A Crime Drama That Fails To Ship On Its Promising Premise

Directed by: Hitesh Bhatia

Solid: Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, Jisshu Sengupta, Nimisha Sajayan, Gajraj Rao, Sai Tamhankar, Shalini Pandey and Anjali Anand

Episodes: 7

Score: 2/5 stars

Netflix’s Dabba Cartel, directed by Hitesh Bhatia, makes an attempt to combine crime, drama, and darkish comedy however finally ends up missing the sting to really depart an affect. The present, co-created by Shibani Akhtar, affords an intriguing premise: a house chef’s dabba (tiffin) enterprise step by step morphs right into a harmful drug operation.

The sequence is constructed round a compelling idea, but it surely falters in execution. Over the course of seven episodes, the weird cuts fail to create a steady story, making it really feel like there are totally different bits following via with no seamless connection between them.

One of the obtrusive points is the dearth of chemistry between the characters, particularly Preeti (Sai Tamhankar) and Ajit Pathak (Gajraj Rao). Their interactions come off as compelled and awkward, making it onerous to imagine of their supposed partnership. Tamhankar’s portrayal of Preeti, a rookie cop, doesn’t fairly hit the mark. As an alternative of exuding the sharpness one would possibly count on from a legislation enforcer, she comes throughout as chaotic and at instances, misplaced within the position. This disconnect undermines her character and weakens the general affect of the present.

The dialogues, too, really feel uninteresting and sometimes miss the mark. There are moments the place characters appear to be stumbling via their strains with none actual sense of function, the dearth of readability in dialogue exchanges provides to the confusion, making it onerous to attach with the characters or put money into their arcs.

Nevertheless, Dabba Cartel does try to discover some attention-grabbing dynamics, notably the evolving relationships between {couples} after having youngsters. The present touches on how one associate might misjudge the opposite’s capabilities and refuse to simply accept assist, a relatable theme that provides some depth to the in any other case chaotic narrative.

Regardless of its shortcomings, the sequence does handle to deliver some entertaining moments, particularly when it focuses on the gang’s more and more convoluted drug operation. Whereas the storyline sometimes delves into the absurd, with characters who appear to develop into specialists in creating new addictions virtually in a single day, these moments present some enjoyable amidst the confusion.

In the end, Dabba Cartel doesn’t totally ship on its promise. The present has its moments of stress and intrigue, however the lack of a cohesive story, underdeveloped characters, and weak dialogue drag it down. It’s clear that the sequence is organising for a bigger arc, however whether or not it will probably redeem itself in future episodes stays to be seen. For now, it’s a gradual begin to what may have been a extra gripping crime drama.