Daldal (2026 TV series)
Indian television series
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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]
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by Vish Dhamija
- Sreekanth Agneeaswaran
- Rohan D'Souza
- Hussain Haidry
- Priya Saggi
- Suresh Triveni
| Daldal | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Suresh Triveni |
| Based on | Bhendi Bazaar by Vish Dhamija |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Amrit Raj Gupta |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Shubhajit Mukherjee |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Hindi |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Vikram Malhotra Suresh Triveni |
| Cinematography | Rakesh Haridas |
| Editor | Shivkumar V. Panicker |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 39–49 minutes |
| Production company | Abundatia Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Prime Video |
| Release | 30 January 2026 |
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
- Bhumi Pednekar as DCP Rita Ferreira
- Aditya Rawal as Sajid
- Samara Tijori as Anita Acharya
- Geeta Agrawal Sharma as Indu Mhatre
- Chinmay Mandlekar as Vikram Sathe
- Sandeep Kulkarni as Prabhat Raut
- Ananth Mahadevan as Manohar Swamy
- Sandesh Kulkarni as Sanjay Deshpande
- Saurabh Goyal as Jatin Shukla
- Vibhavari Deshpande as Isabel Ferreira
- Vijay Krishna as Aditya Kelkar
- Pratap Phad as Subhash Kamat
- Prateek Pachauri as Doctor Peddler
- Prince Sharmaa as JJ Hospital Doctor
- Rahul Bhat as Jay Acharya
- Jaya Bhattacharya as Lollita
Production
Release
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]