Archive · 30 Jan 2026
Daldal Review: Ambitious but Uneven Crime Thriller
Daldal is a new show on Prime Video about a serial killer in Mumbai.
The main character, DCP Rita Ferreira, played by Bhumi Pednekar, is trying to catch the killer.
The show is very serious and slow, showing how the characters' past traumas affect their lives.
Bhumi Pednekar does a great job playing a cop for the first time.
The show also has other good actors like Aditya Rawal and Samara Tijori.
The story is based on a book called Bhendi Bazaar.
The ending might not be as exciting as the rest of the show, but it's still worth watching.
It's not just about crime; it's about understanding the characters' minds.
The show has some problems, like confusing timelines and a character that's hard to like, but it tries to talk about important things like trauma and how people deal with it.
Daldal is a psychological crime thriller series on Prime Video, inspired by Vish Dhamija’s book Bhendi Bazaar.
The show features intense performances by Bhumi Pednekar as DCP Rita Ferreira, Aditya Rawal, and Samara Tijori.
The story revolves around a serial killer in Mumbai and the investigation led by DCP Rita Ferreira, who also battles her own inner demons.
The series is praised for its restrained storytelling and the actors' ability to portray deep emotional trauma, but criticized for its confusing narrative structure and unlikable central character.
The ending of the show is considered slightly underwhelming, but the overall experience is engaging and thought-provoking.
- Who
- Bhumi Pednekar, Aditya Rawal, Samara Tijori, and others
- What
- A psychological crime thriller series about a serial killer in Mumbai and the DCP leading the investigation
- When
- January 30, 2026
- Where
- Mumbai, India
- Why
- To explore the psychological trauma and its impact on the characters' lives and relationships
Positive
Negative
Character Depth
Positive
The show explores complex themes like inherited trauma and moral rot.
Negative
The central character, Rita, is too opaque and lacks meaningful emotional cues.
Narrative Structure
Positive
The series attempts to explore multiple timelines and psychological depth.
Negative
The narrative structure is confusing and clumsily executed, with inconsistent timelines.
Performances
Positive
Aditya Rawal and Geeta Agrawal Sharma deliver strong performances.
Negative
Bhumi Pednekar's character is unlikable and lacks emotional depth.
- Language
- Hindi
- Director
- Amrit Raj Gupta
- Cast
- Bhumi Pednekar, Aditya Rawal, Samara Tijori, Geeta Agrawal, Chinmay Mandlekar, Ananth Narayan Mahadevan
- Rating
- 3.5 out of 5
- Production
- Abundantia Entertainment
- Writers
- Sreekanth Agneeaswaran, Rohan D’Souza, Priya Saggi, Suresh Triveni, Hussain Haidry
- Inspiration
- Vish Dhamija’s book Bhendi Bazaar
- Genre
- Psychological Crime Thriller
- Release Date
- January 30, 2026
Sources
‘Daldal’ Review: Intense performances by Bhumi Pednekkar, Aditya Rawal and Samara Tijori & what a beautifully restrained way of storytelling
Review: ‘Daldal’ is stuck between ambition and execution
