Directors Neeraj Pandey and Raghav M Jairath shed light on the unexplored lives of custom officers. What majorly works for the show are the grey areas and the nuanced manner in which the characters have been written. Emraan Hashmi in his 2-point O Version blends in wonderfully coming up with a restrained but impactful act. The women characters also have substance
Starcast: Emraan Hashmi, Nandish Sandhu, Anurag Sinha, Amruta Khanvilkar, Zoya Afroz, Sharad Kelkar and others
Genre: Crime thriller
Creator, director and writer: Neeraj Pandey
Additional writer: Vipul K. Rawal
Cinematography: Sudheer Palsane and Arvind Singh
Music: Advait Nemlekar
Producer: Shital Bhatia
Production Company: Friday Storytellers
No of episodes: 7
Streaming site: Netflix
Stories about men and women officers have been explored umpteen times. However, Taskaree (The smugglers web) is a different beast from the narratives we have experienced previously whether it’s on big screen or OTT. A big reason for the freshness is the airport backdrop becoming a major character in itself. After watching Taskaree, the viewers are sure about to ponder about the happenings behind the baggage belts.
Taskaree in brief focuses on the fight of Emraan Hashmi’s Arjun Meena and co against international smuggling rackets. The setting is Mumbai International Airport a place mostly associated with fan selfies etc. But here we see a completely different side. Sharad Kelkar plays the primary antagonist Bada Choudhary, however Bada Choudhary is not the only villain here. He is aided by a few more especially a person from the custom office.
For most part of Taskaree viewers are kept in suspense about the identity of informers as well as the ones working for Bada Choudhary. This is a major strength of this seven-episode saga. The show also benefits immensely from a non-fussy approach regarding the crime operations.
There is nothing flashy or heavily dramatic about the smuggling of goods. Routine baggage checks with bribed officials among other things give a sense of realism. The web series also does a fine job in not caricaturing people. The struggles of custom officers in dealing with family responsibilities, career stagnation etc lends a moral ambiguity.
The web series also gives an insight into how criminals are not always born out of a twisted mind. Sometimes it becomes a matter of survival where is no other resort. The perfect example of this is the angle of officials taking bribes.
As already mentioned the women characters have been written with substance. Whether it’s Amrita Khanvilkar as a single mother or Zoya Afroz as an airhostess turned informer. Both the actresses get solid parts, and they do a good job in portraying the different nuances.
Nandish Sandhu as Arjun’s confidante is solid too. He particularly shines in the emotional scenes. Anurag Sinha as the head of Arjun Meena has a character with different shades. Not much can be revealed since it will be spoilers, but the actor does a very fine job especially in a crucial reveal.
Emraan Hashmi has always been a proficient actor often undermined due to his serial kisser image. But as last year’s Haq showed the actor is having a resurgence with impactful roles. Taskaree is a solid addition to this. There is a controlled intensity to Arjun Meena and Emraan portrays that brilliantly. Sharad Kelkar as Bada Choudhary is understated yet very effective in bringing out the menace.
But the conclusion to the cat and mouse comes across as somewhat hurried. It could have done with more intensity. Similarly, a few passages could have been trimmed too. The rest of the cast are in fine form as well especially Jammel Khan in a twisted role.
Final word: Taskaree is a well-made crime thriller with a new concept. Definitely worth binge watching.
