Delhi Crime: Harrowing Tales on the Highways of Delhi
From its opening scene – eerie night, dusty roads, grim faces – Delhi Crime conjures sinister images and leaves a haunting impression. Delhi, the metropolitan capital of India is transformed into a modern, gothic setting for unimaginably gruesome crimes. Perhaps the most difficult aspect to process is that the series is based on an actual rape case and that some of its most terrible scenes are a reality.
It is not a series that is pleasurable or enjoyable to watch, nor is it exhilarating in the manner of horror films that thrill the viewer with fictionalized accounts. Though it may not be entertaining, the series is undoubtedly captivating immersive. Slowly but surely, it familiarizes the viewer with the unglamorous and terrifying police responses to a rape case. With the indomitable Shefali Shah at its helm, playing the severe Deputy Commissioner who will not rest till she achieves justice for the victim, the series delves unapologetically into the malevolent underbelly of the extremely patriarchal society of modern India. And in doing so, it reveals a hard truth – we are all accountable for the crimes against humanity, especially those against women in our society. No one is above suspicion.
The Nirbhaya rape case, upon which the series is based, shocked the nation due to the brutality of the unspeakable acts of violence it involved. But the show bravely has its characters speak about them, the horrifying details and the many nuances that the average person may have forgotten when the case was swept up in a media frenzy unlike any other previously seen in India. Delhi Crime never glorifies its law enforcement nor does it make its police characters seem heartless. It expertly portrays them as human beings first and police officers second. That is a remarkable feat as very few depictions of police officers in mainstream media ever strip away the official mask to get at the essence underneath. Shah portrays the boss, Vartika, as a tense coil of energy who is frustrated and shaken by the case, despite her experience with similar cases. She will not rest until she catches the perpetrators of the gang-rape, foregoing food and sleep to achieve her goal. Then there are other officers under her, some who are just as hard-working, following her lead quietly and doing as much as possible to solve the case quickly. There are also some officers for whom this is just another case and who do not take their police work as seriously as they should. A young officer, Neeti, is also shown who comes with passion to do good, but soon becomes disillusioned by the minimal impact solving one case will have.
If the show proves anything, it is that crime is endless. And in a country like India, hindered by bureaucracy and corrupt politics, the police are never given all the resources they need. While some Western nations like America have begun to ask the important question of whether the police have too much power, in India the opposite is true. The police have too little power, too little financing to have the kind of reach that the growing population of India requires . It is a depressing thought. Of course, the show has its encouraging moments as well and it demonstrates the ways in which the police have, by sheer hard work, been successful in certain cases, even with all the odds stacked against them. But,ultimately, make no mistake, it is a grim show. It depicts the ugliness and desperation that exist at the heart of India’s capital and exposes the horrific crimes against humanity, especially women. So when Varthika’s daughter questions her mother’s work and asks her what is the point of her remaining in Delhi instead of going abroad, asDelhi is still one of the most unsafe places in India, it is not just Vartika that struggles to answer. As viewers, we are forced to question the principles of our nations, when in countries like India women face the threat of being raped and killed merely for travelling from one place to another. It is a tragic reality that Delhi Crime shows and I hope someday, it will cease to be a factual representation of crime in India. Until then, we have the show to remind us to do better and to change. And what a powerful reminder it is. We would do it and our society a disservice if we forget it.