Bombay Begums
Bombay Begums is a six-episode Indian Hindi-language drama web series created, co-written, and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava for Netflix.[1][2] Released on 8 March 2021, the series centers on five women from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds in modern Mumbai who grapple with professional ambitions, ethical dilemmas, personal vulnerabilities, and interpersonal conflicts within corporate and societal settings.[1][2] Starring Pooja Bhatt as Rani, a bank CEO navigating power dynamics and family pressures; Shahana Goswami as Lipika, an ambitious executive; Amruta Subhash as Lekha, a sex worker seeking stability; Plabita Borthakur as Ayesha, a young intern facing exploitation; and Aadhya Anand as Shai, a teenager dealing with adolescence and rebellion, the narrative intertwines their stories to examine themes of desire, resilience, and compromise in urban India.[1][2] The production marked a professional comeback for Bhatt and drew attention for its unflinching portrayal of women's agency amid systemic challenges, though it elicited mixed critical reception, with praise for acting and thematic boldness tempered by critiques of melodramatic elements and narrative inconsistencies.[3][2] The series sparked controversy shortly after release when India's National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) directed Netflix to remove scenes depicting minors in drug use and sexual contexts, arguing such content normalized harmful behaviors and potentially exploited young audiences; the commission also instructed Mumbai police to investigate compliance.[4][5] Netflix defended the depictions as reflective of real urban struggles without glorification, but the episode highlighted ongoing tensions between artistic expression and regulatory oversight on streaming platforms in India.[6] No second season has been produced as of 2024.[7]
Synopsis
Plot Overview
Bombay Begums centers on the interconnected lives of five women from varied socioeconomic backgrounds navigating the cutthroat world of Mumbai's investment banking sector, where professional ambitions collide with personal vulnerabilities and ethical quandaries.[2] The six-episode miniseries, released on Netflix on March 8, 2021, unfolds primarily in linear fashion with sparse use of flashbacks to reveal character backstories.[1] [8] The plot revolves around Rani Sahgal, the newly appointed CEO of a mid-sized bank, who contends with internal power struggles, a looming scandal tied to her family, and her own health challenges including menopause symptoms.[2] [9] Ambitious banker Fatima faces torn loyalties over a promotion offer amid workplace politics, while young intern Ayesha grapples with a critical error and attempts to advance despite setbacks.[1] Parallel storylines involve Shai, a club dancer aspiring for stability through elite connections, and other figures confronting social marginalization, family pressures, and illicit relationships that intersect with corporate machinations.[10] [11] Key events drive the narrative through escalating scandals, such as financial improprieties and personal indiscretions threatening reputations, alongside ruthless bids for influence within the bank that force characters into moral trade-offs for survival and success.[2] [12] These conflicts culminate in pivotal confrontations and choices that reshape alliances and individual trajectories by the series' end.[13]Key Character Arcs
Rani, the newly appointed CEO of Royal Bank of India, navigates a precarious ascent marked by aggressive maneuvers to consolidate power, including thwarting a scandal involving her stepson's vehicular incident that kills a child, which she initially covers up through personal connections. Her decisions, such as promoting Fatima despite internal rivalries and engaging in an extramarital affair to address personal dissatisfaction amid menopause, expose vulnerabilities that culminate in ethical reckonings; by the series finale, she publicly discloses past sexual assaults by a mentor, aiding the case against Deepak Sanghvi and reinforcing her authority through candid agency rather than evasion.[14][13] Fatima, Rani's subordinate eyeing promotion, grapples with conflicting loyalties as she accepts the role but pursues an affair with colleague Jeff, straining her marriage and leading to impulsive choices like firing Ayesha over a contract alteration that nearly derails a deal. Her arc hinges on indecision—initially doubting Ayesha's harassment claim against Deepak due to professional risks—before verifying evidence and confronting Deepak's wife, prompting his arrest; this shift from self-preservation to advocacy resolves her storyline with marital reconciliation, underscoring consequences of infidelity balanced by corrective actions.