Dabba Cartel Review: Stick Around As The Hook Comes Only After Episode 2

Dabba Cartel is a Hindi web series streaming on Netflix from 28 February 2025. The web series is written by Vishnu Menon and Bhavna Kher and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment. The Netflix show is created by Shibani Akhtar, Vishnu Menon, Gaurav Kapur, and Akanksha Seda. Directed by Hitesh Bhatia, Dabba Cartel features Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, Anjali Anand, Shalini Pandey, Gajraj Rao, and Sai Tamhankar, among others, in important roles.

Storyline:

Five women living in Thane in Mumbai become a part of a high-stakes drug cartel through a tiffin service while a pharmaceutical company is being investigated for its role in selling a banned drug in Amritsar. So, there is an honest drug officer and an ambitious cop who are trying to find out the truth. Will the women support the drug-selling gang or the pharmaceutical company’s officials or support the police? Watch the thrilling series to know all the answers.

In Episode 1, at a society party, the staff of VivaLife Pharma learns about a drug scandal. Raji and Mala go property hunting to operate their tiffin business.

In Episode 2, Sheila reflects on her past, Preeti questions Mala, Raji, and Shahida, while Pathak heads to Amritsar for the investigation. Meanwhile, a missing item leads to a conflict with Chavan.

Review:

Positive Aspects:

I planned to watch only Episode 1 of Dabba Cartel, but it left me with questions, so I had to continue with Episode 2. This episode highlighted Shabana Azmi’s strong presence as she supports women facing struggles.

In Episode 1, the viewers meet Varuna Dasgupta, played by Jyothika, a strong woman whose husband takes her for granted. He runs VivaLife Pharmaceuticals, a company under investigation by the FDSCO. Authorities suspect a link between the company and an accident in Amritsar where a Modella medicine bottle was found. Mala (Nimisha Sajayan) works as a cook at Varuna’s house, while Raji (Shalini Pandey) hopes to start a food business with Mala and Shahida’s (Anjali Anand) help.

Episode 1 takes a dramatic turn when police officer Preeti (Sai Tamhankar) learns from Pathak (Gajraj Rao) that Modella contains Fentanyl, a substance ten times more addictive than heroin and responsible for nearly 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Instead of waiting to identify Employee Number E475, Preeti suggests Pathak to head to Amritsar, known in the series as Punjab’s black market hub for Fentanyl sales. That’s how the second half of the episode gains momentum with their intense conversation and Raji’s revelation to her family that she is pregnant.

These events alone didn’t make it clear why the series was classified as a suspenseful thriller, and the women initially seemed powerless. With many unanswered questions, I continued to Episode 2 where it became evident that they would be guided by retired criminal Sheila, played by the legendary Shabana Azmi.

While the series takes time to build momentum, the performances, mainly from Shabana Azmi and Jyothika are admirable. The storyline gradually develops into a gripping thriller, making it worth watching beyond the slow start.

Negative Aspect:

For me, Episode 1 was boring, and I felt the series was overhyped for no reason. I was surprised that Netflix promoted it so heavily. However, Episode 2 changed my perception as the story took major twists and turns, breaking all my initial doubts.

Perhaps the makers could have introduced some of these impactful moments in Episode 1 itself. Many viewers, like me, tend to judge a show based on the first episode, and a stronger start could have kept the excitement from the beginning.

Verdict:

Dabba Cartel has a slow start, and Episode 1 feels overhyped. But Episode 2 picks up with twists and strong performances, especially from Shabana Azmi. The story is interesting, but it could have been more engaging from the beginning.

If you can get past the slow start, the series becomes an exciting thriller. It may not fully match the hype, but it’s still worth watching for its unique story and great acting.

Cast:

Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyothika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Anjali Anand, Sai Tamhankar, Jisshu Sengupta, Bhuprendra Jadawat, Lillete Dubey, Sandesh Kulkarni, Santanu Ghatak, and Sunil Grover

Don't miss out on the Latest Updates! Join our official WhatsApp channel and follow us on, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for Breaking News. Send a press release to us at: [email protected].