Daldal (2026 TV series)

Daldal
Genre
Created bySuresh Triveni
Based onBhendi Bazaar
by Vish Dhamija
Written by
  • Sreekanth Agneeaswaran
  • Rohan D'Souza
  • Hussain Haidry
  • Priya Saggi
  • Suresh Triveni
Directed byAmrit Raj Gupta
Starring
Music byShubhajit Mukherjee
Country of originIndia
Original languageHindi
No. of series1
No. of episodes7
Production
ProducersVikram Malhotra
Suresh Triveni
CinematographyRakesh Haridas
EditorShivkumar V. Panicker
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time39–49 minutes
Production companyAbundatia Entertainment
Original release
NetworkPrime Video
Release30 January 2026 (2026-01-30)

Daldal is an Indian Hindi-language psychological crime thriller television series created by Suresh Triveni and directed by Amrit Raj Gupta. The series is based on Vish Dhamija's bestselling novel Bhendi Bazaar.[1] It stars Bhumi Pednekar[2] in the lead role alongside Samara Tijori[3] and Aditya Rawal. It premiered on Prime Video on 30 January 2026.[4]

Plot

Daldal follows DCP Rita Ferreira (Bhumi Pednekar), the youngest officer to head the Mumbai Crime Branch, as she is drawn into a tense, emotionally exhaustive investigation into a brutal serial killer terrorising the city.[5]

Cast

Production

Bhumi Pednekar has officially wrapped up filming for this series in September 2024.[6][7]

Release

The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 30 January 2026 and consists of seven episodes.[8] [9]

Reception

Daldal received mixed reviews from the critics.

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2 stars out of5 and writes that "The seven episode series, created by Suresh Triveni and directed by Amrit Raj Gupta, has an intriguing opening and But more and more, as we go along, the bizarre-contrived elements start taking over, and it’s eye-roll time."[10] Abhimanyu Mathur of Hindustan Times rated it 3.5/5 stars and said that "Daldal could have been the perfect start to the year for Hindi streaming. It had everything in it to be an excellent show. For now, it is ‘merely’ a good one."[11] Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India stated that "The 7-episode series suffers from the women-written-by-men syndrome."[12]

Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Not just Bhumi Pednekar; even Aditya Rawal & Samara Tijori’s killer performances will keep you glued to the screen!"[13] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu observed that "More gory and opaque than immersive, the crime thriller starring Bhumi Pednekar oversells the idea of a bold female-centric narrative."[14]

Divya Nair of Rediff.comgave 3.5 stars out of 5 and commented that "If dark and twisted crime thrillers and trauma-led violence interest you, you can binge-watch Daldal over the weekend."[15] Rachit Gupta of Filmfare rated it 3/5 stars and said that "Fantastic performances by Bhumi Pednekar and an ensemble cast, along with technical expertise are eventually let down by laboured writing in Daldal."[16]

Udita Jhunjhunwala of Scroll.in writes that "Stylistically, Daldal makes baffling choices. The music is frequently intrusive, including a foreign-language track, which clashes with the mood. The use of a radio as a device to dump backstory is ineffective, though the choice of repeating scenes from different perspectives occasionally adds insight."[17] Anurag Singh Bohra writing for India Today rated it 3/5 stars and said that "Bhumi Pedneker's crime-thriller Daldal explores social realities amid an ongoing crime investigation. However, bold themes and strong performances can't fully salvage the series, hampered by redundant flashbacks and clichés."[18]

Arpita Sarkar of OTT Play awarded it 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Daldal is not without flaws, but it is undoubtedly ambitious. Focusing on the psychology behind the crimes rather than the crimes themselves, the series offers a darker, more introspective viewing experience."[19] A critic of Bollywood Hungama rated it 2.5/5 stars and stated that "DALDAL tells an intriguing tale and delivers several arresting moments. The supporting cast, in particular, lifts the material, while the climax lands with genuine tension. At the same time, the series stumbles in places due to a few convenient turns and loose ends, while the central characterization remains somewhat one-note, which dilutes the impact. An average fare."[20]

References

  1. ^ "Bhumi Pednekar's 'Daldal': Is this Prime Video show based on the book 'Bhendi Bazaar'?". Firstpost. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Bhumi Pednekar On Playing A 'Flawed, Broken' Cop In Daldal: 'Got To Play A Hero While Doing...'". News 18. 29 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Who Is Samara Tijori? Bhumi Pednekar's Daldal Co-star Stealing The Spotlight". News 18. 30 January 2026.
  4. ^ "'Daldal': Bhumi Pednekkar's crime thriller series gets release date". The Hindu. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  5. ^ "Bhumi Pednekar's psychological thriller drama 'Daldal' to hit Prime Video in January". The Telegraph. 17 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Bhumi Pednekar wraps year-long shoot of her web-series debut Daldal; calls It 'Her most complex role yet'". Bollywood Hungama. 30 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Bhumi Pednekar wraps up filming for web series 'Daldal'". The Statesman. 1 October 2024.
  8. ^ Service, Statesman News (16 January 2026). "Daldal Teaser: Bhumi Pednekar leads gritty crime series on OTT platform, release date revealed". The Statesman. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  9. ^ Service, Statesman News (16 January 2026). "'Daldal' trailer shows Bhumi Pednekar plays a gritty cop caught in a dark and intense crime thriller". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  10. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (30 January 2026). "Daldal Review: Bhumi Pednekkar comes off far too morose in serial killer thriller series". The Indian Express. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  11. ^ Mathur, Abhimanyu (30 January 2026). "Daldal review: Samara Tijori, Aditya Rawal masterclasses; Bhumi Pednekar's devillish turn elevate this dark 'whydunnit'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  12. ^ Desai, Rahul. "'Daldal' Series Review: Bhumi Pednekar In A Corny Crime Thriller That Loses Its Way". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  13. ^ Roy, Lachmi Deb. "'Daldal' Review: Intense performances by Bhumi Pednekar, Aditya Rawal and Samara Tijori & what a beautifully restrained way of storytelling". Firstpost. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  14. ^ Roy, Lachmi Deb. "'Daldal' series review: An emotionally exhausting slog". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  15. ^ Nair, Divya. "Daldal Review: Watch It For Bhumi Pednekar". Rediff.com. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  16. ^ Gupta, Rachit. "Daldal Review: A Visceral Masterclass in Atmosphere That Sinks Into Creative Quagmire". Filmfare. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  17. ^ Jhunjhunwala, Udita. "Review: 'Daldal' is stuck between ambition and execution". Scroll.in. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  18. ^ Bohra, Anurag Singh. "Daldal review: Bhumi Pednekar shines in gritty thriller bogged down by repetition". India Today. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  19. ^ Sarkar, Arpita. "Daldal Review: Samara Tijori single-handedly outshines Bhumi Pednekar in this 'whydunit' psychological crime thriller". OTT Play. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  20. ^ Hungama, Bollywood. "Web Series Review: Despite stumbles DALDAL tells an intriguing tale and delivers several arresting moments". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.