Black Warrant (Season 1/2025) series offers a captivating peek into the infamous Tihar Jail of Delhi. The protagonist of this Hindi series is Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Sunil Kumar Gupta (Zahan Kapoor), who is not the run-of-the-mill kind of Jailer in the largest jail in India, Tihar.
It is worth noting that this Indian series is based on “Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer”, a 2019 non-fiction book. Indian journalist -Sunetra Choudhury and the former superintendent of Tihar Prison in Delhi – Sunil Gupta, have written this non-fiction tale.
“Black Warrant” Depicts Riveting Tihar Jail Tales, That Take Us Back Into 1980s Era Of Charles Sobhraj, Ranga, Billa…
Spoiler Free Review: Black Warrant (S1/2025) Series
Trailer & Synopsis
When an upright officer Jailer Sunil Kumar Gupta (Zahan Kapoor) accepts a job at Tihar Jail, he vows to make amends after witnessing cold-blooded corruption within its walls. Inspired by true events, the Black Warrant series unravels a gripping tale of survival, power, and the haunting truths hidden behind prison walls. One jailer, thousands of criminals, and the dark secrets of a prison like never before. Notably, the title of the show “Black Warrant” means “Death Warrant“.
Key Details
Genre | Crime, Drama |
Original language | Hindi (and a little bit of English, Punjabi, Haryanvi, etc.) |
Season | First Season | Season (S1) One |
Episodes | Seven (7) Episodes |
Show Creator | Vikramaditya Motwane & Satyanshu Singh |
Writers | Vikramaditya Motwane, Arkesh Ajay, & Satyanshu Singh |
Directors | Vikramaditya Motwane, Arkesh Ajay, Satyanshu Singh, Ambiecka Pandit, & Rohin Raveendran |
Main Cast | Zahan Kapoor (Sunil Kumar Gupta), Rahul Bhat (DSP Rajesh Tomar), Paramvir Cheema (Shivraj Singh Mangat), Anurag Thakur (Vipin Dahiya), Sidhant Gupta (Charles Sobhraj), Puran Gabbi (Ranga), Ramnish Chaudhary (Billa), etc. |
Network | Netflix |
Motwane has come out with another good show
A while back, we reviewed another good show “Sacred Games” by the creator, writer, and director Vikramaditya Motwane in our magazine. Now, thankfully, right at the beginning of the new year 2025, he and his team are back with one more thought-provoking series. This time, the story has moved away from Mumbai (Sacred Games) to Delhi (Black Warrant), which offers an unfiltered insight into the lives of inmates and the jail staff members. The timeline of this tale is set in the late 1970s to early 1980s period when the Tihar was gaining its reputation as one of the most scandalous prisons in India. Many of its prisoners had earned their names by committing the most horrific crimes.
Tihar Jail is home to some of the hardened groups of dangerous criminals, who have committed the most heinous crimes in India. The harsh reality of sub-human life inside an Indian prison has been honestly depicted in this series. Although almost the entire series is shot inside prison premises, the tales of crimes and punishment are captivating to watch. So, kudos to all the creators, writers, directors, and entire team for making this eye-opening and thought-provoking show about life inside an Indian Prison. The screenplay and direction are top-class.
Zahan Kapoor leads a talented ensemble cast
For the first time, we watched Zahan Kapoor act in a series. He plays the lead character of ASP Sunil Kumar Gupta with rare sensitivity and sincerity. His subtle yet power-packed performance seemed realistic and natural. But, he is not alone. His colleagues in Jail looked like real-life jail staff members. Each of them, Rahul Bhat (DSP Rajesh Tomar), Paramvir Cheema (ASP Shivraj Singh Mangat), and Anurag Thakur (ASP Vipin Dahiya), portrayed their characters with a lot of flair. These four actors are the four pillars of this engaging prison drama. They use their minds and muscles to control the unruly criminals in the prison. And they make a useful team.
