Black Widows Webseries

Black Widows Webseries Cast, Review, Wiki, Story, Trailer, Release date and more

Black Widows is an Indian web series from Zee5. The Hindi web series release date is 18 December 2020. It is available Zee5 website and official app to watch online. The web series belongs to the crime thriller genre. It is written and directed by Birsa Dasgupta.

Black Widows Story (Zee5)

The plot revolves around the life of three wives. They decide to kill their abusive husbands with a foolproof plan. Things take a tough turn as they face issues in the process. Can they survive and stay safe in the act?

Black Widows web series cast includes Swastika Mukherjee, Mona Singh in the lead role. This is a long-awaited Hindi web series.

Check out below for Black Widows Web Series (2020): Cast, Release date, Full HD episodes, High-Speed online streaming, Watch All Episodes.

Black Widows Zee5 Cast & Roles

• Mona Singh
• Shamita Shetty
• Swastika Mukherjee
• Raima Sen
• Parambrata Chattopadhyay
• Sharad Kelkar
• Nikhil Bhambri

Black Widows Zee5 Release Date

18 December 2020

Watch Black Widows Online on Zee5

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The Perfect Crime, The Imperfect Aftermath: Unpacking the Dark Humor of ZEE5’s ‘Black Widows’

In the ever-expanding landscape of Indian streaming content, certain series manage to stand out by blending a dark, edgy premise with a distinct cultural flair. ZEE5’s ‘Black Widows’ is one such offering. Released in late 2020, this Hindi-language web series is an official adaptation of a popular international format, bringing a twist of black comedy and feminist revenge to the Indian screen. It’s a story of three best friends who, tired of their abusive, misogynistic husbands, decide the only way to achieve freedom is to orchestrate a murder—a seemingly perfect crime that unravels into a messy, compelling web of dark secrets, sharp wit, and unexpected consequences.

The Origin Story: Adapting a Global Phenomenon

The Indian Black Widows series is far from an original concept, but rather the eighth international adaptation of a highly successful Finnish drama called Mustat Lesket (Black Widows), which premiered in 2014. The original show’s success led to remakes in several countries, including the Middle East, Mexico, Scandinavia, and the Czech Republic, solidifying its status as a robust narrative format.

The core premise remains consistent across all versions: three friends conspire to kill their husbands, who are not only abusive but also involved in a dark professional nexus, promising the women a life of liberation and luxury. The Indian version, adapted by writer Radhika Anand and directed by Birsa Dasgupta, successfully transposed this Nordic noir concept into a distinct Indian setting, primarily shot in Kolkata.

The Plot: Three Wives and a Boat Explosion

The series centers on three women, each facing a unique brand of marital misery:

• Veera Mehrotra (Mona Singh): The apparent leader and planner of the group, married to Jatin, a wealthy but deeply controlling and abusive man who even threatens his own daughter.
• Jayati Sardesai (Swastika Mukherjee): A strong-headed woman whose husband, Lalit, is a physically abusive monster who beats her behind closed doors.
• Kavita Tharoor (Shamita Shetty): The most naive and seemingly airheaded of the three, whose husband, Rameez, treats her like a commodity, even sharing her with his friends.

Tired of living in fear, the women collectively decide that suicide is not the answer, but murder is the only viable path to emancipation. Their plan is simple: place a bomb on a boat during a seaside trip the three husbands are taking together.

The initial plot goes off with a literal bang, but the ensuing events quickly complicate their newfound freedom. The major twist, which forms the spine of the series, is the survival of one husband: Jatin Mehrotra (Sharad Kelkar). Jatin goes into hiding, secretly plotting his revenge and attempting to uncover which of the three women, or perhaps an external entity, tried to kill him. Simultaneously, the investigation into the mysterious boat explosion is handed over to the sharp-witted Inspector Pankaj Mishra (Parambrata Chattopadhyay), whose growing suspicions threaten to expose the ‘merry widows’.

A Study in Contrast: Dark Comedy Meets Hard Reality

Black Widows successfully navigates the complex tone of a dark comedy-drama. The series juxtaposes the women’s initial celebration of their liberation—their newfound financial freedom, the pursuit of new relationships, and a general lightness of being—against the grim reality of their crime and the mounting pressure of the investigation.

The show’s thematic depth lies in its unflinching look at domestic abuse and patriarchy. The husbands are depicted as uniformly monstrous, making the audience complicit in the women’s desire for vengeance. As Mona Singh stated, the series is a women-centric show that puts three women at center stage, exploring an experience rarely seen in the OTT space. Swastika Mukherjee highlighted the message of the series: “Every king meets his fate, with a Queen’s checkmate!”.

The element of dark humor is largely carried by the character of Kavita, played by Shamita Shetty. Kavita’s often frivolous and dramatic reactions, and her struggles with her newfound ‘widow’ status, provide much of the comedic relief. One reviewer noted that her character, with lines like “I have tried adulting and it simply didn’t work,” often turned out to be one of the show’s most hilarious elements.

The Art of Adaptation: Production Under Pressure

The series was primarily filmed in Kolkata (then Calcutta), with director Birsa Dasgupta facing the challenge of adapting the cool, controlled setting of the Nordic original into a vibrant, Indian milieu. This feat of transformation was made all the more difficult by the fact that the entire 12-episode, 450-minute series was shot in just four primary locations over a period of 60 days, all while adhering to strict safety protocols during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director Dasgupta and his cinematographer, Subhankar Bhar, had to be highly innovative to make the same four locations look and feel different throughout the series. They achieved this by masterfully manipulating light, using multiple sources to change the mood and tone from scene to scene, essentially using light as a character in itself to convey the changing psychological landscape of the three protagonists.

