The Freelancer-The Conclusion: Tame Ending Plays A Spoilsport In This Otherwise Gripping Rescue Drama

Mohit Raina delivers an explosive performance. Kashmira Pardeshi effortlessly brings out various emotions of fear, hope, and vulnerability.

Has its issues but you’ll enjoy!

The Freelancer The Conclusion (Hindi)

  • Cast: Kashmira Pardeshi, Mohit Raina, Anupam Kher, and Ayesha Raza
  • Director: Bhav Dhulia
  • Producer: Neeraj Pandey
  • No. of episodes: 3
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

For those who haven’t seen the first season of The Freelancer, the story is primarily about a newly married girl struck in ISIS-controlled Syria. The web series is based on the novel “A Ticket To Syria” by Shirish Thorat.

Alia (Kashmira Pardeshi) is manipulated by her husband and in-laws and taken to Syria. She does not know the real identity of her new family.

However, after a while, Alia realises that the terrorist outfit has brainwashed her husband and in-laws.

On the other hand, ex-police officer-turned-mercenary Avinash (Mohit Raina) shares a close bond with Alia from her childhood. He takes it upon himself to bring her back from Syria, no matter the dangers involved.

Avinash instils confidence in Alia to hang in there and not lose hope.

And now, The Freelancer —The Conclusion, the second season of The Freelancer, is about how Avinash carries out this dangerous operation with the help of his friends and fights his inner demons.

Analysis

The Freelancer The Conclusion poster
A poster of ‘The Freelancer-The Conclusion’. (DisneyPlusHS/X)

A strong aspect of The Freelancer —The Conclusion is the technical department.

The production values of the web series are fantastic.

The recreation of ISIS-controlled Syria has an authentic feel.

The action sequences have been well choreographed.

Director Bhav Dhulia is also successful in maintaining a good pace.

Of course, Alia gets eventually rescued, but you are still tense about how she will come out safe. There is one moment in particular when everything seems lost, and the viewers feel tense about the safety of Alia.

Unlike the first season, the scenes of Avinash and his wife (played by Manjari Fadnnis) suffering from the aftermath of their son’s death have come out much better.

A good example is the scene where the husband and wife finally find closure and decide to move on.

Mohit Raina & Kashmira Pardeshi are show-stealers

The Freelancer The Conclusion web series
‘The Freelancer-The Conclusion’ web series is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. (DisneyPlusHS/X)

The character arc of Anupam Kher, who plays the mentor-cum-guiding force of Avinash, has not seen any growth. But still, the senior actor has a pleasing presence.

It is Mohit Raina and Kashmira Pardeshi who majorly shoulder the acting department.

Mohit Raina delivers an explosive performance both in action scenes and serious ones.

Kashmira Pardeshi carries off from where she left in the first season without hiccups. She effortlessly brings out various emotions of fear, hope, and vulnerability.

What does not work for The Freelancer — The Conclusion is the staging of the final operation. Here, the director makes it look like an absolute cakewalk.

Also, the show needed some good emotional moments between Avinash and Alia after the final rescue.

From the beginning, the viewers are made to believe that this rescue operation is personal for Avinash. But that does not come across strongly in the final portions due to the sketchy writing.

Verdict

The Freelancer — The Conclusion has its issues, but there is enough to enjoy, especially if you are a fan of Neeraj Pandey.

The Freelancer: Another Espionage Drama That Explores Global Politics

Bhav Dhulia might have directed it but it is an extension of Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Baby’ and ‘Special Ops’; war-torn Syria is the USP here.

Keeps you hooked to your seats!
The Freelancer (Hindi)
  • Cast: Mohit Raina, Kashmira Pardeshi, Sushant Singh, and Anupam Kher
  • Director: Bhav Dhulia
  • Producers: Gaurav Banerjee, Varun Malik, and Mahesh Menon
  • Music: Sanjoy Chowdhury
  • No. of episodes: 4
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

After the hugely controversial and successful The Kerala Story (2023), we have another story that looks at the ISIS terror groups who want to conquer the world and the extent they would go for it.

For those who are not aware this web show is based on the book “A Ticket to Syria” by writer Shirish Thorat.

In simple terms, The Freelancer focuses on the plight of a newly married girl named Aliya (Kashmira Pardeshi). Her husband Mohsin takes her to Istanbul on the pretext of honeymoon, but his actual intention is something else.

Aliya has no idea that her husband and in-laws have been completely brainwashed by ISIS and want her to be a tool in their plans, too. She is not allowed to communicate with her parents and becomes a virtual prisoner.

Mohit Raina plays Avinash Kamat, an ex-cop turned mercenary.

The title — The Freelancer — refers to this kind of mercenary who fights as a soldier for any group or country that would pay him or her.

Avinash’s physical prowess is established very early on.

Avinash and Aliya’s father Inayat (Sushant Singh) are good friends. After learning about her plight, Inayat tries to contact her, but he doesn’t succeed. In desperation and guilt, he commits suicide.

Aliya’s mother requests Avinash to somehow bring her back.

The first season primarily focuses on how Aliya gets trapped in Syria and how she manages to get in contact with Avinash.

Performances

The Freelancer works best when it focuses on the plight of Aliya, and also ravaged terrain of Syria.

Brainwashing done in the name of religion is something that we have seen earlier as well. But it becomes uncomfortable when the stories emanate only from groups like ISIS.

The character of Aliya is the backbone of The Freelancer. She goes through varied emotions.

The young actress delivers a commendable performance. Her conversations with her mother (Ayesha Raza) are particularly impactful.

As viewers, we feel anxious about Aliya’s safety and want her to come out safe.

Sushant Singh effectively conveys the desperation of a father in the screen time he has.

Mohit Raina makes for a formidable mercenary and also a concerned uncle.

Anupam Kher as the mentor figure has a pleasing presence but the part feels undercooked.

Technical aspects

Cinematographers Tojo Xavier, Arvind Singh, and Sudhir Palsane do a good job of capturing the many locations through their lenses. Their work stands out more when they recreate the harsh terrain of Syria — whether it is the camps, local markets or dilapidated houses.

Though a lot of back and forth keeps happening editing is quite seamless.

What doesn’t work for The Freelancer is the track of Mohit Raina and the complicated relationship that he shares with his on-screen wife (Manjari Fadnnis). It is weakly written, and as a result, their track comes across as more of an unnecessary distraction.

Final take

The Freelancer ends with a cliffhanger of Aliya’s in-laws turning suicide bombers. This makes the viewers even more hooked about what would unfold in Season 2.

(Views expressed here are personal.)