[15][13] Ayesha, a recent small-town arrival at the bank, commits an early error by unauthorizedly altering loan terms, resulting in termination by Fatima, followed by sexual harassment from client Deepak Sanghvi during a vulnerable period of financial desperation and sexual exploration. Her persistence in reporting the assault, despite skepticism and threats of defamation countersuits, leads to vindication as Fatima corroborates her account, enabling Deepak's arrest; this trajectory from naivety and passivity to assertive recovery highlights the fallout of misplaced trust and the agency in pursuing justice amid institutional doubt.[16][17] Lily, a bar dancer coerced into sex work after defaulting on debts, secures a bank welfare loan to establish a garment factory, representing a bid for economic independence that intersects with Ayesha's aid in navigating bureaucratic hurdles. Her choices, driven by survival needs including transactional relationships, yield partial redemption through business viability but underscore persistent marginalization without systemic overhaul, as personal resourcefulness yields incremental gains amid ongoing exploitation.[18][14] Shai, Rani's teenage stepdaughter and series narrator, transitions from resentment toward her stepmother—stemming from her biological mother's death—to tentative acceptance, while her infatuation with a peer draws her into risky behaviors including substance experimentation. This culminates in a fatal overdose, a direct consequence of unchecked youthful impulses and inadequate guidance, emphasizing individual missteps over external mitigations in her abbreviated arc.[6][19] These arcs converge in the finale through chained decisions: Ayesha's allegation prompts Fatima's investigation, which bolsters Rani's disclosure, collapsing Deepak's influence and averting broader bank fallout, with Lily's peripheral stability and Shai's tragedy serving as cautionary endpoints resolved via protagonists' volitional interventions rather than interdependence.[20]Cast and Characters
Lead Performers
Pooja Bhatt stars as Rani Singh Irani, the CEO of the fictional Royal Bank of Bombay, marking her full-fledged return to acting after a 21-year hiatus from lead roles, following a guest appearance in Sadak 2 in 2020.[21][22] Bhatt, daughter of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and known for her 1990s Bollywood hits like Aashiqui (1990), was cast in one of the primary roles announced in early 2020.[23] Shahana Goswami portrays Fatima Warsi, a character whose role was highlighted in casting updates from July 2020.[24][25] Goswami, with prior credits in independent films such as Zinda (2006) and Hindi Medium (2017), brings experience from Mumbai-centric projects to the series set in the city's financial district.[25] Amruta Subhash plays Lakshmi "Lipika" Gondhali, a bar dancer aspiring for upward mobility, as detailed in pre-release coverage from March 2021.[25] Subhash, a National School of Drama alumnus with roles in Marathi theater and films like Secret Superstar (2017), was part of the ensemble announced alongside Bhatt in mid-2020.[24] Plabita Borthakur appears as Ayesha Agarwal, contributing to the core female-led narrative, while Aadhya Anand debuts as a younger character in the five-episode series.[24][26] These casting choices were finalized by July 2020, emphasizing actors connected to Mumbai's cultural and performative landscape.[24]Supporting Ensemble
Rahul Bose portrays Mahesh Rao, a senior executive whose interactions in corporate boardroom sequences underscore power dynamics within the fictional Dream Finance bank.[2] Vivek Gomber plays Arijay Sinha, contributing to familial tension scenes that highlight domestic pressures alongside professional ambitions.[27] Manish Chaudhari appears as a colleague in office ensemble moments, facilitating depictions of workplace alliances and rivalries.[27] Danish Husain enacts Naushad Irani, adding layers to spousal interactions in home settings that intersect with the leads' career trajectories. Imaad Shah's role as Ron Fernandes supports group dynamics in urban social and professional gatherings, reflecting interpersonal complexities.[1] Child performers, including those in ancillary family roles, appear in sequences emphasizing generational contrasts within Mumbai households.[2] The supporting ensemble draws from India's diverse talent pool, incorporating actors of varied regional, linguistic, and religious origins—such as Parsi, Muslim, and Hindu backgrounds—to mirror Mumbai's multicultural demographics, where approximately 65% of the population is Hindu, 20% Muslim, and smaller communities like Parsis contribute to the city's cosmopolitan ethos.[28] This casting choice enhances authenticity in ensemble scenes portraying the city's stratified social fabric, without altering narrative focus from primary arcs.[29]Production Process
Concept and Development
