There are battles that unfold in open fields, and then there are wars that hide in paperwork, uniforms, and unchecked power. Taskaree, directed by Raghav Jairath, belongs firmly to the latter. Set against the sprawling, high-security corridors of Mumbai International Airport, this seven-episode crime thriller peels back the polished surface of law enforcement to reveal a system quietly rotting from within.
Led by Emraan Hashmi as Arjun Meena, an honest customs officer pulled back from suspension, the series is not just about catching smugglers. It is about confronting a system that has learned to normalise corruption as survival, convenience, and entitlement.
A Narrator with a Conscience
From its opening moments, Taskaree sets its tone with Arjun Meena as both participant and narrator. This narrative choice works in the show’s favour, grounding the unfolding chaos in moral reflection rather than mere action. Arjun is not positioned as a flawless hero. He is weary, observant, and burdened by the knowledge of how easily systems bend when ethics become negotiable.
Emraan Hashmi brings a restrained intensity to the role. Gone is the flamboyance. What remains is quiet resolve. His Arjun Meena does not raise slogans. He asks uncomfortable questions and waits for the answers to corner people.
Rules Bent, Not Broken
At the heart of Taskaree lies an uncomfortable truth. Sometimes, playing by the book requires bending its edges. Anurag Sinha, as an upright yet pragmatic officer Prakash, embodies this contradiction. His character believes in justice but understands that rigid idealism often collapses under institutional pressure.
Together with Nandish Sandhu and Amruta Khanvilkar, Arjun forms a team that operates within legal frameworks while challenging their moral limits. This anti-corruption drive is not flashy. It is procedural, tense, and deeply frustrating. Which is precisely what makes it feel authentic.
The Villain as a System, Not a Man
While Sharad Kelkar’s Bada Chaudhary serves as the face of smuggling, Taskaree is careful not to reduce its conflict to a single antagonist. Bada is dangerous, charismatic, and calculating, but he is also a product of a larger ecosystem. An ecosystem where officials trade integrity for luxury and silence for power.
Kelkar plays the role with unsettling calm, making Bada less explosive and more insidious. He is not always visible, but his presence looms. Like corruption itself.
Corruption as a Way of Life
What distinguishes Taskaree from conventional crime thrillers is its refusal to sensationalise corruption. It treats it as routine. As something embedded into daily operations, rationalised through salaries, seniority, and survival.
The series exposes how smuggling is not sustained by outsiders alone, but by insiders who have learned to blur the line between necessity and greed. Lavish lifestyles, compromised morals, and selective blindness are shown as the true cost of institutional decay.
Emotion Beneath the Action
Despite its fast-paced structure and frequent twists, Taskaree does not abandon its emotional core. Threads of love, faith, and commitment are carefully woven into the narrative. Personal relationships are not distractions here; they are stakes.
Characters are forced to choose between duty and desire, safety and truth, loyalty and justice. These dilemmas are never resolved easily. Victories come with consequences. Losses leave residue.
A Series That Knows When to Pause
Across its seven episodes, Taskaree maintains a tight grip on pacing. Each episode ends with enough intrigue to pull the viewer forward without resorting to cheap cliffhangers. There is balance. Action is measured and silence is allowed to speak.
Interestingly, the series leaves room for expansion. A potential prequel exploring the suspension of Arjun Meena and his colleagues feels not just possible but necessary. The past here is as compelling as the present.
Final Word
Taskaree is a sharp, engaging, and morally layered thriller that understands corruption not as spectacle, but as structure. It challenges the idea of absolute righteousness and asks whether integrity can survive within compromised systems.
With strong performances, a grounded narrative, and thematic depth, the series stands tall among India’s crime dramas. Its world feels lived-in. Its conflicts feel earned. And its future? Very welcome.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Because some battles are fought with guns, but the most dangerous ones are fought with files, fear, and the courage to say no.
By: Anushka Singhal
