The Freelancer (2023– ) User Reviews

Not a regular spy thriller..

[garaijay · 8/10 · 1 September 2023]

Ok, so the series is a solid entertainment. Outstanding storytelling, the thrill and suspense, emotions. Everything is top notch. It has written Neeraj Pandey all over it. Fast paced yet so realistic. Damn, this man knows how to cook spy thriller elements properly. Once you start watching you would definitely wanna binge watch all of the episodes. But that's where comes the brilliant minds of Hotstar. I seriously don't understand what are they trying to do. Just give us all the episodes at once. Or if you wanna wait then give us a 1 month window. But NO, hell they didn't even give us release the date for the last three episodes.

After watching all the episodes i can say that it was beautifully presented. There aren't any unnecessary cringy action sequences like many other spy thrillers. The suspense was well cooked and the plot was interesting. If you love spy action thriller then it's must watch..

Only 4 released episodes spoiled the thrill

[yatendrasingh-12017 · 9/10 · 3 September 2023]

It was very nice to see a webseries full of action, geopolistrategic ploy and engaging visuals. Mohit raina did superb in his role of The Freelancer.

My only disappointment is that Only 4 episodes were made available to stream as of now, not the full webseries with all it's episodes. It would be a great binge worthy stuff for nightowls like me. But the team seems more concerned about the monetary benefits than its popularity and chance of being one of its kind power genre show. And why don't they provide us with the information about expected release date of the remaining episodes of the webseries.

Bottom line - Definitely an entertaining and solid show. Release of all parts altogether would make it even better.

Finally an Indian show with attention to details

[AJ_5883 · 8/10 · 4 September 2023]

The show starts at the same pace like most Indian defence/ intelligence shows..but what you notice soon is unlike most Indian shows this one definitely has someone looking and validating the details.

From using foreign languages in dialogues, accurate uniforms of countries, real weapons(well mostly) and also creating a decent overall flow is pretty good. Also the story is fairly grounded,the general dialogue delivery is fairly crisp..none of the usual Bollywood drama.

Definitely a good watch and a pleasant change from the usual commercial shows being staged these days in the name of national pride.

Unique spy drama

[manishratna23 · 10/10 · 3 September 2023]

It is not your regular OTT masala..it has got a new take to the regular action and spy stuff.we have a good storyline which takes whole another level with some superb acting from a bunch of very talented actors,excellent pace of the story,top notch background score and last but not the least the "Syrian setup".yes the set is so realistic it feels at times that you are in Syria. This is a must watch but disappoints with only 4 episodes released for the time being leaving the audience on a cliffhanger.

Mohit raina is a perfect fit for the role supported very well by Anupam kher.proper family drama with no useless OTT masala of useless sex scenes,drug/alcohol abuse or forced LGBT characters.

Neeraj Pandey never disappoints

[infatrng · 9/10 · 5 September 2023]

On par with special ops ... great story, cinematography, locations , no nonsense and way better than main stream Bollywood directors... Neeraj Pandy never disappoints...eagerly waiting for remaining episodes.

Great casting with no nonsense over acting and anupam kher is cherry on top Sound track could have been more aggressive but not bad at all.

Some situations are over dramatized compared to reality.. the story so far is well built keeping the audience well engaged and on the edge Would have been great if Neeraj pandey can create his character universe and utilize them like marvel Would be great to bring himmat singh :):)

A ticket to Syria

[rishu-10599 · 10/10 · 1 September 2023]

The series boasts of an impressive cast featuring Mohit Raina, Kashmira Pardeshi, Sushant Singh, John Kokken, Navneet Malik, Gauri Balaji and Anupam Kher. The series has been adapted from the book A TICKET TO SYRIA. The titular protagonist is Avinash Kamath played by Mohit Raina who is seen as a former police officer who now works as a mercenary. He sets out on a mission to save a young bride called Aliya who gets embroiled in Syria where ISIS terrorism is on the rise.

As per the trends go, the series catches the essence of patriotism and suspense. As someone who has read the book, I am not disappointed with the series.