Alankrita Shrivastava initiated development of Bombay Begums in 2013, motivated by discussions with her mother—a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad—who remarked on the scarcity of women from her cohort entering corporate careers, underscoring entrenched gender imbalances in professional spheres.[30] This personal insight fueled Shrivastava's vision to depict the ambitions, ethical dilemmas, and societal pressures faced by women navigating Mumbai's high-stakes banking environment, emphasizing their agency amid vulnerabilities.[30] By 2017, Shrivastava's Los Angeles-based agent pitched the concept to Netflix, securing its commission as an original series.[31] The project was formally unveiled on July 15, 2019, with Shrivastava credited as creator, primary writer, and director, alongside co-writer Bornila Chatterjee.[32][33] Executive production involved Chernin Entertainment and Endemol Shine India, aligning the series with global streaming standards for ensemble-driven narratives.[32] Shrivastava's approach incorporated empirical research into corporate dynamics, including interviews and observations of women in banking, which refined early script iterations to incorporate authentic depictions of sector-specific power structures and personal struggles, diverging from preliminary outlines to prioritize causal realities over idealized portrayals.[30] This groundwork ensured the characters' arcs reflected verifiable patterns in urban Indian women's professional trajectories, such as intergenerational conflicts and outsider integrations into elite finance circles.[30]Pre-Production and Writing
The script for Bombay Begums was created by Alankrita Shrivastava, who co-wrote it with Bornila Chatterjee. The concept emerged in 2012, rooted in Shrivastava's observations of ambitious women navigating dual lives in urban India, particularly the tensions between professional drive and societal constraints in Mumbai's corporate landscape.[34] A key catalyst was Shrivastava's discussion with her mother about barriers faced by women in high-achieving careers, such as internalized expectations around family and ambition.[35] Development advanced after securing backing from Chernin Entertainment and Netflix in 2017, enabling refinement of the six-episode structure. The writing emphasized intersecting arcs for five protagonists from diverse backgrounds, with dialogues crafted to mirror unfiltered professional interactions and personal vulnerabilities, informed by real-world insights into ethical compromises and power dynamics in banking.[34] Narrative choices prioritized episodic spotlights on individual dilemmas—ranging from career sabotage to moral trade-offs—where outcomes arise from direct causal chains of decisions, avoiding idealized interventions in favor of consequential accountability.[36] Scripting concluded prior to principal photography starting in late 2019, allowing production to proceed efficiently before disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] This timeline reflected deliberate pre-production focus on character-driven realism over expedited plotting, ensuring the series' portrayal of ambition's costs aligned with observable patterns in women's professional trajectories.Filming and Technical Aspects
Principal photography for Bombay Begums took place primarily in Mumbai, the series' setting as India's financial capital, to ground the narrative in authentic urban environments reflective of the banking sector's headquarters.[37] The production incorporated real city locations alongside constructed sets, including character residences tailored to embody their socioeconomic positions and personal traits, thereby enhancing the depiction's realism without relying on overt stylization.[31] Shooting commenced in late 2019 and concluded in early March 2020, mere weeks before India's nationwide COVID-19 lockdown began on March 25, 2020.[38] This timing spared the project from pandemic-induced disruptions, such as mandatory safety protocols, crew quarantines, or abbreviated schedules that plagued contemporaneous Indian productions.[38] The absence of such interruptions allowed for uninterrupted logistical execution, focusing resources on capturing Mumbai's dynamic streetscapes and professional interiors central to the story's plausibility.[31]Themes and Narrative Analysis
Core Themes
The series Bombay Begums examines the pursuit of ambition among women in Mumbai's competitive banking sector, portraying it as a drive fraught with personal and ethical trade-offs rather than unmitigated triumph over systemic barriers. Central to this is the depiction of ambition's corrosive effects, where characters grapple with self-induced pitfalls such as addiction and interpersonal betrayals, underscoring individual agency in moral lapses over external forces alone.[39][40] These elements reflect real-world dynamics in India's financial elite, where unchecked drive has led to scandals like the 2018 ICICI Bank controversy involving former CEO Chanda Kochhar, who faced allegations of loan irregularities tied to personal interests, highlighting how ambition can intersect with corruption irrespective of gender.[41] Intersecting class disparities amplify these tensions, as lower-strata aspirations collide with the insulated power structures of Mumbai's corporate towers, a city hosting India's largest banking hub with over 1,500 financial institutions and persistent graft issues.[42] The narrative probes gender roles within this milieu, critiquing patriarchal constraints while illustrating women's complicity in corrupt practices to ascend, as evidenced by broader sector data showing fraud cases dropping 50% in FY25 but still totaling thousands annually, often involving insider manipulations across demographics.