Delhi Crime 3 Team Talks Women’s Safety, Storytelling, And The Power of Hope

Stories can make us pay attention to what we might otherwise overlook. They can show how women navigate fear, strength, and everyday survival in ways that feel eerily personal. When we see these experiences on screen, we start asking tougher questions about the world around us.

The show Delhi Crime is one such piece of storytelling that has pushed us to confront what we’d rather turn away from, while still reminding us that courage and change are possible.

Speaking to SheThePeople's Ruchi Chopra Makkad, the team behind the newly-released Season 3 discussed how these themes draw from real experiences to challenge the silence around women's safety. 

The conversation included actors Shefali Shah & Huma Qureshi, director Tanuj Chopra, producer Michael Hogan, and Netflix India's Web Series Head Tanya Bami.

The city, the crime, the courage

Shefali Shah spoke about how her character, DIG Vartika Chaturvedi, is a fierce yet emotionally grounded character. She feels things very deeply, but still moves with control, she expressed. “She feels it. But she knows how to block it out and get on with what needs to be done.”

Shefali said many women live this mix of power and vulnerability. They move through the world with strong emotions, yet they continue to act. They endure pressure and still get the job done.

Huma Qureshi spoke about why it was special to join the series, having been a fan of it since the first season. “It felt like a fangirl being invited in,” she said.

She praised the writing of the latest season, calling it complex and sharp. Her character is dark and violent. She said it is the most disturbing role she has taken on. 

“I would do something truly evil. Then after the cut, I would think, what am I doing?” Huma reflected, adding that she tried to understand the character by looking at the cycle of crime. “When you do not stop a crime, it produces more criminals,” she said. 

The discussion shifted to women’s safety. Both Shefali and Huma said they follow safety routines in every city. They recounted how they check transport options, choose hotels carefully, and constantly stay alert. 

Huma called out a pattern in public responses to crime. Women are often told to stay indoors, while men are rarely held accountable. She called this mindset unfair and damaging.

Meanwhile, Tanya Bami offered a hopeful view. She acknowledged the fear many women live with, but she sees change taking shape. As a woman in leadership and a mother to a girl, she said every step forward matters.

“Every brick on the road ahead should have our name on it,” Tanya said. Tanya added that the show also carries this spirit. “At the end of the tunnel, after the darkest moments, hope rests in us,” she said.

Power of storytelling

Tanya also spoke about making women's representation in storytelling the norm, rather than a novelty. "If we're one half of society, every story must have that representation," she exclaimed.

"There are stories like Delhi Crime where women take the lead, but there are other stories where they do not. But I think it is really about what the story is and what the right lens for it is. I think the beauty is to be telling a story authentically without really colouring it with a gender lens."

Director Tanuj Chopra described the process of keeping the show grounded, saying he avoids thinking about pressure or audience expectations while filming. 

"You have to ask yourself if the scene feels real,” he said. “Do I believe Shefali? Do I believe Huma?” He said this honesty shapes the show’s tone. When the actors stay truthful, the world around them feels truthful too.

Michael Hogue concurred, expressing that authenticity matters more than drama, because the show’s power comes from truth, not exaggeration.

"We had many conversations on how the seasons grow, but not to be exploitive or jump the shark," Michael said, describing how the show balances a serious topic with entertainment.

"We did not want the show to be anything other than its DNA, which is authentic and understands the psychology of the [characters]... For us, it was about remaining true to the elevated storytelling of the show and not compromising on the entertainment."

Delhi Crime Season 3 continues that commitment to confronting violence while still keeping viewers invested in the people at the heart of it. As the team reflects, they bring to screen haunting stories that are handled with honesty and sensitivity, reminding us that change begins when we stop looking away.