‘Dabba Cartel’ to ‘Delhi Crime’: Watch these women-led crime dramas on OTT

In recent years, Hindi web series have emerged as a powerful platform for storytelling, showcasing a diverse range of genres, themes, and perspectives. One notable trend in this space is the rise of women-led crime dramas that have not only garnered critical acclaim but also resonated with audiences. Here are some of the best Hindi web series on various OTT platforms, featuring stellar women casts that have delivered outstanding performances and left a lasting impact.

Dabba Cartel

Directed by Hitesh Bhatia, Dabba Cartel is Netflix’s latest offering featuring a fabulous women cast comprising Shabana Azmi, Jyothika, Shalini Pandey, Lillete Dubey, Anjali Anand, and Nimisha Sajayan. It also features Gajraj Rao and Jisshu Sengupta in pivotal roles. The series, which premiered on the OTT giant on Friday, revolves around five housewives who run a secret cartel through their dabba service. ‘Dabba Cartel’ is backed by Excel Entertainment.

Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo

Created and directed by Homi Adjania, ‘Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo’ is a crime series that stars Dimple Kapadia, Radhika Madan, Isha Talwar, and Angira Dhar in the leading roles. Deepak Dobriyal was roped in as the antagonist. ‘Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo’ is a series about a matriarch of a family who runs a drug cartel along with her daughter and daughter-in-law. The series premiered on Disney+ Hotstar (now JioHotstar) in May 2023 and is set for a second season.

Delhi Crime

One of the most loved Indian police procedural crime dramas is Netflix’s ‘Delhi Crime’. With Shefali Shah in the lead as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi and Rasika Duggal as Neeti Singh, the series is one of the top-rated shows in India. The first season of ‘Delhi Crime’ is directed by Richie Mehta while Tanuj Chopra helmed the second season. ‘Delhi Crime’ is set for a third season which is expected to drop this year.

Aarya

Led by Sushmita Sen, ‘Aarya’ is a crime-thriller created by Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Shrivastava. Spread across three seasons, it is a story of a woman who joins a mafia gang in order to protect her family and to seek revenge of her husband’s murder. The web series, whose first season was released in 2020, was nominated at the International Emmy Awards under the Best Drama Series category.