The show makes us believe that sometimes the biggest heroes don’t really need to be loud and make noise and throw their power around. In fact, the biggest heroes of our country wear uniforms. We have seen enough movies on armed force personnel and police, but thanks to director Neeraj Pandey of Taskaree for helping us see the hard life of custom officers and what goes behind the scenes. Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web on Netflix shines a spotlight on these real-life heroes: India’s customs officers.
Edited excerpts from the interview with Emran Hashmi and Neeraj Pandey:
What was the research that went behind Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web?
Neeraj Pandey: It was a new thing completely for us. We know about the incidents of customs and how it works. But we don’t know how the entire mechanism works. So, right from the moment you send your luggage and when you are travelling back to Mumbai, you don’t know what has happened. Your luggage goes into the flight and comes out of the flight in Mumbai and then goes into in-line where it gets scanned. But there is a long process also behind this.
What was your preparation for the role as custom’s officer?
Emran Hashmi: First thing, I read the script inside-out. The external bit of the preparation is different, but the internal bit is all in the script. I had to learn his cathartic journey through the show. Understanding the mannerisms of the officers at the airport, how his work-day is generally like; I had to understand all that. They have that hawk-eye vision and they are constantly checking out their surroundings. I have travelled so much, so that also helped.
What are the air ports that you are targeting or looking at in the Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web show?
Neeraj Pandey: Essentially it is the Mumbai International Airport, a port somewhere in the Middle-East, there is Milan, UK, Thailand and there are ports in South-African countries also that we refer to in the series.
It is a seven episode show, so how does all the characters evolve in the show?
Emran: Basically, we are trying to show how the government wants to crack down on the smuggling nexus. My characters come on work Arjun. He has been suspended and he has been called back on this mission. These are young, hungry motivated officers who take on this huge responsibility.
What are your expectations from the show?
Emran: That it is a success! (laughs) I want audiences to see, what I actually experienced while working on the show. It is a new world for all of us - smuggling, Customs officers. Actually, we have never made a film on custom officers. We have explored on Army, Airforce, Police, but never a film or show on Customs officers. That itself is so new and fresh; I am sure it is going to be a treat for all.
Neeraj Pandey: I have seen these things on the news channels, but we really don’t know about the journey. So, it’s going to be a completely new thing.
WATCH the trailer of Netflix’s ‘Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web’ here:
