“Dabba Cartel”, recently released on Netflix, is a crime thriller web series set against the backdrop of drug smuggling. This web series is directed by Hitesh Bhatia and stars many veteran actors in important roles, including Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyothika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Anjali Anand and Sai Tamhankar.
The story is set in Mumbai, where a series of unexpected events occur due to illegal medicines from a pharmaceutical company. Food and Drugs Safety Officer Pathak (Gajraj Rao) begins investigating the case and in the meantime, the lives of the women involved in the ‘dabba’ business – Raazi (Shalini Pandey), Mala (Nimisha Sajayan) and Shahida (Anjali Anand) – get entangled in the investigation of this crime. Apart from this, Sheela (Shabana Azmi) and Varuna (Jyotika) also get involved in this illegal business.
The biggest feature of the series is its interesting plot and the story revolving around female characters, which presents a perfect combination of mystery and thrill. However, due to the slow pace and too many characters, the story feels stagnant at times.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Dabba Cartel |
| Genre | Crime Thriller, Black Comedy |
| Director | Hitesh Bhatia |
| Creators | Shibani Akhtar, Vishnu Menon, Gaurav Kapur, Akansha Seda |
| Writers | Vishnu Menon, Bhavna Kher |
| Production | Excel Media & Entertainment |
| Music Director | Gaurav Raina, Tarana Marwah |
| Cinematography | Eeshith Narain |
| Editor | Manas Mittal, Prakashit Jha |
| Streaming Platform | Netflix |
| Release Date | February 28, 2025 |
| Episodes | 7 |
| Language | Hindi (Dubbed in Telugu) |
| Lead Cast | Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyothika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Anjali Anand, Sai Tamhankar, Jisshu Sengupta, Lillete Dubey, Bhupendra Singh Jadawat |
Dabba Cartel Story
Netflix’s new web series “Dabba Cartel” is a crime thriller with a light touch of black comedy. The series depicts the world of drug smuggling, where narcotics are supplied through a simple tiffin service. Director Hitesh Bhatia’s seven-episode series starts off interesting but slowly starts losing its grip.
The story is set in Mumbai and Thane, where Sheela (Shabana Azmi) and Raaji (Shalini Pandey), a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo, run a tiffin business. Their customers are unaware that homemade Viagra is also being supplied in their lunch boxes. On the other hand, Varuna (Jyotika) is struggling with her boutique and married life, while Mala (Nimisha Sajayan) takes this risk to give her daughter a better future.
All these women get caught up in organised crime due to compulsion and greed. When a gangster forces them into drug smuggling, it becomes difficult for them to back out. Gajraj Rao leaves a strong impression in the role of a drug inspector, while Sai Tamhankar makes her mark as a police officer. However, the series loses its edge due to many unnecessary characters and a slow storyline.
Despite the brilliant performances of Shabana Azmi, Jyothika and Nimisha Sajayan, this web series fails to maintain its overall thrill factor. If you like crime-thrillers, give it a watch, but it fails to leave an impact like “Narcos”.
Movie Review
“Dabba Cartel” is a web series released on Netflix, which tells the story of five women who connect with each other under different circumstances and start a drug business under the guise of dabba service. Every woman has her own compulsion and purpose, but after entering this world of crime, they get caught in a big trap. The story is based on the backdrop of a middle-class society in Mumbai, where most of the people work in a pharma company and a dabba service is also run from there. Gradually it is revealed that drugs are being smuggled through the dabba service and the lives of the five women involved in it start getting entangled.
The biggest feature of this series is its star cast. Shabana Azmi is brilliant as the gang leader, while Shalini Pandey fits perfectly as a simple daughter-in-law. Nimisha Sajayan is excellent as an arrogant and short-tempered maid, Anjali Anand is impressive as a broker, Jyotika is solid as a trophy wife and Sai Tamhankar is strong as a cop who is ready to cross all limits to prove herself. Apart from this, Gajraj Rao, Lillete Dubey and other co-stars have also played their characters well. Sunil Grover’s guest appearance is especially impressive.
The biggest feature of “Dabba Cartel” is its character development. Every character has ample opportunity to develop, which keeps the story interesting. The story progresses in every episode, which does not make it boring. However, the series lacks the surprise factor. The screenplay slows down at times and some scenes seem to be stretched too long. Apart from this, there is no new element in the story and it seems like a typical crime-thriller. Still, the brilliant performances of the actors and excellent characterization make it worth watching. If you like crime-thrillers and dramas, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give “Dabba Cartel” a watch.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
“Dabba Cartel” is an interesting crime-thriller web series that makes it worth watching due to its unique characterization and excellent cast performances. Shabana Azmi, Shalini Pandey, Nimisha Sajayan and other actors have brought life to their characters. However, there is no new or shocking element, and the flow of the story feels slow in some places. Still, its twists and emotional angles keep the audience hooked. If you like female-led crime-thrillers and dramas, then this series is definitely worth a watch.