Emraan Hashmi Reveals Why He Signed Taskaree: 'Intelligent Take On Heroism, Rather Than Loud Bravado...'

Actor Emraan Hashmi, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming streaming series ‘Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web’, has said that he was impressed by the show’s grounded, intelligent take on heroism.

The trailer of the series was unveiled on Wednesday, and it presents a relentless battle of wits inside government customs, where concealment is craft, intel is currency, and there are no second chances.

Talking about the show, Emraan Hashmi said, “The love that’s been coming in since the teaser has been truly encouraging. ‘Taskaree’ marks my first collaboration with Neeraj and this exceptionally talented ensemble, and it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience. What stood out to me about the series was its grounded, intelligent take on heroism,

a story driven by quiet courage, discipline and duty rather than loud bravado. The entire cast and crew have worked relentlessly to bring this world to life, and I’m looking forward to audiences finally experiencing it on screen.”

The series spans key smuggling corridors across Al-Dera, Addis Ababa, Milan and Bangkok. Taskaree opens up the complex machinery of the international smuggling world – a web built on coded routes, false manifests, and calculated misdirection. At its centre is a specialised customs task force at one of the busiest airports in the country, Mumbai International Airport, led by an uncompromisingly honest team of officers: Arjun Meena (played by Emraan Hashmi), Mitali Kamath (played by Amruta Khanvilkar), Ravinder Gujjar (played by Nandish Singh Sandhu), and Prakash Kumar (played by Anurag Sinha). These officers rely on instinct as much as intelligence, knowing one missed detail can undo weeks of surveillance.

Standing in their way is the Bada Chaudhary (played by Sharad Kelkar), and his powerful syndicate, which operates through layers of deceit and global routes designed to stay off the radar.

Creator Neeraj Pandey shared, “Customs has been a world I’ve always wanted to explore! The idea of stepping inside customs enforcement, a space that operates quietly, precisely and under constant pressure, drew me in. Bringing this vision to life has been incredibly exciting, especially with a cast and crew who were completely invested from day zero and understood the rhythm and realism the story demanded. We’re thrilled to collaborate once again with Netflix after a successful franchise with Khakee. What we’ve created together is a very distinct crime thriller, noted in authenticity and hope we live up to the expectations of our audiences whose encouragement has always kept us going”.

‘Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web’ is set to stream on Netflix on January 14, 2026.