenage mother becomes a nationwide chase, exposing a massive underground network that deals in girls like commodities. Lured with fake job promises from eastern pockets of the country, they are transported in containers and are sold into exploitation in the name of tradition and sex work.
The highlight of the season is Huma Qureshi as the formidable antagonist, Meena Chaudhary, popularly called Badi Didi. As a towering figure, Huma shines as the ruthless trafficker who is both impulsive, vindictive, and calculating. Although her regional accent is somewhat erratic, her contest with Shefali creates an interesting contrast and gives the series new wings to fly. While Shefali is restrained, lending more weight to her gravitas, Huma is more like a mainstream cracker ready to combust. More importantly, it imparts a layer of moral complexity to the narrative as both women are products of an unequal, unjust society, and both have shattered deep-rooted patriarchal systems to carve their place. The series seeks to uncover the conscience behind the crime and its investigation, and here again, it effectively conveys the internal struggle of the characters.
A still from ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 3
| Photo Credit:
Netflix
At six episodes, the series doesn’t outlive its welcome. Directed by Tanuj Chopra, like previous seasons, the gaze doesn’t seek gratuitous violence while creating a sense of dread. The team of writers uncovers the layers of systemic failures, bureaucratic hurdles, and gender biases, giving voice to both sides of the argument. Empathetic towards the characters irrespective of their screen time, this season, Sayani Gupta and Mita Vashisht shine as the enforcers for Meena, and Yukti Thalreja, as the fresh face in Vartika’s team, leaves a solid impact.
The production design portrays the soot that the characters carry on their souls. The immersive sound design adds an extra layer of tension, and the grey, colour-coded cinematography is a little more intimate this time. However, as the camera lingers on faces, it makes realism feel a little deliberate this time. Similarly, in writing, the reliance on coincidences is on the rise. The emotional responses of Vartika and the beats of the storytelling are becoming predictable.
With only the best police officers on display, the space for self-critique within the police force appears to be diminishing. Moreover, the fact that human trafficking has been dealt with in detail in the OTT universe makes the current season feel a little generic and unsurprising. Overall, in comparison to previous seasons, the impact is somewhat diluted, but the third season still retains enough firepower to keep the interest alive.
Delhi Crime Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix
Published – November 14, 2025 11:57 am IST
