Women now lead drug cartels, at least on OTT! Here is a look at some of the leading ladies who are navigating the lanes of crime

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Crime dramas, especially based on mafia and drug abuse, have been the hottest selling topic on OTT. While international series on drug abuse like Breaking Bad, Narcos, El Chapo and Ozark became an instant favourite among the audience, we look at the latest trend of female protagonists engulfed in drug mafia.

Worth a comeback
Aarya

Some Bollywood actresses have reinvented themselves through OTT. For instance, Sushmita Sen in Aarya, an Indian crime-thriller drama, currently streaming on Disney Hotstar. Co-created by Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Modi, Sushmita plays the titular character. After Aarya’s pharmaceutical magnate husband is slain, her entire family is targeted by the drug mafia. The series follows her development into the mafia queen who seeks retribution. In July 2022 the makers confirmed the show’s third season. Recently, the programme received a nomination for best Drama Series at the International Emmy Awards.

Aging like fine wine
Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo

Dimple Kapadia has impressed with her lead character in Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo, released in May this year. Flamingo signifies a unique drug. The series is already confirmed for a sequel as it left the viewers on a cliff-hanger. The Hotstar special series is directed by Homi Adajania.

Undercover agent
She

Actress Aaditi Pohankar first got noticed opposite Riteish Deshmukh in Marathi film Lai Bhaari in 2014. But she was reintroduced to the viewers with two big series of 2020 She and Aashram. The former is a Netflix series about drug trafficking business and how as an undercover agent, Bhumi Pardeshi (Aaditi), becomes the big part of the racket. A police constable, who was just doing her duty by spying on a drug lord as his girlfriend, falls in love and thus follows a crime drama. Created and written by Imtiaz Ali and Divya Johry, the series is renewed for third season. It is scheduled for release this year.

Film extravaganza
Good Luck Jerry

Starring Janhvi Kapoor, this one is a Hindi black comedy crime film that got direct-to-OTT release in July, 2022. Streaming on Disney Hotstar, it marked directorial debut of Sidharth Sengupta. Besides Janhvi Kapoor, it also stars Mita Vashisht, Deepak Dobriyal, Neeraj Sood and debutant Samta Sudiksha in pivotal roles. It narrates the story of a girl, Jerry, who gets involved in drug peddling in order to earn money for her ailing mother’s treatment.

Look west

These are some of the shows from the West that showcase women involved in drug cartels.

La Reina del Sur Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s book by the same name served as the inspiration for the tele-novela La Reina del Sur. Teresa Mendoza, played by Kate del Castillo, a gullible lady and the girlfriend of a Mexican drug trafficker, rises to the position of drug cartel head after her boyfriend is killed. It began streaming in 2011.

Queen of The South An American crime drama television series, this one is an adaptation of Spanish series La Reina del Sur. While the latter concluded with three seasons, the American adaptation went on for five seasons and concluded on June 9, 2021. It won Best Primetime Television Series Drama award by Imagen Awards.

Mama Weed A French crime comedy film, it is based on Cayre’s 2017 novel The Godmother. It had its world premiere at the L’Alpe d’Huez Film Festival in January 2020. It is directed by Jean-Paul Salomé and stars Isabelle Huppert. This series received an award of Best Adaptation in Cesar Awards in 2021.

MDMA MDMA (also known as Cardinal X or Angie X) is an American crime drama film released in the United States in select theatres. It was written and directed by Angie Wang. It’s about a young woman, Angie, who has a difficult time affording college studies and develops her own method to make MDMA. She begins manufacturing and slowly becomes its biggest supplier.

(Inputs by Siya Chawla)