Salakaar review: Naveen Kasturia's nuclear spy drama is intriguing but inconsistent

India Today

a day ago

'Salakaar', JioHotstar's new spy thriller, is all about espionage, nuclear threats, and unfinished business between India and Pakistan. While there have been many espionage thrillers that deal with the India-Pakistan issue, this one's a bit different, as it is inspired by real-life events.Starring Naveen Kasturia, Mouni Roy, Surya Sharma and Mukesh Rishi, the series is set across two timelines - 1978 and 2025. And, follows the covert missions surrounding Pakistan's secret nuclear mission.advertisementThe story kicks off in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where Colonel Ashfaq Ullah (Surya Sharma), a hardcore anti-India figure, receives a classified file containing the blueprint of a secret nuclear plant in Kahuta. After a quick, cryptic exchange in a cemetery, he eliminates the man who handed it over, a dramatic opening that sets the tone for what follows.
Surya Sharma as Colonel Ashfaq Ullah in a stillf from 'Salakaar'.
Mouni Roy plays Mariam, who pretends to be a tuition teacher but is actually an undercover R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing) agent named Shristi Chaturvedi. She uses her cover to get close, very close, to Ashfaq, and manages to photograph the blueprint using her spy-camera glasses. It's bold, but also a little awkward, with the show diving into 'honey trap' territory right from the start.Back in India, R&AW receives the file and their system flags a similar document file that is in their archive. However, the only ones with access to those files are the Prime Minister and National Security Advisor Adhir Dayal (Purnendu Bhattacharya). This leads to a flashback to 1978, when a young Dayal (played by Naveen Kasturia), posing as a cultural attache in Islamabad, was sent on a high-stakes mission to stop Pakistan from building a nuclear bomb.
Purnendu Bhattacharya, Mouni Roy and Mukesh Rishi play pivotal roles in 'Salakaar'.
Adhir Dayal's character is roughly based on National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. For the unversed, Doval lived undercover in Pakistan for seven years and gathered critical intelligence while living as a local.The show's premise is interesting. The nuclear angle, the cat-and-mouse games between intelligence agencies, and the moral compromises spies often make. Naveen Kasturia brings a quiet intensity to the younger Dayal, while Mukesh Rishi and Surya Sharma hold their own as men with deep loyalties and dangerous motives. Mouni Roy is the femme fatale, though she is mostly shown in distress. While she looks the part, her character's arc, especially early on, lacks believability.
Naveen Kasturia in a still from 'Salakaar'.
While Dayal's mission in 1978 is clear, to stop Pakistan's nuclear plans, the mission's objective in 2025 is not defined. Apart from uncovering Ashfaq's obsession with the nuclear plant and getting Mariam back to safety, there's not much meat in the present-day plot.One issue 'Salakaar' struggles with is logic. For instance, a dramatic explosion at the nuclear plant leaves Dayal with just a few scratches. Security in a high-alert zone like Kahuta seems inconsistent. Dayal faced a lot of scrutiny while entering the territory, but how did he return and then come back again? These loose ends take away from what could have been a taut, high-stakes thriller.advertisementTake a look at 'Salakaar' trailer: Visually, the series has its moments. The flashbacks to the late 70s are well done, with period-accurate details that feel authentic without being flashy. A particularly clever nod to the time is when Dayal's boss at the Indian embassy reminds him to work on Kapil Dev's visa, a reference to the cricket legend's test debut on October 16, 1978, in Faisalabad, Pakistan.But, some geographical details miss the mark. Kahuta, which is situated in the foothills of the Himalayas, is shown as mostly barren and rocky, whereas it should have been a mix of green and arid terrain. This would have enhanced the accuracy. The terrain looked more like Balochistan than Rawalpindi. That said, the cinematography captures the tension nicely, and the music does a good job of building suspense without going overboard.Directed by Faruk Kabir of 'Khuda Haafiz' fame, 'Salakaar' is ambitious in scope but uneven in execution. The plot has all the ingredients of a great spy drama - revenge, secrets, and political undercurrents, but some not-so-smooth writing and far-fetched twists pull it down.Still, if you enjoy espionage stories with a bit of flair, and you're willing to overlook a few logical lapses, 'Salakaar' is still worth a watch. With just five episodes of roughly 30 minutes each, this one could easily be one of the shows you can binge on this weekend. Just don't expect it to be 'The Family Man' or 'Fauda'. This one plays more like an old-school desi thriller with some modern touches.- Ends3 out of 5 stars to Salakaar.You May Also Like