[43] Progressive interpretations frame such struggles as empowerment against entrenched inequality, yet conservative perspectives emphasize personal accountability, arguing that infidelity, substance abuse, and ethical shortcuts—prevalent motifs here—stem from volitional choices rather than inevitable victimhood, challenging narratives that overstate systemic determinism.[44][45] Power's allure emerges as a double-edged force, where elite women navigate infidelity, resilience, and retaliation against norms, but at the cost of relational and moral erosion.[33] This aligns with empirical observations of Mumbai's banking corruption, including recent cases of employee-orchestrated frauds exceeding Rs 4 crore via unauthorized loans, revealing how ambition fuels self-perpetuating cycles of deceit beyond gender-specific excuses.[46] Ultimately, the themes balance aspirational narratives with cautionary realism, privileging causal chains of individual decisions amid socioeconomic pressures.[47]Representation of Gender and Society
Bombay Begums depicts women in Mumbai's banking sector confronting entrenched sexism, sexual harassment, and power imbalances, with characters like the protagonist Rani navigating corruption and ethical compromises as a female CEO in a male-dominated "boy's club."[39] Such portrayals emphasize systemic oppression, including unreported workplace harassment affecting up to 70% of women, and align with data showing only 3.69% female CEOs in Indian firms as of 2019.[39][48] However, the series' focus on ambitious urban professionals contrasts with national female labor force participation rates of 20.8% in 2019, rising modestly to 32.8% by 2024—far below male rates of 77.1%—driven more by rural self-employment gains than formal corporate entry, suggesting portrayals prioritize elite struggles over broader causal factors like household responsibilities and socioeconomic barriers.[39][49] Critiques note the narrative may underemphasize individual agency and resilience, framing success as contingent on enduring trauma or neoliberal self-optimization amid patriarchal surveillance, such as characters sacrificing personal values for advancement or facing media shaming for sexual choices.[39][50] This risks overattributing corporate dropouts—estimated at 50% between junior and mid-levels—to blame on male toxicity rather than multifaceted choices involving family duties or work-life trade-offs.[39][51] The series incorporates queer representation through Ayesha's bisexuality and a trans character, offering visibility to non-heteronormative identities in conservative South Asian contexts, including affirming scenes of self-acceptance amid familial arranged marriage pressures.[52] This advances awareness of intersecting oppressions like parental conservatism and societal stigma.[52] Yet, depictions of fluid relationships and infidelity draw criticism for potentially relativizing moral boundaries, such as normalizing cheating or risky behaviors under the guise of empowerment, while family dynamics highlight breakdowns from infertility guilt and caregiving conflicts without fully resolving through traditional resilience.[53][54]Strengths and Artistic Choices
The ensemble-driven narrative structure effectively interweaves the arcs of five women spanning generations and socio-economic backgrounds, fostering a multifaceted exploration of ambition and vulnerability in Mumbai's corporate landscape.[11] [55] This approach, guided by directors Alankrita Shrivastava and Bornila Chatterjee, leverages strong individual performances—particularly Pooja Bhatt's portrayal of the resilient CEO Rani—to drive emotional depth without relying on a single protagonist.[56] [57] Artistic choices emphasize location authenticity, with filming in real Mumbai homes, chawls, and urban establishing shots to evoke the city's noisy, stratified essence, enhancing visual realism over stylized sets.[31] [56] Dialogue incorporates raw Mumbai vernacular, capturing linguistic nuances among diverse characters, though some scenes draw criticism for unnatural phrasing that disrupts immersion.[58] [59] Shrivastava's directorial style employs a contemplative female perspective, navigating suppressed emotions through layered cinematography, yet the recurring voiceover narration—intended to unify threads—often feels overused, prioritizing exposition over subtle visual cues.[11] [57] Despite these merits, the series exhibits limitations in plotting, with resolutions perceived as predictable and formulaic by numerous viewers, contributing to its middling IMDb rating of 5.1/10 from over 5,000 users who highlight obvious twists and soapy dynamics akin to daytime dramas.[2] [45] [9] This pattern underscores a reliance on archetypal conflicts over innovative causality, tempering the overall artistic impact.Soundtrack and Audio Elements
Original Composition