WELCOME moment to see Indian series very similar to hollywood type

[sumankbhagat · 10/10 · 2 September 2023]

What a series it was- I did not get a single moment to miss any shots. What I am very happy is to see that now, we have made some series that actually looks world class. We now outside the usual India-Pak espionage type story. Its a must watch- different level of stroy, great screen play and scenes. Overall it felt like watching hollywood series. Eagerly waiting for next 3 episodes... Characters looked so world class and not usual bollywood type. Good to see collaboration with premium world Intelligence agenines Mossad, CIA, RAW, IB, ISI etc, I mean in story. Its a must watch, looking for similar more movies, series to come.

Very griping and enticing !!

[creativechemistryinc · 9/10 · 2 September 2023]

Neeraj Pandey does what he is best at ! Very detailed and no nonsense approach...This season sets the premise for the upcoming thriller in next season can't wait for it...

It's very good creative decision to just have few episodes in this 1st season as it builds up the required anticipation of viewers and get them ready for the next ..

The plot is unlike what we normally see, but yes it has a rescue mission in it however there isn't unnecessary Chauvinism. Everyone here has just played their role to the extent required no over the top performances or drama... that's again very good

Kudus to the entire team...

Adrenaline Rush

[monicadixit · 9/10 · 3 September 2023]

The Freelancer/ ex Cop Avinash Kamath (Mohit Raina) is a mercenary who specialises in covert operations. He is bound by a promise made to his colleague and dear friend Inayat Khan (Sushant Singh) to watch out for his wife and daughter in case he dies in the call of duty.

Years later controversial suicide of Inayat Khan brings Avinash back home only to find that Inayat's suicide was a call for help to rescue his daughter Alia who's been forcefully taken to Syria by her husband and in-laws to join the ISIS.

It is now Avinash's mission to bring Alia home safely.

What I loved:

The Freelancer is gripping and you just cannot stop watching episode after episode. It keeps you on the edge. It's extremely well researched and the minutest details are paid attention to.

It's beautifully shot. There's a scene where Avinash is aboard a helicopter for a mission in Afghanistan, you can see Avinash and his team in the helicopter and also the shadow of the helicopter, falling on the ground, moving along with them; just signifies that these men also live in the shadows.

Superlative performance by Mohit Raina, he exudes the softness of a doting uncle and the brutal force of a rough tough cop so effortlessly. He balances indifference and concern in his performance so brilliantly.

Kashmira Pardesi as Alia portrays vulnerability beautifully and immediately makes you feel protective about her. Your heart breaks looking at her innocence. The scene I loved the most is when she's crying after being raped by her husband and as she wipes her tears away and you see determination and grit in those dove like eyes albeit fleetingly. She's sinf-e-aahan, woman of steel.

Balaji Gauri as Farhat Khala is absolutely brilliant. She totally creeps you out and makes you feel absolutely uncomfortable. Her eyes are so powerful you actually feel she can see through your mind.

Anupam Kher as Dr Khan, Freelancers handler is the calm that controls the storm.

Ayesha Raza and Manjiri Phadnis are endearing, especially as mothers. A few scenes are difficult to watch as a parent. They leave you numb.

What I absolutely hated was that after building the momentum and almost reaching the crescendo Disney Hotstar keeps you hanging for a season 2. A series like this deserves a season in its entirety as the time interval for the next season dilutes the impact. When the audience invest so much in a series, they deserve a closure too. It's unfair to both the audience and the makers.

Good watch but many liberties taken

[pvtk · 7/10 · 21 December 2023]

Started very well and keep you edge of the seat till end, in overall it's good web series to watch if you're fan of thriller, spy type entertainments

All actors performance's are good and did justice to their characters, Writing department did good job and made sure not have any dull moments in 7 episodes including lead roles flashback.

Story wise shown many real facts about the systems working and also how religion believes take to the extremes. But all if them balanced really well.

All good but felt took too many liberties to get operation successful. To name few, entering into other countries by road, clearing way to reach destination, no public in the streets, doppelgängers, IPL type of forces

Throughout series, get chance to see no hauling/shouting when shot with gun with silencer, that's how it works?

Except such many liberties, it's okay to watch in 2-3 sittings.

One of the best web series I have ever seen... The Freelancer - refers to this kind of mercenary who fights as a soldier for any group or country that would pay him or her...M

[rvawasthi · 10/10 · 9 September 2023]

Mohit raina is awesome and anupam Kher wow wow wow he is the best actor in India.

The Freelancer works best when it focuses on the plight of Aliya, and also ravaged terrain of Syria.

