Saare Jahan Se Accha review: Taut tale of spies and sacrifice with impactful performances

India Today

16 hours ago

A few months ago, the dinner table conversation in both India and Pakistan revolved around a chilling question: Are we heading towards a nuclear war? Since gaining independence in 1947, the two nations have shared a largely hostile relationship, with the shadow of nuclear threat emerging in later years. As a character in 'Saare Jahan Se Accha' remarks, there would be no World War III, for it would inevitably be the last, with many of the world's most powerful nations today possessing nuclear capabilities. But this series takes us back to the beginning of that journey for India and Pakistan.In 'Saare Jahan Se Accha', every glance hides a secret, and every handshake feels like a trap. The Netflix espionage drama drops you into the volatile late 1960s and 70s, when nuclear ambition and political suspicion kept India and Pakistan locked in a dangerous dance. Directed by Sumit Purohit and led by a stellar cast including Pratik Gandhi and Sunny Hinduja, it is not simply about spies chasing secrets. It is a tense and human tale where loyalties blur, stakes soar, and survival often depends on the smallest move.An Independence Day release feels fitting, as patriotism runs high during this time. Each episode draws you deeper into the lives of the unsung heroes who never receive recognition for their sacrifices. The final episode is particularly powerful, delivering goosebumps and even a lump in the throat. The patriotism here is never chest-thumping or jingoistic, but rather a quiet conviction that nothing matters more than one's country: Saare Jahan Se Accha in the truest sense.advertisementThe show wastes no time in building its world. It opens with the shadow of Indian nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha's mysterious death in 1966, suspected to be an act of sabotage. Soon after, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (Hemant Kher) sets Pakistan on an urgent path to nuclear capability. Across the border, the newly formed R&AW, led by the calm yet calculating RN Kao (Rajat Kapoor), devises a plan to derail the mission. Vishnu Shankar (Pratik Gandhi), introduced with the measured confidence of a man well aware of his job's dangers, is sent to Islamabad under diplomatic cover. His wife Mohini (Tillotama Shome) believes she has married a diplomat, until suspicion begins to chip away at her certainty, and their marriage.The tension is built as much through silences as through action. When Sunny Hinduja's Murtaza Malik fixes his gaze on Vishnu, the air seems to tighten. In one particularly sharp scene, Murtaza says, 'In our work, trust is the most dangerous weapon,' a line that could well be the show's moral anchor. Suhail Nayyar's Sukhbir, living under the alias Rafique, is another standout. His quiet panic in moments where exposure is seconds away gives the series some of its most nail-biting beats. Anup Soni's turn as a compromised officer is deeply affecting, especially in the scene where he reveals why he betrayed his country. It is a stark reminder that even in the shadowy world of espionage, family and love still matter.Take a look at Saare Jahan Se Accha's trailer: One of the show's strengths is its refusal to reduce characters to caricatures, particularly at a time when casual jibes at the 'padosi mulk' are often used for effect. Here, every character believes they are serving their nation, even when their actions cost lives. The period detailing is impeccable, from typewritten memos to ingenious spy craft involving hollowed apples, pens with voice recorders, and coded messages hidden in the most unlikely places.
Pratik plays Vishnu with restraint, his calm delivery making the stakes feel all the more real. The guilt he carries, for losing colleagues and informers and for lying to his wife every day, makes him far more human than the usual action hero. Sunny's Murtaza is charming yet lethal, his menace heightened by composure. Rajat lends quiet authority as Kao, while Tilottama and Kritika Kamra, as Pakistani journalist Fatima Khan, bring depth to roles that could have been easily sidelined.However, like everything else, this show is not without flaws. Some subplots resolve a little too neatly, and the narrative occasionally falls into familiar spy tropes. But the pacing across all six episodes is tight, and each cliffhanger feels earned rather than manufactured, making up for all its lows.In the end, 'Saare Jahan Se Accha' works because it's not the story of any James Bond but regular-looking, Indian family men, who believe serving their country is their only duty. It also understands that espionage is not just about pointing guns or indulging in mindless killings. It is about the conversations behind closed doors, the long wait for the next update, the quiet hope of saving your country, and the ever-present fear of never coming back home to your loved ones.- Ends3.5 out 5 to Saare Jahan Se Accha.Must Watch