Shalini Pandey

OTT Review: Dabba Cartel – Telugu dubbed web series on Netflix

by 123telugu March 6, 2025

Dabba Cartel Web Series Review

Release Date : February 28, 2025
123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Starring : Shabana Azmi, Gajraj Rao, Jyothika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Anjali Anand, Sai Tamhankar, Jisshu Sengupta, Lillete Dubey, Bhupendra Singh Jadawat, and others
Director : Hitesh Bhatia
Producer : Excel Media & Entertainment
Music Director : Gaurav Raina, Tarana Marwah

Cinematographer : Eeshith Narain
Editor : Manas Mittal, Prakashit Jha
Related Links : Trailer

Dabba Cartel is the latest crime thriller series that premiered on Netflix. Set against the backdrop of drug peddling, the series is directed by Hitesh Bhatia and features several prominent female actors in lead roles. Check out our review to see how the series fared.

Story:

Dabba Cartel’s story is set in Mumbai. After a pharmaceutical company’s unauthorized drugs cause several mishaps, Food and Drugs Safety Officer Pathak (Gajraj Rao) begins an investigation to unfold the truth. On the other hand, several women involved in the ‘Dabba’ business – Raji (Shalini Pandey), Maala (Nimisha Sajayan), and Shahida (Anjali Anand) – get entangled in this case. Sheela (Shabana Azmi) and Varuna (Jyothika) also get involved in this shady business. The story unravels the mystery behind the mafia, the link between the pharmaceutical company and the ‘Dabba’ business ladies.

Plus Points:

Dabba Cartel is crafted as a crime thriller with a drug-peddling backdrop. The show engages viewers with its tightly knitted screenplay and unexpected twists. The first episode establishes the lead characters and their connections with one another.

Dabba Cartel consists of 7 episodes. The show explores the relationship between the characters well, especially the women involved in the ‘Dabba’ business. The emotional journey of the women is well portrayed. The changing shades and dynamics of the characters and their development as the story progresses are well depicted.

The relationships between the lead characters and the bold elements within the storyline are portrayed in a detailed manner. As the investigation into the drug business progresses, the efforts of the drugs officer, along with the police, add to the appeal. The revelation of the main antagonist at the right time will leave the audience impressed. The performances of all the actors are captivating.

Minus Points:

Despite the twists and riveting performances by the lead actors, the narration lacks proper pace, making it hard for viewers to quickly connect with the characters. The series has good content and ample scope for performances, but it misses some gripping elements that are key to keeping the viewers engaged.

The series has far too many characters, and it works against it. Director Hitesh Bhatia couldn’t succeed in preventing the story from deviating. As the plot unfolds, several scenes feel boring due to excessive length, and the introduction of too many new characters often gets tiresome. Certain lengthy scenes drag on and on, testing the audience’s patience.

Despite featuring solid content, the series ends up being more of a routine crime series rather than a gripping thriller. Had the makers paid more attention to the screenplay, music, and editing, the outcome could have been different.

Performances:

Shalini Pandey, Nimisha Sajayan, and Anjali Anand deliver solid performances as women involved in the ‘Dabba’ business. Nimisha, in particular, stands out with her performance. The highlight of the series is Shabana Azmi. It looks like Jyothika, despite being a seasoned actor, is given less prominence. The rest of the actors do justice to their roles.

Technical Aspects:

While director Hitesh Bhatia chose a good story, he couldn’t succeed in executing it properly. Despite a good story and strong performances, the series fails to capitalize on these elements. The narrative could have been more gripping, and the background score complements the drama that unfolds, though the songs that appear midway can be tedious. Cinematography is decent, but editing could have been better. Several scenes needed trimming. The production values are good.

Verdict:

Dabba Cartel features riveting content needed for a good crime thriller series. However, the director failed to translate the thrill factor perfectly, resulting in a boring and lackluster show. The story loses its track due to the presence of far too many characters. Fans of the crime thriller genre might want to explore other options.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

March 6, 2025

Review : Nishabdam – Nothing Special

by 123telugu October 3, 2020

Release date : October 2nd,2020

123telugu.com Rating :2.5/5

Starring : Anushka Shetty, Madhavan, Anjali, Shalini Pandey, Michael Madsen, Subbaraju

Director : Hemant Madhukar

Producers : TG Vishwa Prasad, Kona Venkat

Music : Girishh G, Gopi Sundar

Cinematography : Shaneil Deo

Editor : Prawin Pudi

So, continuing the series of reviewing movies and shows during the lockdown period, our today’s pick is the Telugu film Nishabdham. The film has skipped its theatrical release and is out on Prime Video. Let’s see how it is.

Story

The story is set in a haunted house in Seattle. In 1970, a couple dies there in mysterious circumstances. Years later, a couple with names Sakshi(Anushka) and Anthony(Madhavan) come there for a prestigious painting. In a sudden change of events, Anthony gets killed and Sakshi escapes from there. The case is handed over to cops Maha(Swathi) and Richard(Michel Madsen). Who killed Anthony? What is his relationship with Sakshi? and how did Maha solve the case forms the rest of the story.

Plus Points

The production values of the film are top-notch as the visuals are no less than a Hollywood film. Anushka leads from the front and is good in her role as a mute. Anushka did well with the sign language and her look is also good. Madhavan as always is superb in his crucial role. He brings a lot of depth to the film and his character has been justified quite well in the end.

Subba Raju gets a major role and he is quite effective. Anjali plays a US cop and looks her part. Coming to Richard Madsen, he is good only in the last stages of the film.

Shalini Pandey does well as the girl who is quite possessive. The film is started off in an interesting manner and the twists are revealed in a neat manner. A few scenes where Anjali chases Richard Madsen have been showcased quite well.

Minus Points

One of the biggest minus points of the film is the way the film is ended. Once the major twist is revealed, the film becomes hugely predictable. The pace slows down completely and too much time is wasted to showcase the clarity in the story. The film has some logical errors in the story. The way crimes are showcased in such an easy manner and how things are not tracked by US cops is a bit unbelievable.

Also, there is an easy doubt that arises in one’s mind that this particular person might be the villain in the film. Such things should have been showcased in a more gripping manner. Also, the film has a dull screenplay, and the way Shalini Pandey’s role is showcased in a very possessive manner looks a bit odd.

Though Anjali does her cop’s role well, too many liberties have been taken, and the way she dominates her seniors also looks a bit odd and that too in a country like the US.

Technical Aspects :

As said earlier, the production values of the film are top-notch. The camera work showcases the locations in the US in a good manner. The locations chosen, production design, everything is top-notch in this film. The BGM is also good but the dubbing especially for Michel Madsen’s character was worse and did not create much of an impact on his role.

Coming to the director Hemanth Madhukar, his idea of a thriller is pretty good and the way he starts the film with a lot of suspense is also neat. The way he brings the twist factor into the story was also neat but after a point, his narration is predictable and you can guess what is going to happen. The film is way too predictable in the last fifteen minutes or so. But Hemanth did well with the look and field and the basic aesthetics of the movie.

Verdict :

On the whole, Nishabdham has a decent premise and a good supporting cast. The suspense factor is also neat in the first half. But once the twists are revealed and the film nears the pre-climax, several logics are missed and things become way too predictable taking the tempo of the film down. The only thing we can suggest is not to go in thinking too much about Anushka’s solid screen presence or performance as that is missing in Nishandham. Watch it only if you have absolutely nothing else to do.

123telugu.com Rating : 2.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

October 3, 2020