We have last seen Paramvir Cheema in the Chamak (2023) Series, another good series. In complete contrast to that show, herein Paramvir plays a mature and thoughtful young Sikh officer from Punjab in this show. This was especially true when the insurgency in Punjab was on the rise in the early 1980s period. Not to forget, both Rahul Bhat (DSP Rajesh Tomar) and Anurag Thakur (ASP Vipin Dahiya) have used colourful language to great effect. Unlike the protagonist ASP S K Gupta, both DSP Tomar and ASP Dahiya firmly believe that their rough dialect along with abuses would go a long way in controlling the shady prison inmates.
Moreover, Sidhant Gupta credibly portrayed the intelligent French serial killer Charles Sobhraj. He brought his sauve but sinister criminal minds to the fore.
The Ranga-Billa tale was eerie. We liked the genuine and authentic depiction of life inside a Jail in India. The rest of the ensemble cast also played their parts convincingly. Even in the small and minor roles, all the performers played their characters very well.
The Conclusion
Both the recently released shows, viz., the Black Warrant (S1) and the Paatal Lok (S2) have been great pastimes. It has been a good start for the Hindi Series in the New Year 2025. The Black Warrant show is thought-provoking and highlights the harsh realities of Indian Jails
FM Rating
FM Rating | 4.05/5 |
Poster

Spoilers Alerts: Episodes Summary & Ending Explained of this Tihar Jail Show
Summary of Seven (7) Episodes of the Season (1) One of this Hindi Series – Black Warrant (S1/2025)
The Snake (Saanp) | {S1, E1} 46 minutes
In 1981, Sunil Kumar Gupta joined Tihar Jail as a warden and learned more about its workings from DSP Rajesh Tomar. A surprise inspection leads to chaos.
Gallows (Phaansi Kothi) | {S1, E2} 45 minutes
As a death warrant is issued against prisoners Ranga and Billa, journalist Pratibha Sen seeks to interview them. Sunil makes a statement to the media.
Macho (Dhaakad) | {S1, E3} 38 minutes
An investigation into a jailbreak holds Mangat responsible. Meanwhile, Sunil learns more about the inmates who call Tihar home.
Team Player | {S1, E4} 47 minutes
Tomar urges the Haddis and Tyagis to reconcile when an incident sparks a gang war. Dahiya harbours a secret that later leads to a brawl with Sunil.
Prison Food (Jail ka Khaana) | {S1, E5} 39 minutes
Sunil pushes for legal aid reforms for prisoners, but an irate Tomar decides to punish him, even as both grapple with personal troubles.
The Blanket (Kambal) | {S1, E6} 43 minutes
The prisoners stage a hunger strike amidst poor living conditions. A high-profile inmate faces execution. Sunil makes a shocking discovery.
Double Life Sentence (Double Umar Qaid) | {S1, E7} 50 minutes
As nationwide riots break out, the prison becomes disarray and Tomar’s leadership is questioned. Sobhraj asks Sunil for a favor.
Ending Explained of the First Season Finale of the Black Warrant Series
When Charles Sobhraj escaped the Tihar Jail
On the 16th of March, 1986, Charles Sobhraj set in motion his daring plan to escape from Tihar prison. He arranged for a drug runner named Richard Hall to drive into the prison on a Sunday, bringing with him a basket of delicacies—grapes, apples, chocolates, custard pudding, barfi, and petha, all infused with the appropriate amount of sedatives. He justified the delivery of sweets by stating it was his birthday. The guards at Tihar prison, unaware of the danger, consumed the sweets and immediately fell into a deep slumber, allowing Sobhraj to escape from India’s most heavily fortified prison without challenge.
The character of Charles Sobhraj (Sidhant Gupta), is infamously recognized as the 'Bikini Killer' and 'Splitting Killer.' He is the central character in the eight-part miniseries 'The Serpent,' which was commissioned by the BBC and premiered in the UK in January 2021. Tahar Rahim plays the role of Sobhraj, and the series was subsequently made available for streaming on Netflix in April 2021.
So, the first season-ending suggests that we are going to see more of Sobhraj in the next season, besides the Tihar Jailers.
Bonus YouTube Video Link:
Tomar Gives a HARSH REALITY CHECK to Sunil Gupta | Black Warrant | Netflix India | YouTube.
The Poster and Featured Image of the Black Warrant (Season 1/2025) Series are credited to Netflix.
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