Taskaree – The Smuggler's Web: Emraan Hashmi's customs officer isn't what you expect; 'Lot of things will take you by surprise'
Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web is an upcoming crime thriller series on Netflix. During the trailer launch event, Emraan opened up about what fans can expect from his customs officer role and the plot.
Last Updated: 06.44 PM, Jan 07, 2026
Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web is an upcoming Netflix Indian crime thriller series starring Emraan Hashmi as a sharp, observant customs officer, Arjun Meena. Created by Neeraj Pandey, the series, which will be released on January 14, 2026, will unveil the unexplored world of customs and the intense atmosphere of smuggling. At the trailer launch event, Emraan opened up about his Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web role and what can be expected from the plot.
What fans can expect from Emraan Hashmi's Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web?
Speaking about Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web, Emraan Hashmi said that the series has a lot of surprises. He added that being a thriller was inherently in the DNA of the show, as it is a thriller, and Neeraj Pandey is known to be a master of thrillers. Emraan said that when one thinks of thrillers, Pandey’s name is right at the pinnacle. According to him, the show caters very well to thriller viewers, who are always ahead and know how to create cliffhanger moments. He also mentioned that he himself is a thriller fan.
"A lot of things in the show will take you by surprise. And wonderful cliffhanger moments throughout the frame. So yeah, I can't talk much about Arjun Meena. I think we'll let him be a mystery and let people experience him in the show," Emraan said.
What intrigued Emraan Hashmi about Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web?
Emraan also praised the show's script and said that after signing the project, he has spoken a lot of people and observed that the show is very well researched.
He said, "Everything is there, it's very well researched. There was a good teamthe entire team, support system, any question I had, that was thanks to their research," and added that the team has been working on it for 2-2.5 years.
"And that is the body language that you learn when you land at the airport. It's more about greeting people in this profession. And it's very interesting that till date, the custom officers have never made films. And I don't know why. This is one law enforcement body for which no film has ever been made. We have made films on police officers, army, BSF. And I have played pretty much everything. But this was fantastic. And I just felt that this is such a new world," he said.
Emraan Hashmi said that when he read the script, he was fascinated by how smugglers get things in, and how a customs officer's job is not just to find anyone suspicious in the red channel or green channel. He explained that there was a lot more involved in their work. According to him, the team did a lot of research on the event, and it was a well-organised system.
He also said that understanding the intricacies of how goods are brought to Indian cities was extraordinary. He also mentioned that in some scenes, he found himself laughing at how these things were brought about, highlighting how innovative and creative the methods were.
Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web FAQs:
Q: When and where to watch Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web?
A: Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web is an upcoming original crime-thriller series for Netflix. It will be released on January 14, 2026.
Q: What is the story of Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web?
A: Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web is a Netflix crime thriller series created by Neeraj Pandey, focusing on Superintendent Arjun Meena (Emraan Hashmi) and his elite customs team's high-stakes battle against a powerful international smuggling syndicate led by the elusive Bada Chaudhary (Sharad Kelkar).
Q: Who stars in Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web?
A: Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web features Emraan Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Anuja Sathe, Amruta Khanvilkar, Anurag Sinha, and more.