‘Salakaar’ web-series review: Mukesh Rishi steals the show, Mouni Roy surprises with her character

Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mukesh Rishi, Surya Sharma, Mouni Roy

Director: Faruk Kabir

Language: Hindi

Salakaar is the new espionage show that has been thrown at us on the streaming platform. It’s a show that unites the past and the present, both in terms of its story and star cast. It has the modern-day actor Naveen Kasturia and the veteran Mukesh Rishi, who returns to a ground he once deliciously owned- The villain. This time, he plays a Pakistani general who wants to make a nuclear bomb. The Hero: Love Story of A Spy and Qayamat: City Under Threat, both of which came out in the same year (2003), will really enjoy the company of this series that’s directed by Faruk Kabir. He’s the filmmaker behind a forgotten franchise called Khuda Haafiz.

Every filmmaker is attempting to have a voice of its own, right from Rohit Shetty with extravagant colours and cars to Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s expensive opuses to Mohit Suri’s melodies. Kabir’s vision seems to be paying homage to the unsung heroes who have to save themselves and the nation together. But his earnestness is marred by a mountain of cliches that should have been moles. So anyone who’s captured in Pakistan is brutally tortured. Even their pathos screams sameness. Even the expanse of the show that is Neeraj Pandeyesque fails to absorb us into the world the makers have created. And just like Pandey’s own 2018 did Aiyaary, the only thing that catches your attention is the title that we don’t hear too often.

The show takes a leap of 47 years (1978-2025) and the threat of the nuclear bomb returns. We then get characters like Surya Sharma (the intimidating antagonist of Undekhi and Yeh Kaali Kaal Ankhen) and Mouni Roy. There’s a forgettable track to evoke pride and patriotism but some action scenes are niftily executed. The show has its heart in the right place but at least two decades too late. You want to admire the idea, but it would be possible only if the year was 2003-04 when we got a sea of such monikers like Zameen, Qayamat, Lakshya, Aan, Khakee, Deewar.

The tagline of the show says The Legend of An Extraordinary Indian Spy with the colours of the Indian Flag. To give credit where it’s due, the show at least has a story to tell, unlike some web series that only drag their feet endlessly and fail to find a sure-footed ground. Mouni Roy surprises with her nuanced character, especially when we usually see the actress on social media more often than we see her in films and shows. And it was great to see Mukesh Rishi, but I wonder what would happen if his character from this show ever bumped into Inspector Salim from Sarfarosh. Enough of the spy universe, cop universe and horror comedy universe, this is the universe we need and deserve.

Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars)

Salakaar is now streaming on Jio Hotstar