Salakaar

Review of Salakaar

Salakaar is a gripping story with a well-paced narrative, and I feel every actor has done justice to their role. The central character, young Adhir, played by Naveen Kasturia, delivers a steady performance, though in a few frames his straight-faced expression feels a bit too restrained. Mouni Roy looks glamours although her dressing in series is more like Bengali rather Pakistani. Surya Sharma is under-utilised as he has fire in him.

The highlight of the show is undoubtedly veteran actor Mukesh Rishi as General Zia-ul-Haq. He leaves a strong impression whenever he appears on screen, commanding attention and lending authenticity to the role.

That said, the screenplay has a few noticeable flaws. For example, the Sarpanch of a village is shown openly consuming alcohol-something quite unrealistic given that during Zia's regime, alcohol was completely banned in Pakistan. Similarly, the ease with which characters gain entry into a high-security nuclear power plant-simply by having a villager disguise himself as a sepoy-feels overly simplified.

The final airport sequence is tight, engaging, and easy to follow, though it also stretches believability in parts. Still, these minor lapses are forgivable because overall, this is an entertaining spy thriller that keeps you hooked.

I enjoyed watching Salakaar and am looking forward to the next segment-hopefully with even higher stakes.

Except mouni roy all performances were admirable., they've slowed the pace of the plot to make it a webseries however, effectively it's just a 2hr story.

Instead of an agent, mouni made it look like a tv soap typical role. Surya Sharma, Naveen Kasturia and mukesh rishi did justice to their characters. Could have added some more spy time scenes, rather the storyteller chose emotional scenes which is disappointing.

Overall a good watch with a family on an weekend as it's effectively 2hrs. All the best for the sequel.

Salakaar, launched on JioHotstar August 8, 2025, is a gripping spy thriller that keeps you glued. Naveen Kasturia excels as a sharp Indian agent navigating covert missions across two eras, outshining the tactical flair of Special Ops' Himmat Singh. Mouni Roy's enigmatic intelligence officer with beauty adds fiery charisma, stealing scenes with understated menace. Surya Sharma's ruthless villain rivals the intensity of Raazi's Vicky Kausal. The five-episode run is taut but feels short, missing the layered twists of Mukhbir or the ensemble depth of Blood of Bards. Predictable moments and convenient security breaches slightly dim its edge, unlike Crackdown's tighter plotting. Still, with stark visuals and a rousing score, Salakaar tops Kathmandu Connection' drama, delivering raw suspense.

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.

The story and plot are engaging and make for a compelling watch. Mukesh Rishi delivers a powerful performance, bringing remarkable depth to his role. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this series-short, impactful, and brilliantly executed. The screenplay is crisp, and both Mukesh Rishi and Navin Kasturia deliver top-notch performances.