Black Warrant (TV series)

Production

In June 2020, Vikramaditya Motwane announced he would adapt the 2019 non-fiction book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer into a streaming series. Motwane's Andolan Films and journalist Josy Joseph's Confluence Media acquired the rights, then Applause Entertainment took over and produced the series over two and a half years before selling it to Netflix. Zahan Kapoor was cast as Sunil Gupta through a blind audition, while Rahul Bhat was cast after Motwane saw his performance in Kennedy (2023). Other jailers in the series were fictional or composites.

Reception

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote that the series attempts to unpack the intricate power structure and showcase caste-and-religious hierarchies in Tihar Jail. Scroll.in's Nandini Ramnath called it a grim show about the brutalities of prison life, praising cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi, production designer Mukund Gupta, and Rahul Bhat's performance. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV described it as a piercing look at Tihar and an absorbing story of a baptism by fire, impressed by a male protagonist who upends notions of belligerence. Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India termed it skilfully written, performed and crafted, noting its ability to subvert easy tropes.

The Hindu's Shilajit Mitra wrote that the series is grim and discomfiting, with flashes of levity reinforcing the tone, and appreciated performances by Bhat, Zahan Kapoor, and Rajendra Gupta. Shajin Shrijith of The Wire compared its quality to Paatal Lok and Kohrra. Netflix reported 2.3 million viewers streamed the series in its first three days.