After the much appreciated film Soni, which brought back focus on women’s safety in Delhi, Netflix has now acquired distribution rights of a seven-part series inspired by the Nirbhaya gang rape case for a March release. Director Richie Mehta's series Delhi Crime hinges on the police investigation carried out in the case that took place in 2012.
Lead by Shefali Shah as Vartika Chaturvedi, who plays the chief investigator in the case, the series aims to uncover the horrific details of the incident through its lead character and the subsequent and swift capture of the perpetrators of the crime by the police. Apart from Shefali, the series stars Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Gopal Datt, and Vinod Sherawat.
It is not the first time that a film based on the incident has been made. India’s Daughter (2015) was a documentary that compiled interviews of the accused incarcerated in the case. A BBC film directed by Leslee Udwin, India’s Daughter failed to air in India but got uploaded on YouTube and was accessed by many in the country. Deepa Mehta’s 2016 film Anatomy of Violence was also based on the incident.
“Delhi Crime is an important story told with sensitivity and responsibility, and we are honoured to help bring this series to Indian and global members,” Simran Sethi, Netflix's director of international originals, said. “It is honest and emotional and powerful. Shows like this bring a much-needed lens to the lived reality of women around the world. Watching this series is an affecting experience, and we are sure it will be as meaningful of an experience for Netflix audiences as it was for us.”
Shefali, who is thrilled to get into the shoes of the female cop who leads the investigation, says, “To play a real-life character, the responsibility is far more because it’s not just based on your imagination or a fictional story. The incident was so traumatic even when we look back; it had to be dealt with utmost sensitivity” she says. “This was not an ordinary cop; it was about a cop who went through all the motions and she along with her team was constantly at the station and hunted down the rapists in 72 hours. For every cop there is one case which becomes personal, this particular case was personal for (Vartika),” she adds.
In the aftermath of the crime, wherein the victim succumbed to injuries, there was widespread backlash from the Indian and global community. It led to a series of reforms in the public system regarding security of women, victim rehabilitation and fast-track trial in rape cases.
Delhi Crime is the first Indian series to have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival 2019. The premiere screening will be held on January 29 in the Indie Episodic category, followed by two more screenings on 30th and 31st January. It will be available for streaming on Netflix on March 22.
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