Salakaar starring Naveen Kasturia enters the crowded spy-verse, but its overreliance on cliché leaves it feeling dated and hollow, says Abhi Singhal
Loosely drawing inspiration from the life of India’s former National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the new web series Salakaar, now streaming on JioHotstar, ventures once more into the well-trodden world of the India-Pakistan spy thriller.
It positions itself as a tale of nuclear espionage, an arena that has fascinated filmmakers for decades. Yet, in a landscape already crowded with blockbuster portrayals of cross-border intrigue, ‘Salakaar’ struggles to assert its own identity, delivering little beyond the expected tropes.
The series, directed by Faruk Kabir, boasts an ensemble cast including Naveen Kasturia, Mouni Roy, Mukesh Rishi, Surya Sharma, Purnendu Bhattacharya and Ashwath Bhatt.
The narrative follows RAW agent Mariam, also known as Srishti (Mouni Roy), who is tasked with derailing the sinister plans of Pakistani Colonel Ashfaqullah (Surya Sharma), intent on developing a nuclear weapon in Kahuta.
Guiding her mission is India’s National Security Advisor (played by Purnendu Bhattacharya), whose own past is intertwined with that of the Colonel.
On the surface, the five half-hour episodes offer a brisk and engaging pace. The short format prevents the story from meandering and, at least initially, keeps viewers hooked. However, the intrigue wanes quickly as the plot reveals itself to be predictable, with little in the way of fresh narrative devices or nuanced characterisation. For all its claims of being inspired by real events, the drama rarely achieves the gritty realism the subject demands.
The period detailing is notably inconsistent. Though the series situates itself in the 1970s and later, the production design often falters. Scenes where luxury cars that feel out of sync with the era and where Indian spies slip into heavily-guarded Pakistani nuclear facilities with laughable ease, strip the story of its credibility.
A supposedly tense espionage sequence ends with nothing more dramatic than photographs being clicked and carried away without challenge.
Further disbelief is invited through the gadgets on display. Mouni Roy’s character uses high-tech spectacles to scan documents and transmit locations, a device so implausible within the show’s timeline that it borders on parody.
Such flourishes might have worked in a stylised, fictional spy universe, but here they undermine the very authenticity the series claims to be built upon.
‘Salakaar’ is not entirely devoid of merit. The pacing ensures it never becomes tedious, and the central India-Pakistan conflict will, for some, remain reason enough to stay invested. Yet, it feels like a missed opportunity: a spy thriller that flirts with history but fails to provide either the realism or the originality to truly stand out.
What Salakaar truly lacks is conviction. It neither fully embraces the realism of true espionage stories nor indulges in the stylised escapism of glossy spy sagas. Instead, it sits awkwardly in between, unable to satisfy either audience. A subject as charged and layered as India-Pakistan nuclear rivalry deserved more depth, more detail, and more daring storytelling.
The performances, though competent, remain trapped within the confines of a screenplay that plays it safe when it needed to be bold. In an era where streaming content pushes boundaries, Salakaar sadly settles for the predictable.
Ratings: 2.5/5
Watch Card (Show Information)
Screen Title: Salakaar (Web-series)
Platform Available: JioHotstar
Episodes: 5
Genre: Thriller