I love watching web shows more these days because of the depth that comes along in the storytelling and, of course, the character development. Dabba Cartel’s trailer intrigued me in both these aspects, and well, after watching the show, it’s safe to say that the Hitesh Bhatia series did not disappoint me at all. The 7-episode series stars an ensemble cast of Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Lillete Dubey, Anjali Anand, Sai Tamhankar and Jisshu Sengupta, among others. Dabba Cartel is a show about five women who come together to sell MDMA through the dabba business. First, it’s forced, then it becomes a thrill and then comes the danger! The series has some notable performances and an interesting story; however, some weak characters become an evident drawback of Dabba Cartel too!
Plot
Dabba Cartel has two parallel plots, which, of course, eventually come together in the end. The series starts with an investigation of a Pharma Company, VivaLife, for allegedly manufacturing strong and illegal drugs in the name of medicine called Modella. The investigation is led by an FDSCO officer (Gajraj Rao), who is accompanied by a police officer (Sai Tamhankar). In the VivaLife society, Raji runs a tiffin service along with her maid cum business partner played by Nimisha Sajayan. Both the women share a strong and loving bond. However, life goes upside down for them when they are forced into selling a more dangerous opium through their tiffin business. Enter Shabana Azmi’s character. Anjali Anand’s broker, Lillete Dubey’s Moushumi and Jyothika’s character also come into play when the Raji decides to expand her tiffin business. The VivaLife investigation story and the Dabba Cartel business go hand-in-hand to make the plot engaging.
Do things end well for them? Do they manage to get out of the mess, or does it become messier? Are they caught?
Performances And Characters
Shabana Azmi’s character lives a dual life, and some big revelations about her character are made mid-way into the show. I was looking forward to her character but unfortunately was not quite impressed with it. Neither the character’s gradual arc nor Shabana Azmi’s performance could not make the characters stand out in the series. The intimidating, powerful and gripping aspects fell flat.
Gajraj Rao never disappoints! He plays an FDSCO officer who is very ethical in his job and follows the rule book while investigating the Pharma Company. Gajraj Rao looks very comfortable in the character and plays it with all honesty. From the body language to the dialogue delivery, he nails the nuances of his character with ease.
Shalini Panday truly shows her range as an artist in the web series. Her character as the naive, innocent and sweet Raji encounters some of the challenging twists in her series, and Shalini Panday smoothly transitions into every emotion. From playing an underdog in the few initial episodes of the show to coming out as the strongest character in Dabba Cartel, I thoroughly enjoyed watching her performance.
Jyothika plays the owner of a boutique that’s running into a loss. The actress does an impressive job of making her character have a love-hate relationship with the audience. Jyothika gives a steady performance throughout the show, with controlled emotions in all the highs and lows that her character goes through.
Anjali Anand is also decent in her performance as a real-estate broker. She is sly, smart and bold. Sai Tamhankar also gives an honest performance. I also loved the subplot that involved these two characters and would have loved to see that be explored. Lillete Dubey as Moushumi, a drug dealer, is the perfect fit for this character. While she did not enjoy the wig that was given to her character, we, TBH, loved the look!
Nimisha Sajayan, the sassy maid who knows how to give it back to people, is an interesting character in the show. Nimisha owns her character so well and also adds the much-needed comic relief to this crime drama. Unfortunately, her character takes a back seat during the latter half of the show.
Also Read: Dabba Cartel Actor Jyotika Reveals Facing S*xism Everyday Due To Superstar Husband Surya. WHAT?
The Women Dynamics!
I loved how this series explores the dynamics between women coming from different strata and status of the society. Each character had their own story, life challenges and dreams, but two common factors were money and respect. All five women who come together to run the cartel business through a tiffin service initially kick it off as a compulsion and a need, but in the process, they not only get better at this job but also start building a heartwarming rapport with each other despite the frictions. There is this scene between Jyothika and Nimisha’s characters where the two women talk about respect and money from their own POV’s, and that brief moment is so impactfully written and shot! The heartfelt relationships shared between Shabana Azmi and Lillete Dubey’s characters as best friends or even that of Shalini Pandey and Nimisha Sajayan evoked the desired emotions. It was so refreshing to see; even amid all their personal lives’ drama, the thrill of this crime drama was quite intact, and the balance in the storytelling was maintained.
Background Score
Some scenes in the show were enhanced with interesting tracks and rap songs. I found myself immersed in the audio-visual experience, especially during these moments.
Dabba Cartel has a very new, interesting, engaging and intriguing crime drama to narrate. With two parallel subplots, one is always left wanting more by the end of each episode. The show’s effective storytelling has you invested in each character’s life and the overall story, and you are curious about how it will shape up in the upcoming episodes. However, while the story picks up the pace, the characters start falling flat. I suddenly lost interest in the characters except for Raji’s, which I feel has the most impactful role in the show. We are also left with a cliffhanger, which was also a bit disappointing, and my stories are left mid-way. It’s currently streaming on Netflix and shouldn’t be missed!