Brainwashing done in the name of religion is something that we have seen earlier as well. But it becomes uncomfortable when the stories emanate only from groups like ISIS.

The character of Aliya is the backbone of The Freelancer. She goes through varied emotions...

The title - The Freelancer - refers to this kind of mercenary who fights as a soldier for any group or country that would pay him or her.

Avinash's physical prowess is established very early on.

THE FREELANCER:-the mohit raina show

[puranjanbasak · 7/10 · 24 December 2023]

The freelancer is an action thriller show directed by bhav dhulia and created by neeraj pandey.

The finest quality of the show is mohit raina. He plays his part like a stoic, towering figure who has limited emotion range. It was hard for mohit to limit his range as an actor, which was required for this role. He is such a fab actor, his dialogue delivery is so smooth. Only fault was his running in this series, it was as if he was very stiff in his body movements. Kashmira pardeshi plays a normal, healthy minded muslim with a sense of sensitivity and air. It was not a character driven show, so no other such characters are etched out well. Anupam kher plays the cartrider type of role which is poorly written. The antagonists are one dimensional. The american and british accents are off for some actors.

The writing of this show does few things good. It builds up the tension very well. At multiple moments, it will make you feel very anxious about what's going to happen next. The screenplay though loses its steam at many points, you will feel like the subplots are not worth it. A subplot involving the doppleganger and his caretaker was just unnecessary.

The character of avinash kamath and his motives are well defined, we understand why he wants to save his friend's daughter, why he considers it a therapy to fill his void. The IB angle was stretched beyond a point, which made it boring and useless. The cinematography is generic with a pale yellow palatte to stereotype the arabic lands. It uses the picturesque locations well but does not get into the depth of it. The background score is also mediocre to decent. A very high paced music assists the scenes throughout.

The show makes a distinct comment on the muslim extremism and how it is a threat to the world and especially muslims around the world. Their backward, disgraceful laws are holding the community back. It also makes a commentary on the american messiah syndrome. They think that they are solution to every problem in the middle east. I was disgusted by the ways of regressive muslim confinement in syria and the places near to it. The commentary is on point.

A better script would have made this a huge success.

[AwaixJvd · 5/10 · 19 December 2023]

I have nothing against this flick but some common sense in writing the script would have made this script much better. I had very high hopes and had been expecting a very good flick but this proved to be a 5/10 only. These are the bad scripting which i found:

1. You can hit a NATO base in Kabul without any problem, no one will bother looking at you and you will kill the person and go unharmed without even a single bullet fired but you need CIA permission/assistance to do an extraction from a hot location (clapping).

2. You will go, extract and won't check her face knowing there is a company with her and then you will go again just to create some drama for the sake of thrill and movie making (clapping).

3. Even the CIA was so lame. They don't deal in the way this movie showed.

4. After all, we are Asians and we are full of emotions, so even an extraction will be full of emotions and lots of loose points where anyone can hit us. At least director should have seen some Hollywood extraction movies.

5. The IB was so easily fooled and played in to assist and then they bypassed CIA as if there won't be any repercussions.

6. Never trust a trailer, the underlying movie/series can be a mediocre or even a trash.

Gripping, but they've easily given a clue about Mohsin ;)

[Aayush_Shah · 8/10 · 3 December 2023]

TL;DR: Yo! This was an "unexpected experience". I would totally recommend everyone to watch this with family. There are no unncessary bad words or explicit scenes, just pure content driven series with extraordinary direction and cnimatography.

Context: This story focuses around the life of "Avinash Kamath" who was in police in the past but due to certain events he had to leave the police and now works "as a freelancer" for global agencies solving issue or assasinations on contract.

But the main even happens when one of his closest friends "Intiyaz Khan" does a suicide in front of an american assembly in India an after that one by one mysterious layer unwraps.

It is brilliantly made and, just don't miss this series.

My thoughts: Of course, spoilers. Mohsin, he has shown a negative character who is brainwashed successfuly and he does what he is told to do. But there are enough clues that "he would turn out to be a spy" who is actually working with Avinash and Aaleeya (his wife) doesn't know it. The clues like Mohsin repeatedly trying to tell "some plan", also says "no" to follow certain orders etc.

Still there are 3 more episodes yet to come, we don't know whether this is true or not, but it will be exciting to watch.

Top notch content!!!

