Instead of involving itself with the glitzy world of crime and thieves, Netflix's latest crime drama does something far more intriguing. 'Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web' puts itself squarely in the unglamorous domain of the customs department of India, and as a matter of fact, this is precisely why it stands out.
While there are plenty of edge-of-the-seat moments in the smuggling raids that are part of this series, it is in the tougher truth that the actual kick lies: sometimes the decay isn't ahead of you in the smuggling syndicates but right beside you at the briefing.
Imagine for a moment Mumbai's international airport on any day, thousands of passengers, endless queues, and somewhere in the din, people trying to slip contraband past the checkpoints. That is where we spend most of our time in 'Taskaree'.
The story follows an elite group assigned to take down a sprawling gold-smuggling network controlled by Bada Chaudhary-essentially, one-man Indian mafia-played by Sharad Kelkar, who strikes just the correct note of quiet menace. In charge of heading this cleanup operation is Prakash Kumar, a senior officer prone to garrulous lectures on weeding out corruption to restore the lost integrity of a compromised department.
On the ground, Arjun Meena becomes the operational heartbeat of this mission. He is exacting, ethical to a fault, and supported by Ravi Gujjar and Mithali, two officers whose commitment to doing things by the book has thus far only earned them career stagnation and sleepless nights.
And together, they pick and pull at Chaudhary's empire bit by bit: cultivate informants, run surveillance, time seizures down to the minute. Nothing ever stays secure. Every win feels transient, every setback a little too convenient.
That paranoia isn't without its basis. No one can afford to trust another, and that tension escalates until Ravi is killed for refusing to look the other way. His death devastates the team and sends them into action in ways they'd thus far been too afraid to touch: pulling threads.
What results is complex and multi-layered: it turns out that Suresh, one of the main persons in Chaudhary's network, had all along been passing on vital information to Superintendent Srikant Saxena, and Saxena was, all the while, Ravi's informer.
In light of this ending, those past victories suddenly do not feel like lucky breaks. Those were hard-earned intelligence wins, cemented over relationships forged in a secretiveness born of risk. It's that kind of reveal that makes you want to go back and rewatch earlier episodes with fresh eyes.
But here’s where the show kicks it further down the road. Prakash Kumar, this guy with the persona all about fighting corruption in his community by giving passionate speeches about things like integrity, this guy is the traitor.
Backing this righteous facade, Prakash had an agreement with Chaudhary. He wanted his share of the profit, for which he ensured that customs remained conveniently ineffective when it really counted. It had all been a sham, a ruse for Prakash to get on Chaudhary's good side and get paid top dollar for it.
On the ground, Arjun Meena becomes the operational heartbeat of this mission. He is exacting, ethical to a fault, and supported by Ravi Gujjar and Mithali, two officers whose commitment to doing things by the book has thus far only earned them career stagnation and sleepless nights.
In his final move, Chaudhary smuggles gold through coffins, then turns to sneaking the gold by hiding it in diplomatic furniture. This is supposed to be the final laugh at Arjun’s expense, an acknowledgement that he’s not his match.
But Arjun manages to fit everything together just in time. Arjun confronts Prakash in the warehouse and blows the whole thing. At the same time, his undercover agent Priya tracks down Chaudhary for the cops worldwide, thus successfully busting the gang and landing Chaudhary behind bars.
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Skim off hope for an inspirational conclusion full of promotions and celebrations. A more realistic ending awaits in ‘Taskaree’, namely, integrity in an unclean system costs, and rewards are rare commodities.
Arjun does not succeed because the institution is supporting him. He succeeds despite the failure of the system. This difference is important.
The last word of the show is subtly but strongly expressed: a uniform can cover many shortcomings, but it is in no way a justification for them. It is a form of bravery that most of us lack to talk about corruption from the inside.
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