Web Series Name: Dabba Cartel
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Shalini Pandey, Nimisha Sajayan, Shabhana Azmi, Jyotika and others.
Director: Hitesh Bhatia
Streaming on: Netflix
Dabba Cartel is a new series on Netflix featuring stars like Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, and Anjali Anand in the main roles. It’s one of the newest shows available to stream. The trailer looked pretty good and got a lot of people excited to watch it. So, should you binge-watch Dabba Cartel? Check out our review to see what we think!
Story:
Dabba Cartel tells the story of Raji (played by Shalini Pandey) and her maid and business partner Mala (Nimisha Sajayan), who run a tiffin service. However, things take a turn when they end up having to deliver drugs hidden in their food boxes. As the plot thickens, a real estate agent named Shahida (Anjali Anand) and Raji’s mother-in-law Ba (Shabana Azmi) get involved, along with Varuna (Jyotika). Each of these women has her own reasons for getting mixed up in the drug trade, and they find themselves getting deeper into the dangerous world of the drug mafia.
Performances:
Shalini Pandey and Nimisha Sajayan really shine in their roles and have most of the good scenes. Both actresses have done an incredible job. Shabana Azmi brings her wealth of experience to a fascinating character, while Jyotika, who seems to take a backseat at first, makes her presence felt as the story unfolds.
Anjali Anand, Sai Tamhankar, and Gajraj Rao also make a strong impression. Jisshu Sengupta performs well, and Bhupendra Jadawat delivers a solid performance too. Sunil Grover is fantastic and arrives at the end of the show.
Analysis:
The series is created by Vishnu Menon and Bhavna Kher, with Hitesh Bhatia as the director. It kicks off with a captivating start, and the first three episodes are pretty good. But as the show goes on, it starts to feel a bit boring and drawn out, lacking the excitement it needs.
While there are some surprising twists, they aren’t presented in a way that really grabs your attention.
On paper, Dabbad Cartel seems like it would be an awesome show about ordinary women getting involved in drug dealing.
However, Bhatia’s direction doesn’t quite hit the mark. The characters could be better developed. For instance, the dynamic between Shahida and Preeti could have been more engaging, especially considering their close relationship and work-related issues. Plus, Ba’s character, which begins strong, ends up making some silly choices just to back her backstory.
The emotional turmoil that Raji, played by Shalini Pandey goes through is good, and all the other leading women characters should have also had the same inner struggle. The ending tries to give shock value, but it looks more forced, and a better ending to the Raji-Ba conflict would have made the series a much better one.
Positives:
- Performance of Shalini Pandey – Nimisha Sajayan
- Interesting Moments during the start of Dabba Cartel Business
- Few Good Twists/Scenes
Negatives:
- Dull Narration
- Weak Characters
- Lack of Exciting Moments after a point
- Ending
Dabba Cartel Web Series Review and Verdict:
Dabba Cartel has an interesting plot, but it is handled weakly. Despite fantastic performances from the cast, especially from Shalini Pandey and Nimisha Sajayan, and the initial episodes, the show lacks exciting moments that would keep one really interested, and it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations.
