Oct 07, 2026 8:01pm IST
Shefali Shah Would Love to Return for ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 4: ‘I Think DCP Vartika Would Definitely Create a Helpline’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The love and acclaim for Netflix’s “Delhi Crime” and actor Shefali Shah are easily explained. When the horrors persist for women in the real world, it is true crime documentaries and crime dramas that help them channel their fear, rage, hyper-vigilance and empathy healthily. Especially when the series gives them a hero like DCP Vartika Chaturvedi, a character written brilliantly and elevated by Shah’s dynamic performance.
With almost a year since the series’ last outing, and the real-world situation having only worsened, audiences are eager for DCP Vartika to return. And fortunately, Shefali Shah is on the same page. Speaking exclusively to Variety India, the actor revealed that while she isn’t sure if a new season is on the cards, she’s definitely on board for putting on Vartika’s uniform for the fourth time.
Related Stories
“I don't even know if it's coming back, honestly,” Shah says. “I would love to do ‘Delhi Crime’ Season 4. I love Vartika, and I would love to go back to it. But I guess they need to find the right subject to talk about instead of just doing it for the heck of it. Because it's based on real cases, and they obviously need years to research.”
While the first season of “Delhi Crime,” which premiered in 2019 and won India its first International Emmy for Best Drama Series, was based on the 2012 Nirbhaya case, the subsequent two seasons have tackled robberies by the Chaddi Banyan Gang (Season 2) and sex trafficking (Season 3). However, in the time since the first season premiered and now, Indian streaming has been populated with several crime procedural dramas that cater to similar themes, such as “Dahaad,” “Kohrra” and more. But Shah strongly feels that while these films and series are all telling important stories that need to be told, “Delhi Crime” can still hold its own.
Popular on Variety
“There cannot be another show like ‘Delhi Crime’. There's nothing to match that. Yes, there are various stories being told by various people. If it's an important story and it has to be told, it will be repeated, and it will still vary from one film or show to another. Because their narrator, orator and creator are going to be different people.”
Finally, when asked what she wishes for Season 4 to tackle, if it does get made, Shah speaks with the conviction of an actor who knows their character inside out. “Everything. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. One thing Vartika would definitely do is create a helpline. And she'd personally attend to every call. Knowing Vartika, if she can save someone before it happens, that would be the ideal thing for her to do,” Shah concludes.
Comments are moderated. They may be edited for clarity and reprinting in whole or in part in Variety publications.