[shoonyamanaska · 9/10 · 13 September 2023]

Superb script, strong performances and effective dialogues makes this a thrilling watch. The story is very close to the reality and writer/director have done a commendable Job to stick to minute details. It is amazing to see Indian filmmakers delivering a world class content. Mohit raina is simply living his character. The story has perfect balance of emotions, drama, action and mystery. The tragedy in the personal life of the main character is so nicely wowen in the story that it makes a huge impact in the character development. All the action scenes are very well shot with most technical accuracy. Even shoot locations and set design looks very much realistic. A must watch for military mission based film Fans.

One of the best spy triller in Indian OTT

[sharmasub-70157 · 10/10 · 15 October 2023]

Watched many a Indian spy movies but without a cap this has to be in the top rack..what a detailing of every scene, dialogues, starcast... Every scene shown in the movie seems so realistic.. The storyline is what makes the Webseries so much thrill to watch..A recommendation to the viewers to kindly know a bit of geopolitics going around the middle East (Syria , Israel, Iraq,Iran , Lebanon); this will make u love the series even more..Nevertheless u can enjoy the series even if u don't..I recommend ever viewer to watch the movie without any radicalism,with a neutral POV..only then u can get maximum out of the series.. Overall a top notch spy triller and can watch with the family.. Highly recommended. Couldn't wait to Season 2. Hope they release the season 2 soon.

Just wanted to convey my comments to director.

[imranshareef-38882 · 9/10 · 21 October 2023]

I thought it might have some religious agenda but while watching its changes my mind. Every screen play so realistic done. Its required huge budget to setup i don't know how you manage to do it.all the credit goes to director. Background setup so amazing even movies can't afford to do it. Kudos to you. I am not a professional review writer but i wanted to convey my comments to you i hot star i wouldn't find any option so i am doing it here i even don't know who directed this OTTY. Hoping you might get huge success in flims as well. If you ready my review than Thank you. I don't want speak more.

An action packed thriller which will not let you even blink.

[sayanti-dutta · 10/10 · 21 December 2023]

Neeraj Pandey has outdone himself. Freelancer can compete with homeland or other Hollywood webseries and come put as winner. It is nothing less than a Hollywood movie in terms of execution and story telling. But at the same time has all the Indian touch and cultural values. Mohit Raina is just mind blowing. I fell in love with him after watching the Mumbai Diaries. Here he is even better. What acting, what action, what dialogue delivery, what expression. Everything is praiseworthy. He is much more believable as a mercenary than Chris Hemsworth in extraction. Both are about extraction but this one is way more well executed and believable at the same time logical than the other one. Every supporting actor played their part so well. Not even a single character looked out of place or not required. So well executed in terms of production that it looks like watching a movie in a few parts. Hat's off to the entire team.

If you haven't watched it yet, please please watch it.

Superb direction

[innocreative · 9/10 · 23 December 2023]

It's thrilling series with good pace and nice background noise. You can't leave this series even for a moment. Acting and all characters has performed well. Anupam kher was acting is marvelous as always. Scenic beauty is stunning. It's thrilling series with good pace and nice background noise. You can't leave this series even for a moment. Acting and all characters has performed well. Anupam kher was acting is marvelous as always. Scenic beauty is stunning. It's thrilling series with good pace and nice background noise. You can't leave this series even for a moment. Acting and all characters has performed well. Anupam kher was acting is marvelous as always. Scenic beauty is stunning.

Why only 4 episodes????

[samarthsales · 7/10 · 16 September 2023]

Hotstar is having 2 shows right now which are top notch 'freelancer' and 'commando' . Both in the action genre. And for some reason, the very smart top management decide to release only half episodes. Okay, maybe they want to create buzz. But viewers nowadays have short memory span and even shorter interest span. By the time the remaining episodes are released, people would forget the plot and most of them are reluctant to again see the first four episodes to get in the same flow.

Quality wise the plot is very good and I am only slightly disappointed in mohit raina, as he is a commando and need to show better fitness levels. Acting is otherwise good.

Tactical Excellence

[chetand-675-997848 · 9/10 · 3 October 2023]

Most or all Indian serials and feature films suck at gun craft and tactical moves. They show naive and ignorant side actors brandishing bad replicas of weapons in a manor they will shout themselves momentarily!!

