If the series has a weakness, it is in its middle episodes (7–10), where Ashraf’s rise to power becomes slightly repetitive — she outsmarts a rival, only to face a new betrayal. Additionally, while the show claims loose inspiration from real events, it occasionally sacrifices historical coherence for dramatic convenience (e.g., police timelines are compressed). However, these are minor flaws in an otherwise tight narrative.
Ek Thi Begum Season 1 is more than a binge-worthy crime thriller. It is a feminist revision of the gangster genre, asking: What happens to the women left behind when the “king” falls? The answer, per the show, is that they become queens — not through destiny, but through the brutal calculus of survival. Ashraf Bhatkar’s journey from begum (a wife, a consort) to ek thi begum (once there was a woman who ruled) is a testament to how power can emerge from the most unlikely places: grief, motherhood, and a quiet refusal to be erased. For viewers tired of male anti-heroes, this series offers a compelling, haunting alternative.
Rating (for reference): 8/10 – Essential viewing for fans of Mirzapur or Sacred Games, but with a distinctly female gaze.
Ek Thi Begum (2020) is a 14-episode crime-thriller on MX Player depicting a woman's transformation into a, underworld force to avenge her husband's murder, inspired by true events in the 1980s. Led by Anuja Sathe, the series focuses on themes of corruption and vengeance as the protagonist dismantles a criminal empire from within. For more details, visit
Title: The Anti-Heroine’s Revenge: A Critical Analysis of Ek Thi Begum (Season 1) Ek Thi Begum -2020- Season 1 All 14 Episodes 72...
Abstract
This paper examines the MX Player web series Ek Thi Begum (2020), created by Sachin Darekar. Set against the backdrop of 1980s Mumbai, the series subverts the traditional gangster genre by placing a female protagonist, Ashraf Bhatkar, at the center of a revenge saga. This analysis explores the show’s narrative structure, its engagement with the "grim-dark" aesthetic of Indian crime dramas, and the transformation of the protagonist from a dutiful wife to a mythical avenger. The paper argues that while the series relies on genre tropes—violence, stylized cinematography, and a labyrinthine plot—its core strength lies in its commentary on gender dynamics within the patriarchal underworld of the Global South.
Runtime: 25 min
The police demand a bribe to release Ashok’s body. Saida has ₹500. Inspector Shinde mocks her: “Begum, your husband owed us protection money. Now you pay the corpse tax.” Saida sells her mangalsutra. At the funeral, Manya Surve arrives to “condole” but essentially takes over Bhatkar’s territory. Saida asks her son to fetch her the tawa (flat pan). Symbolism begins.
Useful Feature:
"Character & Gang Hierarchy Map" If the series has a weakness, it is
Why useful:
The show has multiple real-life inspired names and shifting loyalties. A visual map helps track who's who.
| Actor | Character | Role Description | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Anuja Sathe | Begum (Saida) | The protagonist. A shy cook who becomes a gangster. | | Uday Tikekar | Ashok Bhatkar (Saida’s husband) | Small-time gangster whose death triggers the plot. | | Suhas Shirsat | Manya Surve (Antagonist) | The ambitious rival gang leader. | | Makarand Padhye | Patil | Corrupt politician. | | Ramesh Pardeshi | Inspector Shinde | Police officer caught in the middle. |
Note on Performance: Anuja Sathe, known for Marathi cinema (Katyar Kaljat Ghusali), delivers a career-defining performance. She transitions from a timid, dupatta-clad wife to a stone-eyed don without overacting. Her silence in key scenes is more terrifying than any dialogue.
Runtime: 24 min
Saida spreads a rumor that she is fleeing to Nepal with the ledger. Manya sets an ambush at Panvel highway. But Saida never leaves. Instead, she sends her look-alike sister, Mehrun, dressed in her clothes. The highway ambush is a distraction. While Manya’s men are away, Saida enters Manya’s fortified safehouse—through the sewage drain. Ek Thi Begum (2020) is a 14-episode crime-thriller
Runtime: 28 min (Longest episode)
The series’ action centerpiece. Saida plans her first major assault. She uses women from the chawl as couriers (police never frisk women). While Manya’s men collect extortion at the Sassoon Dock fish market at 4 AM, Saida’s squad arrives disguised as fish cleaners. A 7-minute single-take shootout choreography. Manya escapes, but Saida captures his accountant and the real ledger.
Ek Thi Begum deliberately avoids glorifying violence. Where male-driven gangster shows revel in stylized shootouts and monologues about honor, this series frames violence as messy, desperate, and psychologically corrosive. Ashraf does not learn to fire a gun in a montage; when she finally pulls the trigger (in Episode 9), her hands shake, and she vomits afterward. This is not empowerment as entertainment — it is empowerment as trauma.
Furthermore, the series critiques the very structure of the mumbai underworld. Aslam’s men are not loyal lieutenants but opportunistic scavengers. They initially mock Ashraf’s attempts to lead, only to follow her once she proves strategically smarter than them. The show thus reveals that patriarchy is not just external (rival gangs, police) but internal (her own male subordinates). Ashraf succeeds not by becoming “one of the boys” but by exploiting the very traits they dismiss — her attention to detail, her ability to wait and listen, and her understanding of family as leverage.