New Netflix series about how Nirbhaya case was cracked
Award-winning Indo-Canadian filmmaker Richie Mehta’s latest work ‘Delhi Crime’ is a seven-part anthology series on the investigation into the 2012 Nirbhaya incident. It released on Netflix on March 22.
Richie says that it took six years of extensive research and hard work to put the series together. The young director interacted with the police officers who investigated the case and visited the spots where Nirbhaya was driven in a bus even as she was gang-raped, to get an idea of the real incident.
In an interview with Metrolife, Richie talks about the making of ‘Delhi Crime’.
What inspired you to make ‘Delhi Crime’?
A family friend in the Delhi police, who had retired six years ago, suggested I explore this subject. He knew my previous films and my style of filmmaking and believed that I could take this on. So I began my research and followed the court proceedings. This gave me an understanding of the crime and how it happened, who were responsible for it, how they were caught and where they come from.
What kind of research has gone into this series?
I began by meeting the officers concerned, tried to know them more and understand their emotions and points of view. I understood that there was much anger about the entire incident. I also discovered that the insights given by women officers were quite valuable.
Did you also work towards understanding how the city (Delhi) works?
Yes. I met many people who were involved with the case and we went to the concerned places; including spots where the manhunt was launched for the accused. For this, it was imperative to understand the geography and how the city works.
While telling a hard-hitting story, you have also taken a compassionate look at the incident…
I see no point in doing this if there is no compassion involved because I am trying to write a point of view that I have never seen in films. Empathy was the first emotion that came forward and I have tried to capture it throughout the series.
There’s a thin line between sensationalising the incident and portraying it sensitively. How did you manage to strike a balance?
I worked very carefully every single day for the last six years. It was the biggest challenge because every single decision had to be made sensitively. There was no room for any wrong moves.
We have consciously refrained from showing crime and graphic violence. What we have portrayed is a fictionalised and dramatic interpretation of the events.