Salakaar is worth considering if you enjoy heightened patriotic spy action, but it is a weaker fit if you want plausible espionage or nuanced political drama. The five-episode Hindi series has an engaging two-era premise and a standout performance from Naveen Kasturia; in Nandini Ramnath’s assessment, its action and characterizations make the espionage feel contrived.
What is Salakaar about?
Directed by Faruk Kabir, Salakaar connects two timelines. In the 1978 storyline, Adhir Dayal, played by Naveen Kasturia, enters the Indian Embassy in Pakistan posing as a cultural attaché and reports on a nuclear initiative called Project Kahuta. In 2025, undercover agent Miriam, played by Mouni Roy, learns of a new bomb, drawing the older Adhir, played by Purnendu Bhattacharya, back into events. These are the series’ plot details, not independent confirmation of historical events. Scroll.in’s August 8, 2025 review recounts the setup.
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Salakaar: Season 1 is listed as a five-episode Hindi drama and mystery-thriller, released August 8, 2025, with Faruk Kabir as director. Rotten Tomatoes’ season listing provides those series details.
Does the espionage feel credible?
Credibility is the dividing line in Ramnath’s review. She argues that Adhir gathers information too readily, moves through dangerous situations without being detected, and succeeds in action scenes while keeping his diplomatic cover. To her, the result plays less like a convincing intelligence story than a chain of implausible escapes and victories.
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#1 Best Overall
- SPY THRILLERS (DVD MOVIE)
Ramnath also criticizes the show’s depiction of officials and leaders in both countries, finding little of the institutional complexity that might make its political stakes convincing. That is a critical judgment about the drama, not a factual account of real intelligence work or political behavior. Her overall verdict is blunt: “Salakaar claims to be inspired by actual events. But the show is too dumbed-down, amateurish and contrived to be credible.”
What works in the series?
Naveen Kasturia’s performance
Kasturia is Ramnath’s clearest positive. She sees him as well suited to portraying an unassuming, serious backroom operative. That restrained quality gives Adhir a human center, even when the character’s near-superhero feats strain belief.
Rank #2
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- Alternate versions and deleted scenes including an alternate ending!
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The two-timeline premise
The jump between 1978 and 2025 gives the story a way to connect an older mission with a renewed threat. It is an effective framework for a spy thriller, though a strong premise cannot by itself make the operational details or political drama convincing.
Who is likely to enjoy Salakaar?
- A better fit: Viewers who are comfortable with heightened patriotic spy action and are willing to accept convenient escapes and simplified political drama.
- A poorer fit: Viewers looking for carefully grounded espionage, credible institutional behavior, or nuanced characterization of political actors.
That distinction follows the strengths and weaknesses Ramnath identifies; it is a recommendation based on the review, not a measured finding about audience reactions.
Rank #3
- Spy Game - Collector's Edition - DVD New
What do other reviews and ratings show?
Rotten Tomatoes’ page displayed four critic reviews and fewer than 50 audience ratings when accessed on October 8, 2026. Its excerpts include criticism from The Indian Express, The Hollywood Reporter, Hindustan Times, and Scroll.in. That is a small, changeable snapshot—not a representative consensus or a stable measure of the series’ quality.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can you watch Salakaar?
Scroll.in named JioHotstar as the platform in its August 2025 review. That reference does not establish that the series remains available today or appears in every country’s catalog. Check your local JioHotstar catalog for the title and confirm the plan and access terms available in your region before subscribing.
Rank #4
- REGION 1 CODED DVD (US & CANADA)
JioStar announced Mobile, Super, and Premium subscription tiers with monthly, quarterly, and annual options effective January 28, 2026; those prices were announced in Indian rupees and should not be assumed to apply everywhere. The company also announced launches in the UK, Canada, and Singapore on September 2, 2026. Neither announcement confirms Salakaar’s title-level availability in those markets.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Factory sealed DVD
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