Bhumi Pednekar, Samara Tijori, and Aditya Rawal starring Daldal is streaming on Prime Video. The series is a psychological thriller. Daldal is a series that believes karma never forgets. Inspired by Vish Dhamija’s novel Bhendi Bazaar, the show arrives with an emotionally heavy premise and a crime mystery meant to delve into guilt, memory, and consequence. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Daldal is created by Suresh Triveni and directed by Amrit Raj Gupta, marking his first full dive into the suspense thriller space.
The series places a female police officer at its centre, not as a fearless superhero but as a deeply flawed individual haunted by past decisions. What follows is a slow, moody exploration of crime where the psychological burden matters as much as the investigation itself. Daldal wants to be about murky conscience as much as it is about a murder mystery. The intent is honest. The execution, however, is uneven.
Daldal Story
Daldal opens on a deceptively quiet note. Rita Ferreira is seen sitting at a Mumbai restaurant with Indu Mhatre. At a nearby table, a stranger scribbles a suggestive poem on crumpled paper. Indu casually reads it aloud, almost as a passing moment. But for Rita, something shifts. The words trigger intrusive thoughts she has long buried. From the very first scene, the series signals that this is not just a crime story. It is about memory, guilt, and the past refusing to stay silent.
The narrative then moves into a crucial chapter of Rita’s professional life. Along with Indu, she leads a secret eight-week-long operation in the Pilawadi red-light area. The mission is risky, quiet, and relentless. The two officers manage to rescue several trafficked girls, dismantling a hidden network without attracting attention. This operation becomes a defining moment for Rita. It earns her recognition within the force and leads to her promotion from ACP to DCP, Mumbai Crime Branch. On the surface, it appears to be a career high point.
Soon after her promotion, the tone of the series darkens. A man known for feeding stray dogs on the beach is found murdered. The killing carries an unsettling weight because Rita had crossed paths with him just the previous night. What seems like an isolated crime slowly begins to feel personal. Rita senses that the murder is not random, and her instinct tells her that something larger is at play.
As the investigation begins, rookie reporter Anita Acharya enters the picture. Sharp and relentless, she questions the police narrative and keeps pushing for answers that the department is not ready to give. Her curiosity creates pressure, both publicly and within Rita’s team. When another murder follows, Rita realises that the case is far more complicated than it initially appeared.
A disturbing pattern starts to emerge. The victims are people considered morally upright. Good Samaritans. Individuals who help others without expecting anything in return. This realisation shakes Rita, as the killings begin to feel symbolic rather than impulsive. She also begins to suspect that more than one person may be involved, despite the murders sharing a similar method.
With each new crime, the investigation sinks deeper into murky emotional territory. Rita finds herself confronting fragments of her own traumatic past, questioning whether the present violence is somehow connected to her earlier actions. The line between professional duty and personal reckoning starts to blur.
As Daldal progresses, the central mystery grows heavier. Can Rita stop the killings before more innocent lives are lost. Is she chasing a single mastermind or a shared guilt driven by multiple players. And most importantly, is the past she has tried to suppress now dictating the horrors of the present. These answers unfold gradually, drawing the viewer into the psychological swamp that Daldal thrives on.
Daldal Series Review
Director Amrit Raj Gupta deserves credit for maintaining a consistent mood throughout the series. He understands the importance of stillness in a psychological thriller. Many scenes are allowed to breathe, and the tension is built through silences rather than spectacle. That said, the screenplay becomes the weakest link.
Written by Sreekanth Agneeswaran, Rohan D’Souza, and Suresh Triveni, the story has multiple layers but lacks clarity in presentation. The non linear approach feels more confusing than compelling at times. By the end of the first episode, the central mystery loses its intrigue due to an early reveal, making subsequent episodes predictable.
The pacing becomes sluggish in the middle episodes. Several scenes feel stretched, and some conversations fail to add anything substantial to the narrative. While the intent is to deepen character psychology, the execution often feels indulgent.
Technically, Daldal holds up well. Cinematographer Rakesh Haridas captures the darkness of the city with controlled frames and muted tones. The visuals complement the heavy mood without drawing attention to themselves. Editing by Shivkumar Panicker is decent, though trimming at least one episode could have improved the overall flow.
The background score does its job without leaving a lasting impression. It supports tension but never elevates a scene. Music remains understated, matching the series’ grounded tone, but it rarely amplifies emotional moments.
Where the series shines is in its attempt to highlight workplace patriarchy and internalised trauma. Rita’s struggle is not just external. It is internal. The show makes a conscious effort to present crime as an emotional consequence rather than a shocking event. Unfortunately, the writing does not always support this ambition.
Daldal Performances
Performances are the strongest aspect of Daldal. Bhumi Pednekar delivers a controlled and layered performance as Rita Ferreira. She speaks very little, but her silences carry weight. Bhumi portrays guilt, exhaustion, and suppressed rage with restraint. Her character feels real, especially in moments where she breaks away from the authoritative officer façade.
Samara Tijori is the real revelation of the series. As Anita, she commands attention every time she appears on screen. Her character is complex, unpredictable, and emotionally volatile. Samara understands the assignment completely and brings depth to a role that could have easily turned one-dimensional. She adds intensity to a show that desperately needs it.
Aditya Rawal is equally impressive as Sajid. His portrayal of addiction feels raw and uncomfortable in the right ways. He brings vulnerability and aggression together, making Sajid one of the most layered characters in the series.
Geeta Agrawal as Indu Mhatre provides emotional grounding. Her performance adds warmth and honesty, making her presence comforting amid the chaos. Supporting actors, including Sandeep Kulkarni and Chinmay Mandlekar, perform reliably, though they are underwritten.
Final Verdict
Daldal is a series with strong intent and sincere performances, but inconsistent execution. It wants to explore guilt, trauma, and karma through the lens of crime, but the storytelling often struggles to balance complexity with clarity. The early revelation of the killer removes much of the suspense, leaving the narrative to rely heavily on performances.
While Bhumi Pednekar delivers a solid performance, it is Samara Tijori who truly lifts the series. Her presence injects energy into an otherwise subdued narrative. The series could have benefited from tighter editing, sharper dialogue, and a more focused screenplay.
If you enjoy slow-burning psychological thrillers and are willing to overlook predictability, Daldal may work for you. It is not a gripping thriller, but it is not entirely forgettable either.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
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