Salakaar

Salaakar represents everything wrong with rushed Indian streaming content. What started as merely disappointing became completely unwatchable by Ep 2. Life is too short to spend on such trash.

The fundamental problem begins with basic incompetence - misspelling your own title (Salaahakar?) raises immediate questions about research and attention to detail. Those concerns prove justified as the show reveals zero understanding of espionage authenticity or geopolitical nuance.

Ep 1 felt superficial but had Mukesh Rishi's strong performance to salvage some dignity, and I was expecting Naveen Kasturia to also come out well in due course. The portrayal of the Indian High Commissioner was embarrassingly childish, with misplaced comedy undermining any serious tone. Still, I hoped subsequent episodes might improve.

Ep 2 destroyed any remaining goodwill. I couldn't survive 8 minutes of amateur-hour production values - wigs and disguises that look like high school drama props, dialogue straight from 90s Mithun Chakraborty B-movies. The writing has devolved into unintentional parody.

Jio Hotstar should be embarrassed to have this in their catalog. The series transforms from superficial spy thriller into complete joke within two episodes. Even Mukesh Rishi and Naveen Kasturia can't save this trainwreck.

A waste of talented actors and viewer time. Avoid completely.

A familiar spy thriller that kicks off strong. The script shows effort, weaving in real-life inspirations from figures like General Zia and NSA Doval. The acting performances are good, and the two parallel storylines keep things moving, though the show doesn't stay as gripping as it begins. Like many in the genre, it features the typical adversary, sticking to a tried-and-tested formula.

It's a quick watch thanks to its short episodes, but otherwise not something particularly memorable.

Salaakar had the ingredients to be a gripping series or film, but poor casting and amateurish direction drag it down entirely. The most baffling choice? Mouni Roy-a performer whose limited acting range sticks out like a sore thumb. Her delivery is wooden, and she fails to elevate even the simplest scenes.

The rest of the cast doesn't fare much better, with mismatched actors struggling to salvage weak direction. The plot (if there's a coherent one) gets lost in unconvincing performances and a lack of visual flair.

Verdict: A forgettable mess that could've been decent with a stronger cast and competent filmmaking. Skip it.

Salaakar had the potential to be a gripping spy thriller but falls flat, resembling a clichéd Bollywood drama lacking depth or seriousness. Compared to polished series like Fauda or The Spy, its approach feels amateurish, with a weak script and implausible plotlines. For instance, the Indian diplomat casually snaps photos and roams sensitive areas without caution, even while close to Zia, defying logic. The direction lacks finesse, and the narrative collapses under its own weight. Ultimately, Salaakar squanders a promising premise, delivering a disappointing missed opportunity.

NSA Doval story. Could have been handled more realistically. It seems the Director wanted to impress NSA and hence created a comic Rambo. His operation may have happened on realty but looked childish here. Gen Zia too is depicted as a Gali Chap Goonda. Typical Sunny Deol style movie. Surely NSA wouldn't be glad to watch this.