The Freelancer Review: Neeraj Pandey never failed to mesmerize with his gritty storytelling
The Freelancer Web Series Rating: 3.5 Stars
Just watched The Freelancer Web Series on Hotstar. So, let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this web series.
Cast: Mohit Raina, Sushant Singh, Anupam Kher, Kashmira Pardeshi, Ayesha Raza Mishra and Navneet Malik
Director: Robbie Grewal
Release Date: 1st September 2023 on Hotstar
Duration: 4 Episodes/ 45 Minutes
Story: This series is adaptation of the best-selling novel, A Ticket To Syria, includes minor tweaks, such as changing the setting from the Maldives to India, while remaining true to the original story.
Story revolves around an ex-cop turned mercenary Avinash Kamath (Mohit Raina) comes back to India after 13 years because his best friend and suspended cop Inayat Khan (Sushant Singh) commits suicide in the most suspicious manner.
With the help of his mentor Dr. Arif Khan (Anupam Kher) he gets to know that the dead friend’s daughter Aliya (Kashmira Pardeshi) has been duped into a marriage and is now taken to Syria to forcefully join ISIS.
How he embarks on a journey to bring back Aliyah from war-torn Syria. How does Avinash track the entire nexus? Does he manage to bring Aliya back is all about this series.
Positives
1. Performances
2. Story
3. Direction
4. Screenplay
5. Cinematography
Negatives
1. Length
2. Dailogues
3. Only Four episodes
4. Many unanswered queries
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this web-series, planned to watch this series on premiere day as trailer looks gripping and liked director and actor previous outings.
Based on Shirish Thorat’s book ‘A Ticket to Syria,’ the show follows Avinash Kamath, a former police officer-turned-freelancer who embarks on a rescue mission to recover Aliya Khan, a young girl who has been taken captive in war-torn Syria. Will he be able to return her to India?
Neeraj Pandey of ‘Baby’ and ‘Special Ops’ fame has created another action-thriller The Freelancer and similar to those this series showcases his signature style of storytelling and characterization. The plot is tight knotted with all the logic and demographics of global politics, as the team doesn’t leave room for any questions. They establish the plot quickly and keep the audience invested from the start. The tension among the characters and the sense of urgency are effectively conveyed, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. The story unfolds in a seamless manner, with little room for the viewers to pause and think. This pacing helps maintain the suspense and keeps the audience engrossed. The narrative effectively weaves in global political themes, adding depth to the narrative. The characterization and the intertwining of past and present are also done well, as every episode puts in the forefront a new facet of the character and subplots. For instance, Avinash’s life as Mumbai police officer with Inayat Khan, his happy moments with little Aliya, and his married life with Mrunal. Performances are major highlights apart from direction as everyone nails their character.
On the other hand, Avinash’s backstory that led him to have a complicated relationship with his wife isn’t properly fleshed out. The makers barely touch upon it and that’s the reason why you don’t empathise with him for the most part. Anupam Kher plays Dr Khan, Avinash’s mentor. His character also suffers due to its undercooked treatment. By the end of it, you’ll be left wanting for more scenes and screen-time between him and Avinash. Its drawback lies in the split into two parts, which disrupts content consumption and disconnects viewers from the plot. However, by the end of the fourth episode, which ends on an exciting cliffhanger, viewers will be eagerly anticipating the release of the subsequent episodes. The action sequences, while being realistic, had the scope of being a lot bigger.
Overall, series deserves a watch for its spine-chilling, well-researched and gritty storytelling. Each episode ends on a cliff-hanger, which leaves you wanting for more, rendering it a very binge-worthy quality. The series holds the attention from the first frame till the end and doesn’t shy away from putting out the harsh truth of the global terrorism scenario brewing between Syria and the rest of the world. It adds another success to Neeraj Pandey’s portfolio. Binge-watch for its engaging plot, tension-filled atmosphere which captivate viewers throughout. My view on this web-series is Highly Recommended.
For more updates on Bollywood and Cricket visit my page on Facebook Durgesh Tiwary’s View and website Cricket Movie Website