Salakaar Review: Promising concept falters due to uneven storytelling and illogical execution
Salakaar Web Series Rating: 2.5 Stars
Watched Salakaar Web Series on Jio Hotstar. Now, let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this web series.
Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Mukesh Rishi, Mouni Roy, and Surya Sharma
Director: Faruk Kabir
Release Date: 8th August 2025 on Jio Hotstar
Duration: 5 Episodes/ 30 Minutes
Story: Set in 1978, series revolves around RAW agent Adhir Dayal (Naveen Kasturia) who is stationed at the Indian embassy in Islamabad. He he embarks on a dangerous covert mission to uncover Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions, a plot spearheaded by the ruthless General Zia Ullah (Mukesh Rishi).
Decades later in 2025, the legacy of that mission comes back into play as Zia’s grandson, Colonel Ashfaq Ullah (Surya Sharma) picks up where his grandfather left off resurrecting a buried conspiracy that threatens geopolitical stability. Ashfaq is infatuated with his son’s instructor, Mariam (Mouni Roy). She gets close to Ashfaq to extract crucial details about Project Kahuta and alerts the RAW Chief about the facility.
Will Adhir able to stop the Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions in 1978 and what happened in 2025 was Colonel Ashfaq Ullah in his mission? How Mariam is connected with Adhir and how he rescues her from Pakistan is all about this series.
Positives
1. Performances
2. Story
3. Length
4. Cinematography
Negatives
1. Direction
2. Uneven Screenplay
3. Dialogues
4. Climax
5. Background Music
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this web-series planned to watch in my free time as loved the trailer and as it based on true incidents. In 1978, Adhir Dayal, a daring undercover operative for India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), carries out a high-stakes covert mission targeting Pakistan’s secret nuclear facility at Kahuta. But decades later, in 2025, the shadows of that operation resurface as a new conspiracy begins to unfold—one that threatens to rewrite history and reshape the subcontinent’s future.
Salakaar series is a spy thriller with its focus on espionage, nuclear threats, and unfinished business between the two rival Neighbours, India and Pakistan. It unfolds across two timelines, and the transitions between past and present are handled with flair. While there have been several such thrillers that revolve around the enmity between India and Pakistan, this one’s a bit different, as it is inspired by real-life events. It tells the story of Ajit Doval and attempts to blend past and present, instinct and intelligence, emotion and action. Series traces Pakistan’s covert development of a nuclear plant in Kahuta, which was focused on uranium enrichment and a daring Indian attempt to expose it. The show was shot on real locations, especially for the portions, which brings authenticity to those scenes. The vintage streets, dusty rooms, and coded corners feel more alive than the sterile, tech-heavy scenes. The nuclear angle, the cat-and-mouse games between intelligence agencies, and the moral compromises spies often make. By the end of the series, you will be left wondering about the fate of the nuclear facility established by Ashfaq Ullah. The standout feature is its cinematography. DOP Jitan Harmeet Singh has beautifully captured all scenes, particularly the action sequences, which are the highlights of the series. The series refrains from jingoism, focusing instead on the psychological nuances of espionage and the long shadows cast by political decisions. Naveen Kasturia plays the role of a RAW agent for the first time and has made a great effort, while Mukesh Rishi brings an authoritative presence to the screen that helps elevate even the more exaggerated scenes. If you don’t look too hard at the seams, there’s plenty here to keep you hooked.
Despite being marketed as an espionage drama, it lacks the pulse-racing moments we expect from the genre. Yes, there are disguises, chases, betrayals, and double agents, but they don’t come together with enough tension or buildup. Every time the show sets something up, a past conflict, a power play, a moral dilemma, it backs away too soon. The series has only five episodes of around 35 minutes each. While that could have made it crisp and tight, it ends up feeling rushed. Ironically, is one of those rare shows that should have been a film. It builds up to moments that are either predictable or unresolved. And the climax? It’s not just underwhelming, it’s forgettable. There’s an emotional confrontation, a hint of sacrifice, a neat conclusion. But none of it hits you in the gut. The threat is resolved too conveniently, the pain too polished, and the journey too smooth to feel real. Another problem is Faruk Kabir direction. He has done a good job in some scenes but fails to keep the story tight and maintain the pace throughout the series. The lack of consistency and grip in direction is clearly visible. Some dialogues are okay, but for a series like this, goosebump-inducing monologues and powerful lines are a must. Here the dialogues feel cold and ineffective. None of the songs or background scores help to enhance the mood or thrill of the story.
In the end, this series that had the ingredients, a strong cast, a good hook, and a politically charged premise. But the recipe falls flat. It doesn’t evoke fear, urgency, or empathy. It’s the kind of show you can watch, forget, and move on from. Overall, series remains a compelling watch. It’s a slick, engaging spy thriller that pays homage to unsung heroes while maintaining a sense of realism. With just five episodes of roughly 30 minutes each, this one could easily be one of the shows you can binge on this weekend. Series has grand ambitions as a spy thriller, has a few edgy moments, though the treatment lacks any believability, defying logic. My view on this web-series is Time Pass only if you’re a hardcore spy-thriller buff.
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