Black Warrant is an Indian series on Netflix based on the non-fiction book of the same name. (affiliate link). In 1981, desperate for work, recent college graduate Sunil Gupta (Zahan Kapoor) takes a job as a jailer at Delhi’s notorious Tihar Jail, home to ruthless gangs and India’s most famous criminals. A measured, serious, and morally upstanding man, Sunil learns some hard-earned lessons during his tenure. Along the way, he advocates for the prisoners, many of whom remain in jail simply because they are too poor to pay for a lawyer. Black Warrant is a fascinating look at prison life, as well as a view into Indian society in the 1980’s.
See what other Indian crime dramas we recommend here.
Tihar Jail
In 1981, The Central Jail of Delhi, known as Tihar Jail, had 16 sections, 1300 inmates and a small staff. The actual capacity of the jail was 800, but the courts were too busy to process cases, so Tihar gets more and more crowded, leading to inhumane conditions. Some prisoners are infamous, such as Charles Sobhraj, who murdered several young people on the “Hippie Trail” in Asia. (If you haven’t seen it yet, watch the excellent series about him called The Serpent on Netflix) As Deputy Superintendent Tomar (Rahul Bhat) tells his new hires, “In every prison, it’s not the guards that run it; it’s the inmates.” In Tihar, one gang controls the drug trade within the jail, another the bootlegged alcohol smuggling, while smaller gangs plot their ascension. It’s not just murderers in Tihar; Ward B houses intellectual and other white-collar criminals, which is a plot point in episode 2. Although there have been reforms to help prisoners by providing education and meditation over the last 40 years, Tihar remains as crowded as ever.
For information on a documentary about Tihar called Doing Time, Doing Vipassana, click here.
Characters
Sunil is college educated, but in 1981 Delhi, there are no jobs. He is close to his family, and wants to help out financially when his father is forced to retire early due to eye problems. Sunil is very slight, and when he applies as a jailer, he is told that he is too small for the job, but he talks his way into it. His intellect helps in some ways, but gets him into trouble in others, such as contradicting his superior officer. Unfortunately for Sunil, being a jailer garners no respect in society. In fact, his mother tries to keep her son’s job a secret, but Sunil is proud of it, and refuses to hide it. Sunil is hired with two other men, jokester Vipin Dahiya (Anurag Thakur), who shares his colleagues’ penchant for using violence on the prisoners, and Shivraj Singh Mangat (Paramvir Cheema), a beefy and kind Sikh. Their superior officer, Rajesh Tomar, is tough and savvy. He keeps the jail running relatively peacefully by allowing, and profiting from, the gangs’ business. He and Sunil, whom he refers to as “the saint”, butt heads often.
Click here to see what else we recommend on Netflix
Our Take on Black Warrant
Black Warrant is a well-paced, juicy, behind-the-scenes look at a notorious prison. The character journey of an idealistic rookie learning hard truths about human nature is a familiar formula, but there’s always room for a well-told story in that vein. Each episode is another lesson, with the overarching theme of “trust no one.” Sunil is kind of humorless, but he means well. The struggle to make lasting change in a hopeless place eats at his soul, and worries his family. I have two small complaints: one is that the prison, which is maligned for its conditions, doesn’t seem that bad, probably because we don’t see it through the eyes of a prisoner. The second is that in every episode, I was a little confused. I think this is a “lost in translation” thing. Each episode features an incident that is well-known in Indian culture, but unknown here. They try to explain it through flashbacks or dialogue, but sometimes it remains unclear. Ultimately, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the series. As always, I appreciate the view into another culture, and Black Warrant delivers.
Looking for more of the best in foreign TV? Don’t miss our other great reviews HERE!
