If Season 1 of Imtiaz Ali’s crime-drama series She had you on the edge of your seat, get ready for another nail-biting watch as Season 2 is all set to release on Netflix on June 17. The trailer of the new season offers glimpses of Bhumika Pardeshi (played by Aditi Pohankar) returning to the murky lanes of Mumbai’s underworld as an undercover constable.

The first season of Divya Johri’s She, co-written by Imtiaz, took the audience on a thrilling journey as the Mumbai cops launched a secret operation to get hold of underworld mastermind Nayak. The OTT has seen many thrilling police dramas over the years, but this one proved a tad different with a woman at the helm of affairs. Other recent shows like Delhi Crime and Aranyak have featured female cops as well but She attempts to question the moral code of a woman police officer assigned responsibilities beyond her designation.

Season 1 of She, which premiered in March 2020, saw constable Bhumika set foot in the Mumbai’s underworld as the central machinery of the secret operation. The same season also had her go undercover as a prostitute to get closer to the criminals. The layers of dual empowerment and emancipation of the female body and mind gave the show its edge.

A failed marriage had Bhumika doubting her physical appeal, a feeling heightened by all the male attention her sister Rupa (played by Shivani Rangole) received. Bhumika's undercover assignment as a prostitute required her to seduce her way into the intimate chambers of the city’s crime leaders, and allowed her to rediscover her sex appeal. Her feminine identity is pronounced and becomes a significant challenge at every step in her profession.

While dealing with her self-image, Bhumika continues to feel less feminine physically and struggles with body consciousness. Through her undercover identity, Bhumika is shown to be treading on the thin line separating the mind and the body. She is on a quest to prove herself as an able police constable and also redefine her sexual identity through this operation.

Season 2 takes off with the same operation. It seems inclined toward a more intense exploration of Bhumika’s sexuality, which is now a key weapon in the operation. This season also waits to unleash the duality of this character as the trailer hints at an overlap of carnal desires and civic duty. The taboo topic of women’s desire and sexual identity has seldom been portrayed with such confidence on screen.

Season 1 saw the flamboyant presence of Vijay Verma as Sasya, the right-hand man of Nayak. The character acted as a catalyst in Bhumik reclaiming her identity as a woman — a throwback to Kamini’s encounter with Don in Chandra Barot’s 1978 film. This time the woman has an upper hand over the adversary. Sasya was killed in the previous season.

Season 2 is expected to unravel another power-packed performance by Kishore Kumar G as Nayak. Season 1 had ended with the viewers wondering if Bhumika would now loosen control over her desires in the tense battle between the criminal and the cop.

“She’s treading dangerous waters, but be warned: anything she does will definitely stir up a storm,” Imtiaz had posted during the shoot of She Season 2. The audience can’t wait for the storm.