Overview
Bombay Begums is an Indian English-language drama web series created and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava. The six-episode series premiered on Netflix on 8 March 2021, coinciding with International Women's Day. Set in contemporary Mumbai, it follows the intersecting lives of five women navigating ambition, sexuality, family, and workplace dynamics in urban India.
Key facts
| Title | Bombay Begums |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Alankrita Shrivastava |
| Directed by | Alankrita Shrivastava, Bornila Chatterjee |
| Language | Hindi, English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Original release | 8 March 2021 |
| Distributor | Netflix |
| Setting | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
Premise
The series centres on five women from different generations and social backgrounds whose lives converge in Mumbai. The narrative explores themes including gender discrimination at the workplace, sexual harassment, infidelity, motherhood, adolescence, sex work, and the pursuit of professional success in a male-dominated corporate environment. The story is anchored around a fictional bank where several of the principal characters work.
Cast
- Pooja Bhatt as Rani Irani Bhanot, the CEO of the bank
- Shahana Goswami as Fatima Warsi, an ambitious executive
- Amruta Subhash as Lakshmi Gondhali / Lily, a bar dancer and sex worker
- Plabita Borthakur as Ayesha Agarwal, a young professional from a small town
- Aadhya Anand as Shai Irani Bhanot, Rani's stepdaughter
- Vivek Gomber as Deepak Sanghvi
- Rahul Bose as Naushad Bhanot
- Manish Chaudhari as Mahesh Rao
- Imaad Shah as Ron
- Danish Husain as Iqbal Sheikh
Production
The series was produced under the banner Endemol Shine India for Netflix. Alankrita Shrivastava, known for the films Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016) and Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare (2019), conceived and wrote the show, with co-writing credits including Iti Agarwal. Bornila Chatterjee co-directed selected episodes. The title alludes to the historical figure of the begum and reframes it for contemporary urban women.
Reception
Critical reception was generally positive, with reviewers highlighting the performances of Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami and Amruta Subhash, and the series' frank treatment of women's interior lives in urban India. Some critics felt that the layered storytelling at times became uneven across the six episodes.
NCPCR notice
Shortly after release, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) raised objections to the depiction of minors in certain scenes and wrote to Netflix seeking a halt to streaming of the show pending review. The matter drew commentary on content regulation for streaming platforms in India following the introduction of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Significance
Bombay Begums is regarded as part of a wave of Indian streaming productions that placed women's narratives at the centre, alongside titles such as Four More Shots Please! and Made in Heaven. It contributed to ongoing discussions on representation of women, workplace harassment, and class divisions in Indian popular culture. The show was also cited in discussions on creative freedom and regulation of OTT content in India during 2021.