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Streaming service Prime Video released the first look of its upcoming psychological crime thriller Daldal at a special showcase during the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on Wednesday.
Daldal’s first look released
Directed by actor Bhumi Pednekar, the series is based on Vish Dhamija’s best-selling novel Bhendi Bazaar and follows Mumbai’s newly appointed DCP Rita Ferreira as her pursuit of a ruthless killer takes her into the city’s moral gray zone and forces her to confront buried memories.
Daldal is created for the series by Suresh Triveni and directed by Amrit Raj Gupta. The production hails from banner Abundantia Entertainment and also stars Aditya Rawal and Samara Tijori.
The first-look showcase included an exclusive teaser preview, followed by a conversation session titled Beyond the Stereotype: Redefining Women and Power in Modern Storytelling.
The session brought together Pednekar, Triveni, the writing team and Nikhil Madhok, director and head of originals, Prime Video India, to discuss the show’s exploration of female complexity and the platform’s broader vision for female-led stories.
Bhumi spoke openly about the challenging character
Pednekar said that the strength of her character Rita Ferreira lies in restraint.
“From the women in my house, I learned that power doesn’t have to be loud. It can be quiet, resilient, and rooted in constantly questioning the world around you. This is something I saw my mother do every day, and something Rita does too. She doesn’t say a lot, but she does a lot. If actions speak louder than words, I don’t think there’s a character who embodies that more than Rita Ferreira. Is,” said the actor.
He said that this character is one of the most challenging roles of his career.
“For the first time, I didn’t even have dialogue or expressive eyes to rely on. I had to communicate through the smallest physical cues: how her neck tightens with guilt or how her body reacts to anger.
She added, “It took several months to come out of it. But it was also very gratifying because I was pushed by a team that really believed in the complexity, the darkness, in writing anti-hero features for women. Very few characters like this are written for us.”
Madhok said Prime Video is intentionally expanding opportunities for women on-screen and behind the scenes.
“At Prime Video, our approach to female-driven storytelling is completely intentional. For decades, mainstream cinema has centered the male protagonist, while television has confined women to domestic narratives. Streaming allows us to break that pattern,” he said.
Producer Vikram Malhotra, founder and CEO of Abundantia Entertainment, said the company’s focus has always been on authentic stories rather than labels.
“The moment you start defining stories as female-led or male-led, you defeat the purpose. Stories should connect universally. Historically, cinema has chosen sides when portraying women – completely good or completely bad. In Abundantia, we embrace nuance and emotional truth,” she said, pointing to the banner’s previous projects like Shakuntala Devi, Sherni and Jalsa. Daldal will premiere soon on Prime Video.
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