A particularly interesting element of the cast involves a generational connection between the Indian film industries of Bengal and Bollywood. Director Birsa Dasgupta revealed a unique record on set: he directed Raima Sen, whose mother is Moon Moon Sen (whom Birsa’s father, Raja Dasgupta, had directed) and whose grandmother is the legendary Suchitra Sen (whom Birsa’s grandfather, Harisadhan Dasgupta, had directed). This three-generation connection across a director and actress family lineage is considered a historical, perhaps even world, record in the audio-visual art form.

Critical Acclaim and Performance Highlights

Black Widows was met with a spectrum of reviews upon its release, with critics generally praising the core concept and the lead performances, while pointing out some flaws in the execution of the overarching plot.

Performance Analysis

• Swastika Mukherjee was widely praised, with one critic stating she “steals the show as the strong-headed yet emotionally smothered Jayati,” balancing pathos with comedy.
• Mona Singh’s performance as the calculating but conflicted Veera was noted for her solid and engaging portrayal of the group’s anchor.
• Sharad Kelkar received accolades for his chilling yet charismatic depiction of Jatin Mehrotra, the unexpected survivor, managing to hold his own in a women-dominated cast.
• Parambrata Chattopadhyay as Inspector Pankaj Mishra, the detective trying to piece together the crime, was also commended for his nuanced and grounded performance.

Critical Opinion

Many critics found the series to be an “enthralling murder mystery with a dash of dark humour” and praised its smart casting. However, some reviews were mixed. The series was criticized by a few for being “draggy and aimless” with an unnecessary number of sub-plots and characters that made the narrative convoluted. In one instance, a critic felt that “Too Much Hamming Ruins This Otherwise Average Mystery,” suggesting a lack of finesse in the direction needed for a murder mystery. The consensus, however, was that the strong premise and the performances of the lead women largely carried the show over its structural inconsistencies.

Accolades: Screenplay Success

Despite some mixed views on pacing and subplots, the quality of the writing was officially recognized. In 2022, the series was honored with a significant industry award.

• The ZEE5 series ‘Black Widows’ won the Best Screenplay Award at the 21st ITA Awards (Indian Television Academy Awards).
• The award was presented to writer Radhika Anand for her successful adaptation of the Finnish drama into the Indian context.

The win validates the core strength of the series—its compelling narrative structure and dialogues—which managed to resonate deeply with the jury despite some criticisms of the overall execution.

Conclusion

Black Widows stands as an ambitious and noteworthy entry in the Indian OTT space. It is a show that is at once a critique of patriarchal abuse and a celebration of female agency, even if that agency comes at the cost of criminal actions. The series effectively translates the dark humor and twisted thriller elements of its international format, anchored by a powerful ensemble cast, particularly Mona Singh, Swastika Mukherjee, and Shamita Shetty. While its 12-episode run may have felt over-extended to some, the series is a thrilling watch for those who appreciate dark comedy, complex character dynamics, and an intriguing whodunit—or, in this case, a ‘who-tried-to-do-it-better’ plot.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q1: What is the ‘Black Widows Webseries’ and where can I watch it? A: The ‘Black Widows Webseries’ is an Indian Hindi-language dark comedy-crime thriller streaming on ZEE5. It is an official remake of the popular 2014 Finnish series Mustat Lesket. The series follows three married women who plot to murder their abusive husbands to regain their freedom.

Q2: Who are the main cast members of the ZEE5 series ‘Black Widows’? A: The main cast features Mona Singh as Veera Mehrotra, Swastika Mukherjee as Jayati Sardesai, and Shamita Shetty as Kavita Tharoor, the three wives. The series also stars Sharad Kelkar as Jatin Mehrotra (one of the husbands) and Parambrata Chattopadhyay as Inspector Pankaj Mishra.

Q3: Is the ‘Black Widows Webseries’ based on a true story or another show? A: The ‘Black Widows Webseries’ is not based on a true story, but it is an official remake of the popular Finnish dark comedy-crime series Mustat Lesket (Black Widows). The Indian version is the eighth international adaptation of the original Finnish show.

Q4: What is the central plot twist in ‘Black Widows’? A: The central plot twist occurs after the three women bomb a boat carrying their husbands. While they believe they are free, one of the husbands, Jatin Mehrotra (played by Sharad Kelkar), miraculously survives the blast and goes into hiding, plotting his revenge and seeking to uncover who tried to kill him.

Q5: Did the ‘Black Widows’ web series win any awards? A: Yes, the ZEE5 series Black Widows won the Best Screenplay Award at the 21st ITA Awards (Indian Television Academy Awards). The award was presented to the series’ writer, Radhika Anand, for her adaptation.

Q6: What makes ‘Black Widows’ a ‘dark comedy’? A: Black Widows is classified as a dark comedy because it deals with the extremely serious and dark subject matter of domestic abuse and murder, but the narrative is told with an overlay of humor, irony, and satire. The comedic elements arise from the women’s inept attempts at covering up the crime and their celebratory, yet messy, post-murder life.

Q7: Where was the ‘Black Widows’ web series filmed? A: The series was predominantly filmed in Kolkata (then Calcutta), with director Birsa Dasgupta and his team overcoming the challenges of shooting in a limited number of locations (just four main locations) during the COVID-19 pandemic.