Critical response The series opened to mixed to positive responses from critics. Sayan Ghosh of
The Hindu stated "Director Alankrita Shrivastava’s ability to navigate through various layers of suppressed anger and the emotional volatility of her characters make for a most engaging watch". Shubhra Gupta of
The Indian Express stated "The most powerful element in Alankrita Srivastava's films is the recognition of women's desire, and how its absence can create permanent hollowness."
Saibal Chatterjee of
NDTV gave three-and-a-half out of five to the series and reviewed "
Bombay Begums, created by Alankrita Shrivastava (
Lipstick Under My Burkha), who shares screenwriting and directorial responsibilities with Bornila Chatterjee (
The Hungry), strikes an instant chord because it strings together relatable, rooted stories." Saraswati Datar of
The News Minute gave a review "
Bombay Begums is an entertaining watch, but don't expect to feel moved or empowered after watching it." Rohan Naahar of
Hindustan Times stated "Terrific performances by Pooja Bhatt, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur, Shahana Goswami and Manish Chaudhary smooth out the creases."
Government censorship India's
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights sent notice to Netflix to stop streaming the series in March 2021. The notice quoted complaints from two
Twitter users over content portraying the drug use of minors and themes of sexuality, saying it would "not only pollute the young minds of the children, and may also result in the abuse and the exploitation of children". The commission called on Netflix to "take extra precaution while streaming any content in respect of the children or for the children and shall also refrain themselves from getting into such things". ==Awards and nominations==