The original score for Bombay Begums was composed by Gaurav Raina of Midival Punditz and Tarana Marwah, performing as Komorebi.[60] Raina and Marwah developed character-specific themes that evolve alongside the protagonists' emotional trajectories, cueing pivotal narrative shifts such as personal downfalls and ethical dilemmas.[60] Marwah's jazz-infused elements combined with Raina's cinematic electronic textures to heighten underlying tension and emotional complexity, integrating functionally to mirror the series' exploration of ambition and vulnerability without overpowering dialogue or action.[60] The full soundtrack, encompassing the original score alongside integrated tracks, was released as a 12-song jukebox on March 13, 2021, with background score elements made available for streaming shortly thereafter.[60][61]Integrated Music Tracks
The Bombay Begums series incorporates original songs diegetically to underscore character emotions and urban Mumbai settings, particularly in party and introspective sequences, blending Hindi electronic-pop with jazz influences reflective of the city's cosmopolitan nightlife.[60] These tracks, composed specifically for the show, feature Hindi lyrics and club-oriented rhythms that amplify narrative tension without relying on licensed external hits.[60] Key integrated tracks include:- "Jawaani", composed by Anand Bhaskar and performed by Shilpa Surroch, featured in Episode 1 during youthful, ambitious scenes to evoke the vibrancy of corporate social dynamics.[62][60]
- "Ishq Khumaari", composed by Anand Bhaskar and performed by Isheeta Chakrvarty, used in Episode 2 for party moments, heightening themes of desire amid Mumbai's elite gatherings with its electronic-pop pulse.[62][60]
- "Khel", composed by Anand Bhaskar and performed by Keka Ghoshal, integrated in Episode 2 to mirror power plays in social interactions, drawing on urban Indian club aesthetics.[62][60]
- "Harjaayi", composed by Anand Bhaskar and performed by Madhubanti Bagchi, appearing in Episode 6 during reflective betrayals, enhancing emotional introspection with Hindi-infused melodies tied to the show's female-led narrative.[62][60]
Release and Marketing
Distribution Details
Bombay Begums premiered exclusively on Netflix on March 8, 2021, coinciding with International Women's Day, as an original series produced for the streaming platform.[2][63] The release marked a global rollout accessible to Netflix subscribers worldwide, with the primary language being Hindi and English subtitles provided.[1] The series comprises six episodes, with runtimes ranging from 38 to 50 minutes each, averaging approximately 45 minutes per installment.[1] Despite controversies raised by India's National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) regarding the portrayal of minors, which prompted a request to halt streaming shortly after launch, the content remained available on Netflix in India and internationally without interruption or alteration.[64][65]Promotional Strategies
The promotional efforts for Bombay Begums began with the unveiling of the official trailer on February 14, 2021, through Netflix India's YouTube channel, showcasing the intertwined lives of five ambitious women confronting ethical dilemmas, personal ambitions, and societal barriers in Mumbai's financial landscape.[66] The trailer, which ran approximately two minutes and emphasized narratives of female agency and survival, accumulated over 2.8 million views, reflecting significant pre-release engagement and anticipation among audiences interested in stories of women's professional and personal triumphs.[66] Social media campaigns amplified the trailer's reach by focusing on empowerment motifs, with posts portraying the series as a depiction of women shattering conventions in careers, relationships, and self-realization, strategically timed to culminate in the March 8, 2021, release coinciding with International Women's Day.[67][68] These initiatives utilized platforms like YouTube and Twitter to share teaser clips and character insights, fostering discussions on gender dynamics without delving into post-launch reactions.[66] Key pre-release press interactions featured a February 28, 2021, discussion hosted by critic Anupama Chopra, involving director Alankrita Shrivastava and cast members, who highlighted the commitment to realism through character-driven workshops, diverse casting reflecting varied socio-economic backgrounds, and avoidance of idealized portrayals in favor of multifaceted, ethically ambiguous figures.[69] Such engagements underscored the series' grounded approach to female ambition, distinguishing it from conventional narratives and contributing to targeted buzz among media and potential viewers prior to streaming.[70]Reception and Evaluation
Critical Assessments
