Title: Daldal
Director: Amrit Raj Gupta
Cast: Bhumi Pednekar, Samara Tijori, Aditya Rawal, Geeta Agrawal, Chinmay Mandlekar, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, Rahul Bhat, Sandeep Kulkarni
Where: Prime Video
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Daldal is a dark, twisted crime thriller where Bhumi Pednekar is playing DCP Rita Ferreira, who is on the hunt for a serial killer, while she battles her own personal demons. Directed by Amrit Raj Gupta, it is based on Vish Dhamija’s bestselling book, Bhendi Bazaar.
Daldal has been written by Sreekanth Agneeaswaran, Rohan D’Souza, Priya Saggi, and Hussain Haidry, and created by Suresh Triveni. Daldal stars Bhumi Pednekar, Samara Tijori, Aditya Rawal, Geeta Agrawal, Chinmay Mandlekar, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, Rahul Bhat, and Sandeep Kulkarni in pivotal roles.
Actors’ Performances
Bhumi Pednekar is playing a cop who soon enough rises to the rank of DCP. She sports an expression which suggests that the blood has been drained out from her face, which helps in portraying the single-minded focus which she has during grim police investigations. This, however, continues into her personal life as well, whether she is with her boyfriend or dealing with other people. She is the monosyllabic DCP who is awkward during photo ops and is not a fan of PR.
Her tolerance for bullshit is not zero; it’s minus 10. To the extent that if things are not going according to the way they should go and her patience is being tested, it’s like a lump starts to develop in her throat, or she starts to fidget, like she suddenly has a fit of spondylitis.
Geeta Agrawal Sharma, as Bhumi’s subordinate, aces it in a memorable role which shows her as a loving and dedicated colleague. Samara Tijori, as the cynical journalist, has a mysterious past. Aditya Rawal’s acting is so convincing that you just might get convinced that he is a drug addict. Pratap Phad, who I loved as a thug in Kankhajura, is equally apt in his role here as a frustrated cop. And then there is Chinmay Mandlekar, whose role as the loud-mouthed, jealous police inspector can be used as a tutorial for the future by acting coaches. Prateek Pachauri, as the drug peddler, is excellent. And then there are several others who I haven’t named but have been well cast.
Then, of course, there is the individual who’s playing the actual serial killer, whose name obviously I shall not mention here. The actor here portrays the role of someone with a scarred past, who effectively portrays vulnerability, and is hell-bent on bracketing almost everybody she/he doesn’t like in the same box as the ones who had wronged them in the past.
The casting director must be mentioned, because each and every character—and I’m talking especially of the ones who have bit parts—have not only been chosen well, but have delivered. At the same time, the editor of the series deserves praise, as they do not let a single frame linger wastefully. You are completely immersed in a scene, and suddenly you are taken to another scenario; there isn’t any waiting involved here.
FPJ Verdict
In short, directed by Amrit Raj Gupta, the series is an engaging watch, only if you’re into serial killer thrillers with psychological angles.
