Emraan Hashmi's 'Taskaree' Delivers Compelling Crime Tale, Marred by Excessive Gloss

• 'Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web,' directed by Neeraj Pandey and Raghav Jairath, streams on Netflix from January 14.
• The series explores airport smuggling operations and customs officers' efforts to combat organized crime.
• Emraan Hashmi leads as suspended customs officer Arjun Meena, pursuing kingpin Bada Choudhary (Sharad Kelkar).
• Performances by Hashmi, Nandish Sandhu, Amruta Khanvilkar, and Anurag Sinha are praised for their grounded portrayal.
• Despite an engaging plot and solid research, the series' impact is diluted by excessive gloss and a lack of raw realism.

Why It Matters: Emraan Hashmi shines in 'Taskaree,' a well-researched crime drama, but its impact is lessened by over-stylization.