‘Narcos Thane’ is how Jyotika‘s white-collar character dismissively describes the titular all-women drug empire in the show. Netflix’s newest show, Dabba Cartel knows its positioning as the underdog story of narcotics. It is more Breaking Bad than Narcos but also has abundant doses of woman power. Yet, for all the buzz it generates and the premise it sets, Dabba Cartel always keeps simmering, never exploding, never fizzling. It is a breezy watch made better than it is simply by its exceptional performers. (Also read: Shabana Azmi ‘really wanted’ Jyotika removed from Dabba Cartel, told producers to cast someone else)
What is Dabba Cartel about
Dabba Cartel is the story of Raji (Shalini Pandey), a homemaker in Thane who runs a dabba (tiffin service) with her house help, Mala (Nimisha Sajayan). After Mala’s boyfriend coaxes her to pack weed in those boxes and deliver, the women are drawn into the world of drugs. As things go haywire, Raji’s mother-in-law Sheela (Shabana Azmi) bails them out. She has a past that makes her very unpredictable. Parallely, former corporate bigwig and now salon owner Varuna (Jyotika) is dealing with her own financial troubles and failing marriage. But their paths meet, and an opportunity lands on the women’s doorsteps in the form of an illicit drug. But is that their salvation, or does it pull them deeper into the maelstrom?
What works and what doesn’t
Created by Shibani Akhtar and Gaurav Kapur, Dabba Cartel is desi and earthy. It has interesting characters that may even be relatable. Add a pinch of good performances and some slick cinematography that makes Thane come alive, and the show becomes a pleasant watch. But enough about episode 1. As the show progresses, things should unravel. Instead, the plot does. Dabba Cartel veers into the predictable territory so soon that the thrill is lost. The USP of shows like Breaking Bad, Narcos, or even Weeds (which is the closest relative of this one) is the ingenuity with which the protagonists and antagonists solve their problems. The writing ensures that the twists and turns are always so oblique that the audience is surprised. Dabba Cartel fails there.
The one thing that does work for Dabba Cartel is how easily it makes the premise believable. We see these middle-class women way in over their heads, trying to act tough as drug barons. And yet, we believe it because of how it has been presented. The smashing background score and songs add as a nice garnish to it all, setting the tone nicely. But some hollow writing undoes it all.
The saving grace are the performances, led by the indomitable Shabana Azmi. 50 years after she burst onto the scene, the veteran continues to command the screen. She turns back the clock here, reminding us of her Godmother days as she plays the mild-yet-ruthless Sheela with perfection. Nimisha Sajayan is the other highlight. She brings a naive innocence wrapped in a tough exterior, making her character one of the most likeable almost immediately. Jyotika is also impressive, reminding many viewers why she was a force to reckon with even two decades ago and continues to be that way even now.
Shalini Pandey tries her earnest but is bound by a role that allows her to do very little apart from looking helpless. Sai Tamhankar and Gajraj Rao are also burdened by roles that do not quite justify their talents. Anjali Anand is a nice addition and tries to impress with her natural performance, but has little to play with in the script.
Dabba Cartel is a story of what could have been. The show tries to enter a space that very few Indian titles have but relies more on star power and panache than actual substance. And that ends up being its undoing.
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