Critics have offered a mixed reception to Bombay Begums, praising its strong ensemble performances while critiquing the narrative for melodrama and overt didacticism. The series holds an IMDb user rating of 5.1 out of 10 based on over 5,000 votes, reflecting polarized views on its portrayal of female ambition in corporate India.[2] On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season garnered an 83% approval rating from a limited pool of 12 reviews, with commentators noting its bold exploration of sexism across class lines but faulting uneven execution.[8] Performances, particularly by Pooja Bhatt as the ruthless executive Rani Sarin and Amruta Subhash as the resilient Lilly, drew widespread acclaim for authenticity and depth. Bhatt's comeback role was hailed as "brilliant" for embodying corporate savvy and personal vulnerability, anchoring the show's emotional core.[56] Subhash's physicality and grit in portraying an underdog's ascent were described as "top-notch," elevating familiar tropes into compelling character work.[71][12] Supporting turns by Shahana Goswami and Plabita Borthakur also received nods for adding nuance to the ensemble's depiction of intergenerational female struggles.[72] However, narrative weaknesses drew consistent pans for predictability and heavy-handed messaging, often prioritizing advocacy over subtlety. Reviews highlighted "corny lines and unconvincing scenes" stemming from flawed writing, which undermined the series' gritty intent with melodramatic flourishes.[73] Indian outlets like The News Minute critiqued its tendency to "pontificate too much," traversing socio-economic themes but veering into sermonizing on urban women's plights.[55] Firstpost labeled it "unsubtle yet sprightly," cohesive in addressing daily female challenges but formulaic in execution.[72] International perspectives, such as from Decider, acknowledged solid acting but implied the show's ambition sometimes outpaced its restraint in balancing empowerment with realism.[9] Overall, while the series excels in performative grit, its critical shortfall lies in contrived plotting that risks alienating viewers seeking unforced authenticity.Audience Feedback
Audience feedback for Bombay Begums revealed polarization, with viewers divided between those who appreciated its depiction of women's ambitions amid personal and professional challenges and those who condemned its explicit content as morally corrosive. On IMDb, the series holds a user rating of 5.1 out of 10 from 5,162 votes, with some praising the acting and narrative focus on female resilience, such as one review noting the "superb" performances in portraying women's struggles to overcome obstacles.[2] [74] Conversely, detractors highlighted gratuitous sex scenes, profanity, and perceived glorification of vices like drug use, with parent reviewers on Common Sense Media arguing it senselessly promotes "immoral concepts" through unnecessary explicit elements.[75] Social media sentiments echoed this divide, particularly on platforms like Reddit and Twitter, where conservative audiences expressed strong pushback against scenes involving minors in drug-related or indecent contexts, viewing them as irresponsible normalization of vice rather than empowerment.[76] Users in Bollywood discussion forums described characters as annoyingly naive or predictable, contributing to boredom despite acknowledging solid acting in select roles, while others saw the series as a bold, if flawed, exploration of urban women's desires.[45] On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score of 70%—from fewer than 50 verified ratings—further indicates lukewarm to divided reception among everyday viewers.[8] Viewership data underscores initial interest, with the series logging 1.9 million views during its second week on Netflix in March 2021, though sustained engagement appeared limited amid the backlash.[77] Overall, feedback highlighted a cultural rift, where progressive audiences valued the unfiltered look at societal pressures on women, but traditional viewers criticized it for prioritizing sensationalism over ethical storytelling.[2]Awards Recognition
Bombay Begums garnered limited awards recognition, primarily for individual acting performances rather than the series as a whole, consistent with its polarized reception. Amruta Subhash received the Best Actress in a Supporting Role award at the 2021 Asian Academy Creative Awards for her depiction of Lilly, a sex worker navigating personal and professional hardships.[78][79] Aadhya Anand won Best Supporting Actress in a Series at the 2022 Filmfare OTT Awards for portraying Shai Irani, the vulnerable intern facing exploitation.[80] The series earned nominations at the same Filmfare OTT Awards, including Amruta Subhash and Shahana Goswami for Best Supporting Actress (Drama) in 2021, and Pooja Bhatt for Best Actress (Series) in 2022.[81] It was also nominated for Best Web Series at the 2021 Indian Film and Television Awards, though without a win.[82]| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Asian Academy Creative Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Amruta Subhash | Won |
| 2021 | Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Supporting Actress (Drama) | Amruta Subhash, Shahana Goswami | Nominated |
| 2021 | Indian Film and Television Awards | Best Web Series | Bombay Begums | Nominated |
| 2022 | Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Series | Aadhya Anand | Won |
| 2022 | Filmfare OTT Awards | Best Actress (Series) | Pooja Bhatt | Nominated |