This series and others from Friday Storytellers have really reached there. Some slight attention to details and they'll be in Fauda Class !! Well done!!

The costumes are authentic and weapons seem real. The operators are moving well not definitely need some attention to detail. Consult a good officer from Para SF. The US guys have the Seals and Marines guiding them.

I'm sure our retired officers would need happy to guide you. Pay them well.

Sucks at multiple levels

[indram84 · 6/10 · 23 December 2023]

1. It was difficult to relate to any of the characters as they were not developed. The to and fro jumps on timelines through flashback were not tightly edited so were not as impactful. Why a character did what he did was only know to him. Viewers were just observers.

2. Wafer thin script. The story was unique and had a lot of potential but in the end fell flat. Imagine rescuing the girl from an empty village with little bloodshed with a predictable and dumb twist thrown in.

3. Empty plot points. Why did he start drinking so much? Slapping the minister was his choice. And his wife left him just for a day of heavy drinking and was so depressed that she killed their kid while backing up. What happened to good old child lock? Similarly, who was the 'dawat' lady, was the freelancer a freelancer before he met Dr. Khan, if he was then why did he go to college, if not then why was he taking bounties to kill people, why didn't anybody help when an Indian went missing abroad, why is the main character close to his partners daughter while not carrying about his own son, etc.

4. No show and too much tell. You come to know about the characters from what others say about them. No credible actions were seen on screen. Only a few long tracking shots to deliver a package or something insignificant. Only cheap suspense tropes like a blind person turning to look at insugents, etc.

In the end you will feel cheated as nothing really happens in the 8 hours of screen time. The characters felt fake, the story felt fake, and when a conundrum arised it was solved by some contact he had. Average acting all across the board with the exception of Veer Aryan who plays the passport maker quite convincingly.

Neeraj Pandey generally does a good job (like special ops 1, 1.5) but in this one it felt like he did not have his skin in the game. Below average watch best to skip, there are better things to watch elsewhere.

Only 4 episodes

[sameerlodaya · 5/10 · 1 September 2023]

Sameer lodaya

This review is based on only 4 episodes released this week

The series is made by neeraj pandey and team in his own typical style where he has always emphasised on govt agents of different agencys to fight terrorism but here they have shown something new where a group of officers who are expelled from authorities comes together and do tasks for money..the series is good in pace and takes a turn for a girl isolated in Syria forcefully by her husband though we have seen this kind of stories earlier but here they have created a good thrill ,new techniques ,new boundaries, new information which you will enjoy

Mohit looked hunk and played his character very well along with anupamji

It is very upsetting to see only 4 episodes are being released it kills the whole enthusiasm and thrill created.

Just Amazing

[mahender-38929 · 10/10 · 20 January 2024]

If you are excited to go on a virtual tour in which, every moment, your heart- beat goes up and down; then this is for you. Believe me, you would fall in love with it. This shows the selfless struggles of a retired spy agent, who takes innumerous risks to save the life of daughter of his friend.

Life Lesson : Always be calm-composed, optimistic and consistent to your work; success will automatically touch your feet.

To be honest, whenever I had to watch ads of 'The Freelancer', I used to irritate. I used to think : "This bollywood industry just need some MASALA, like : Pakistan vs India, Iraq , Syria, Terrorism etc, to attract audience by spreading hate.

But we my end semester exams finished on 15 th december, 2023; that night I decided to watch this web series just to spend time. Till 1 AM of 16 december, 2023; I was hanging out with my friends. After that, I came back to my room (JNU Hostel) and decided to watch this series. Whatever I'm telling, is 100% true.

You wouldn't believe, I continuously watched this till around 8 AM after that, I got fresh and went to mess for morning.

I don't have proper words to describe the beauty and greatness of this series.

Extremly Good content

[amitdange · 10/10 · 11 September 2023]

WHAT.... We love watching Mohit Raina to watch always but now him in such an epic series. What a masterpiece by Niraj Panday. Excellent Acting by extraordinary actors. Ohh my god.. Nowadays these web series are really taking over... So much detailing, excellent picturisation, and locations. The content is very detailed. Very engaging story and yet drama too.

No loose editing or direction. Keep it up. These Spy-action thrillers series are coming up very well. Very competitive with each other. Excellent choice of actor who doesn't look good in acting but is better for the role.

We would like to see such extraordinary creations to watch.

Fabulous, engaging.