Salakaar Review: Who knew spying could be this predictable

‘Salakaar’ is an espionage series that knows no subtlety and makes no effort to be restrained.

‘Salakaar,’ directed by Faruk Kabir, was released on 8th August on JioHotstar and stars Naveen Kasturia, Mukesh Rishi, Mouni Roy, Surya Sharma, and Purnendu Bhattacharya.

‘Salakaar’ is an espionage series that knows no subtlety and makes no effort to be restrained. What begins as a potentially gripping espionage thriller set against the backdrop of Indo-Pak relations eventually fizzles into something far more ordinary. Instead of being tense and edge-of-the-seat, it feels like a half-hearted throwback to 80s spy dramas, where convenience and coincidence take center stage.

It clings to dated tropes, leans heavily on stereotypes, and lacks the finesse or inventiveness needed to elevate its premise. The makers clarify that the series is fictional and loosely inspired by real events, yet it never succeeds in building a compelling or nuanced narrative. It jumps between 1978 and 2025, following Pakistan’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon, but the treatment is so bland that even the high stakes fail to evoke tension.

The narrative centers on Adhir Dayal (Naveen Kasturia), an Indian spy who travels to Pakistan in 1978, posing as an embassy official as part of a covert mission. By saving Ashfaq Ulla, the grandson of Pakistani General Zia Ulla (Mukesh Rishi), Adhir earns the family’s trust and gains access to crucial intelligence. Over time, he discovers the location of Pakistan’s nuclear facility, a development that, if completed, could directly endanger Delhi.

Running alongside this is the present-day story of Agent Miriam (Mouni Roy), another Indian operative who, like Adhir, works her way into Colonel Ashfaq Ulla’s confidence. He is now a powerful army officer and somehow in possession of the 1978 Kahuta plant’s blueprints. As Miriam gets closer to uncovering the financial web behind the nuclear program, her safety is put at increasing risk. The responsibility now rests with the NSA Chief to intervene.

What holds the show back most is its weak writing. The thrills are shallow, the twists predictable, and the suspense almost nonexistent. Loud and overcooked, the show never finds its rhythm. It opens with a dramatic sequence where Ashfaq Ulla receives secret documents pertaining to the Kahuta plant from a foreign agent—but what should be a moment of tension turns flat, with an oddly placed conversation about an India-England cricket match.

A more thoughtful choice—perhaps involving Pakistan—could have grounded the character more convincingly in his national identity. Watching the series, one feels that the makers were hoping to create a competitor to ‘Special Ops,’ but ‘Salakaar’ doesn’t come close to matching its pacing, precision, or emotional stakes. The execution constantly feels at odds with the urgency the plot demands, and that disconnect drags the entire series down.

Performance-wise, the series misses more than it hits. Naveen Kasturia, cast as Adhir Dayal, struggles to bring depth to a role that’s already thinly written. His portrayal feels flat, lacking urgency or emotional weight, and he seems strangely uninvolved in scenes that should carry impact. Mukesh Rishi, playing a character inspired by General Zia-ul-Haq, is let down by how cartoonish the role becomes. Instead of menace or complexity, he’s simply loud—and loud, here, is mistaken for powerful.

Mouni Roy’s Agent Miriam is perhaps the most poorly defined of the lot. Despite being central to the present-day plotline, her character never fully forms beyond standard spy clichés. The only actor who manages to find some balance is Surya Sharma as Colonel Ashfaq Ulla, who at least injects some nuance and control into his scenes, offering occasional respite from the otherwise jarring performances.

‘Salakaar’ makes the mistake of assuming its concept alone can carry the show, ignoring the importance of layered characters and sharp storytelling. Many subplots—such as Agent Miriam’s grandmother—are introduced but never meaningfully explored. These half-baked threads clutter the narrative instead of enriching it. The series is visually polished, but that slickness feels at odds with the gritty realism that espionage thrillers demand.

It needed to be messier, more grounded, and emotionally charged. Eventually, what we get is a show that plays it safe, rehashes old formulas, and squanders the potential of its historical context. Even the political undertones feel like missed opportunities—there’s no real commentary, just vague gestures at patriotism and betrayal. ‘Salakaar’ is dull, forgettable, and too content with mediocrity to leave any impact.