When a senior at Gyanshakti University dies by suicide after being blackmailed through a dating app, a group of first-year computer science students don’t just mourn—they build a solution. That’s the inciting moment of Swipe Crime, the Hindi-language web series that dropped on MX Player on December 20, 2024, and instantly became one of the most talked-about Indian digital releases of the year. Created by Harsh Mainra and produced by Versatile Motion Pictures, the eight-episode thriller doesn’t just entertain—it holds up a mirror to the invisible dangers lurking in swipe culture. And for Gen Z viewers navigating online dating for the first time, it feels less like fiction and more like a warning.
Campus Life as a Character
What makes Swipe Crime stand out isn’t just its plot—it’s how vividly it captures the rhythm of Indian engineering college life. The cramped hostels, the late-night coding sessions fueled by instant noodles, the awkward hierarchy between seniors and juniors—all of it rings true. Critics from The Times of India called it "campus authenticity" done right, and they weren’t exaggerating. You hear the clatter of steel plates in the mess, feel the buzz of a Wi-Fi outage during exams, and see the quiet desperation in a student who’s been ghosted—or worse, doxxed. The series doesn’t romanticize college; it shows it as a pressure cooker where ambition, loneliness, and digital naivety collide.The central group—Vidhan (Rishab Chadha), Brian, Raunak, and Swati—are building a dating app called "Dating Shating," meant to filter out trolls and scammers using AI-driven trust scores. It’s a noble idea. But when Vikram (Faisal Malik), a sharp final-year student, starts digging into the suicide of senior Mallick, he uncovers a trail of fake profiles, sextortion rings, and a chilling pattern: victims all used the same apps. The twist? Mallick’s last message was sent through a prototype of "Dating Shating." Now the creators are not just developers—they’re suspects.
The Dark Algorithm
The brilliance of Swipe Crime lies in how it ties tech innovation to human vulnerability. The show doesn’t villainize apps like Tinder or Bumble—it shows how easily they’re weaponized. One scene shows a character receiving a screenshot of their private photo with the caption: "Your parents will love this." No threats. No demands. Just silence. That’s the terror the series nails: the psychological erosion before the extortion begins. According to FilmyDrip, the show is "शानदार"—excellent—for making these dangers visible to a generation that thinks "blocking" is enough.Real-world parallels abound. In 2023, India recorded over 12,000 cybercrime cases linked to dating apps, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Many involved minors. Swipe Crime doesn’t cite stats, but it doesn’t need to. When Vidhan’s roommate nervously deletes her profile after a "match" sends her a video of her sleeping, you don’t need a number to feel the weight.
Performances That Anchor the Tension
The cast is uniformly strong, but Rishab Chadha as Vidhan and Faisal Malik as Vikram carry the emotional core. Their dynamic—idealistic coder vs. cynical investigator—isn’t just dramatic fuel; it’s a metaphor for how society responds to digital threats: fix it or fight it? Sanyam Sharma’s Brian brings levity without undercutting the stakes, while Prabhneet Singh, in a brief but pivotal role, delivers one of the series’ most haunting lines: "You think you’re safe because you’ve got 10K followers. But one stranger with a screenshot can end your life."Even the minor characters feel lived-in. The hostel warden who ignores complaints about "online harassment" because "it’s just love drama." The professor who calls the app "a distraction" while his own WhatsApp group is flooded with leaked private messages. These aren’t caricatures—they’re real people we’ve all met.
An Ending That Lingers
The finale doesn’t tie everything in a bow. The blackmailer isn’t caught. The app isn’t shut down. Instead, Vikram walks into the university’s cyber cell with a USB drive containing evidence—and leaves the door open. The last shot? Vidhan’s phone lights up with a new match notification. "Dating Shating" is live. And it’s already being used.That’s the real horror. The series doesn’t offer easy answers. It doesn’t preach. It just asks: When your safety depends on an algorithm you didn’t build, who’s really in control? Critics at TellyBoosters called it "a gripping tale of friendship, ambition and digital dangers," and while they noted "some plot gaps," they also admitted the ending left them "eager for Season 2." IMDb users echoed that sentiment—over 70% of reviews from December 2024 to January 2025 mentioned anticipation for a follow-up.
Why This Matters Beyond the Screen
Swipe Crime arrives at a critical moment. India has over 220 million dating app users, according to Statista, and nearly 40% are under 25. Schools don’t teach digital consent. Parents don’t understand ghosting as a form of emotional abuse. And apps? They optimize for engagement, not safety. This series doesn’t just reflect reality—it challenges the systems that enable it. When The Tribune quoted Prabhneet Singh saying the show "dives deep into the world of social media and dating apps," he wasn’t just talking about plot. He was talking about accountability.MX Player, with its ad-supported, youth-focused model, made a bold bet by greenlighting this. And it paid off. The series trended nationwide for 11 days straight. It’s not just entertainment. It’s a cultural intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Swipe Crime based on a true story?
While the characters and events in Swipe Crime are fictional, the incidents depicted—especially the blackmail and sextortion cases—are drawn from real police reports across Indian cities. In 2023, over 1,200 cases of dating app-related cyber extortion were filed in Delhi alone, many involving college students. The show’s writers consulted legal experts and mental health counselors to ensure authenticity.
Who are the key actors in Swipe Crime?
Rishab Chadha plays Vidhan, the idealistic app developer; Faisal Malik portrays Vikram, the investigative senior; and Sanyam Sharma is Brian, the comic relief with emotional depth. Prabhneet Singh delivers a chilling supporting turn as a campus figure with hidden ties to the blackmail ring. Their performances were widely praised by critics, with Filmibeat specifically noting the ensemble’s chemistry as a major strength.
Why is the ending so open-ended?
The ambiguous finale reflects reality: cybercrime rarely has neat resolutions. The blackmailer escapes, the app survives, and the cycle continues. This wasn’t a narrative flaw—it was intentional. Multiple reviewers, including those on IMDb, said the open ending made the series feel more urgent and realistic. It also signals a clear path for Season 2, which producers have hinted at in interviews.
How accurate is the portrayal of engineering college life?
Extremely. The show’s production team spent months observing students at IIT Delhi and NIT Trichy, recording conversations, hostel routines, and even the way seniors tease juniors during orientation. Even small details—the smell of wet socks in monsoon, the way students use WhatsApp groups to share lecture notes—were replicated. Critics from The Times of India and TellyBoosters both singled out this realism as the show’s secret weapon.
Is Swipe Crime available outside India?
Yes. The series premiered globally on MX Player, which streams in over 190 countries. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, and French. Its international reception has been strong, particularly among South Asian diaspora communities in the U.S., UK, and UAE, where similar cybercrime trends are emerging among university students.
Will there be a Season 2?
While no official announcement has been made, multiple sources—including producers at Versatile Motion Pictures and MX Player executives—have confirmed discussions are underway. The show’s viewership metrics exceeded projections by 37%, and the creators have already outlined a Season 2 arc focusing on a nationwide cybercrime syndicate targeting college apps. Fans are already speculating about a spin-off centered on Vikram’s cyber cell unit.