Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web review - Emraan Hashmi is a sharp hook in a 'no-show' thriller that misses the obvious

Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web story

An elite task force is led by Superintendent Arjun Meena (Emraan Hashmi), a calm and clever customs inspector, in Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, a high-stakes crime thriller set at the busy Mumbai International Airport. The team's goal is to deconstruct a complex global contraband network. The crew faces off against the vicious leader Bada Chaudhary (Sharad Kelkar), whose gang is fuelled by deceitful manifests and systemic corruption, as they attempt to trace illicit shipments through a complex network of coded channels that span Addis Ababa, Milan, and Bangkok. Meena must master the art of stealth tactics and astute intuition in the face of relentless pressure and systemic deceit if she is to discover truths that have been lying in plain sight and stop the syndicate from extending their control beyond the realm of recovery.

Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web review

The year 2026 on streaming definitely started with a bang with Freedom at Midnight Season 2 on Sony LIV (OTTplay Premium). This instilled in me a sense of hope that other series would also sustain this momentum. Having Emraan Hashmi come back to the long format just a few months with Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web after his groundbreaking appearance in The Ba***ds of Bollywood definitely got me intrigued. The fact that he is starring in a Neeraj Pandey vehicle also excited me. Films have been depicting the world of smuggling for years. We have seen gold, drugs, and various other items serve as central characters in films or series that establish the entire premise. But in most of these stories, the "anti-hero" takes the lead, and the plot revolves around their actions. With Taskaree, we have a story showing the legal side of it, with the role of a customs official coming to the forefront. Isn't that enough for a series to become a whole package deal? Let's find out...

The series has Hashmi being the narrator, explaining the basic job of a customs official and what role they play in the safety of the country. He plays Superintendent Arjun Meena, who has been suspended from his job for reasons still unknown. However, when the ministry ropes in Prakash Kumar (Anurag Sinha) to become the head of the customs department at Mumbai airport, he determines himself and makes sure that the whole syndicate is brought down because "the nation comes first". To achieve this, he forms a team with Meena in charge of leading it. He is joined by Mitali Kamath (Amruta Khanvilkar) and Ravinder Gujjar (Nandish Singh Sandhu). They are collectively referred to as the "Holy Trinity" of the customs department, but mysteriously, all three are suspended, and this suspension is eventually revoked. The suspense remains unresolved, and I need to stop worrying about it.

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Well, the premise setup is forceful, and you have to just wait and watch how they destroy the sophisticated global contraband network spearheaded by Bada Chaudhry (Sharad Kelkar). But what the series does is take all the complex situations and simplify them to such a level that every moment is served on a platter. The series presents the villain's backstory in a manner reminiscent of Deewaar, primarily showcasing the antagonist's arc. But does it impact the story in any way? To be honest, not at all.

The seven-episode series transports us from Al Dera to Italy, the location of smuggling hubs, on a globetrotting tour. The series becomes so focused on illustrating the interconnectedness of the global crime world that it overlooks the importance of substance. Furthermore, the series showcases the colour schemes of every city across the globe. Of course, an Arab nation has to have a sepia tone, and even the colour of the shiny buildings is desert soil. People who have not visited these places will definitely feel the shock of their lives when they see how they look in real life.

The usual tropes extend not only to the cities but also to the characters. Every character reveals their backstory and the significance of their role in the series. However, by simplifying the journey, the narrative reveals who is ultimately good and who is corrupt.

Taskaree, while presenting a serious concept of the criminal world, seems to have taken itself so seriously that it fails to recognise that it can't simply depict anything without consequences. The series portrays Meena as a keen observer, highlighting his heightened emotional quotient. However, it also shows how easy it is to fool customs officials but gives them redemption in the end. The moments of failure at every step are so jarring and predictable that I could anticipate the final scene.

As the series approached its conclusion, the intended heart-racing sequences ultimately felt bland and unexciting. I was reminded of the time when Akshay Kumar, on Koffee With Karan, talked about how his film Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin, opposite Sridevi, was shot without a climax sequence. When the actor made it a revelation, I burst out laughing. However, even while watching Taskaree, I felt exactly the same; the end is so abrupt and not punchy at all that you wonder how anyone from the team came to terms with the fact that such an ending is the right way to end a crime thriller series, which is supposedly heart-pounding.

One of the biggest gripes I have with movies or series is that once they show us the sequence, it ends abruptly for an effect. But then when the character is narrating it to someone, we see the real picture. While having this technique used in a few scenes is acceptable, Taskaree employs it for nearly all the significant moments, such as character revelations that are easily predictable.

One of the scenes reveals that a character is corrupt, which you might have realised from the very beginning. However, the series takes a long time to generate shock value, leaving me eagerly anticipating the revelation of the truth. Occasionally, a story's linear progression can create a more impactful effect than frequently jumping back and forth or heavily relying on flashbacks to build suspenseful reveal moments.

The series is helmed by three directors, Neeraj Pandey, Raghav M. Jairath, and B. A. Fida, while Pandey co-wrote it with Vipul K. Rawal. It doesn't seem like there are too many cooks involved, as the show, even at the script level, declined significantly due to a lack of opportunities for improvement. I really want to understand why the show, despite featuring two female characters in lead roles, did not provide them with significant story arcs.

On one hand, there's Zoya Afroz as Priya, who has a whole episode named after the character, and she does have an important part to play in bringing down the syndicate. However, when Zoya Afroz is brought back later in the show, it is for such a trivial reason that the entire crackdown could have occurred without her involvement. Meanwhile, Khanvilkar emerges as a formidable customs official. Well, she definitely gets that in one scene, but then the mould of her character becomes shapeless, and the scenes are written so that her presence is felt in the series.

Well, the male leads definitely have an upper hand, especially with Hashmi and Sinha's characters. Both actors perform their roles exceptionally well, but this does not elevate the story significantly. Hashmi, playing the central character, is almost there in every frame and makes the series far more enjoyable to watch. Even though Sinha is the youngest of the cast, he receives a well-layered character that eventually starts to dwindle; however, the actor maintains his performance.

I really felt that they failed to do justice to Kelkar's character, as his villain doesn't come out as strong as he appears to be. The villain, even with a backstory, has hardly any standout moments, as it seems more time was spent on his demeanour rather than making his character more interesting.

Taskaree is seven episodes of emptiness, a globetrotting series that wants you to see the world of customs officials but fails to know in what way to do so.

Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web verdict

Despite a promising premise and Emraan Hashmi’s dependable screen presence, Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web is a globetrotting thriller that lacks emotional and narrative depth. The series trades gritty substance for repetitive tropes and predictable twists, oversimplifying a complex world into a bland procedural.