A Fresh Take on Crime Thrillers

Dabbawalas are known for delivering food, ensuring that home-cooked meals reach people across cities like Mumbai and Delhi. But what happens when these food boxes carry more than just meals? We’ve seen glimpses of this in crime shows like Savdhaan India, but Dabba Cartel takes this premise to a whole new level. Unlike the usual male-dominated drug mafia narratives, this Netflix web series, starring Shabana Azmi, brings a gripping tale of women who unwillingly step into the world of crime.

The Storyline: How Ordinary Women Become Drug Lords

Set in Thane, the story revolves around housewife Raji (Shalini Pandey), who dreams of sending her husband abroad. To make this dream a reality, she starts a home-cooked food business, with her sharp-witted maid Mala (Nimisha Sajayan) as her partner. However, the game changes when Raji’s boyfriend, Santosh, coerces her into smuggling drugs through these lunchboxes. At first, Raji is unaware of the crime taking place under her nose, but when she finds out, she doesn’t back down—instead, she takes full control to secure her family’s future.

Things take a more thrilling turn when Raji’s mother-in-law, Sheela (Shabana Azmi), re-enters the picture. An old player in the drug trade, she brings her experience to the table, ensuring that Raji and her team navigate the dangerous underworld safely.

A Web of Intriguing Characters

As the story unfolds, new characters add layers of intensity and suspense. We meet:

  • Jishu Sengupta as the ruthless owner of the pharmaceutical company Wiwife
  • Bhupendra Jadawat as a young officer seeking a foreign transfer
  • Gajraj Rao as a cunning investigator
  • Sai Tamhankar as a sharp police officer
  • Sushmita Mukherjee as a nosy neighbor
  • Lillete Dubey as a South Bombay socialite
  • And an array of gangsters, each bringing new challenges for the protagonists.

This seven-episode series, with each episode running around 50 minutes, keeps viewers on edge. Initially, it seems like Raji and her team will quit once they’ve made enough money, but soon they find themselves entangled in a dangerous game with no easy escape. To know how their journey unfolds, you’ll have to watch it on Netflix—trust us, the excitement doesn’t fade.

Performance & Direction

Acting is the backbone of any series, and Dabba Cartel is no exception. Shabana Azmi dominates the screen with her powerful presence, while Shalini Pandey delivers a convincing performance as Raji. Nimisha Sajayan shines as the smart and street-savvy maid, and Sai Tamhankar impresses in her role as a police officer. Among a cast filled with strong female characters, Gajraj Rao still manages to leave his mark.

Director Hitesh Bhatia does a commendable job, although there’s room for improvement in storytelling. The series could have been more gripping in certain parts, but overall, it offers an engaging watch.