THE FREELANCER SEASON 1 REVIEW
STORY: Based on the book ‘Ticket to Syria’ by Shirish Thorat, the show follows Avinash Kamath (Mohit Raina), an ex-cop turned freelancer who goes on a rescue mission to bring back Aliya Khan (Kashmira Pardeshi). young girl who are imprisoned in war-torn Syria. Will he be able to bring her back to India?
THE FREELANCER SEASON 1 REVIEW : Neeraj Pandey of Baby and Special Ops fame created another action thriller, The Independent, and like the series, it showcases his original storytelling and characterizations. The story revolves around the separation of a young girl who arrives in Syria on what she assumes is her honeymoon after tying the knot with a suspicious man.
The setting is changed from the Maldives to India in this adaptation of the best-selling book “A Ticket to Syria,” but the plot is otherwise unchanged. The story revolves around a rescue mission carried out by a former police officer turned mercenary named Avinash Kamath (Mohit Raina), who sets out to bring back Aliya (Kashmira Pardeshi), the daughter of his best friend and suspended cop, Inayat Khan (Sushant Singh), after she has unknowingly become trapped in war-torn Syria. How is the entire nexus tracked by Avinash? Does he succeed in bringing Aliya home? This is where the story’s action centers.
Creator Neeraj Pandey and director Bhav Dhulia and their writing team (Ritesh Shah and Shirish Thorat) build the plot quickly and keep the audience invested from the start. The tension and sense of urgency between the characters is effectively conveyed and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The story progresses smoothly and viewers have little space to stop and think. This pacing helps maintain tension and keeps the audience engaged. The story effectively weaves in global political themes, adding depth to the story.
The characterizations and merging of past and present are also successful as each episode exposes a new side of character and subplots. For example, Avinash’s life as a Mumbai cop with Inayat Khan, happy moments with little Aliya and marriage with Mrunal.
Although attractive and exciting, the disadvantage of Freelancer is that it is divided into two parts, which interrupts the consumption of the content and disconnects the viewers from the plot. However, at the end of the fourth episode, which ends on an exciting cliffhanger, viewers eagerly await the release of the next episodes.
Mohit Raina excels as Avinash Kamath, displaying both intelligence and courage. He grabs all the eyeballs with his burly body, screen presence and intense gaze. Anupam Kher’s portrayal of Dr. Arif Khan adds depth to the story as a character guiding him. Sushant Singh makes an impression despite his limited role. Kashmira Pardeshi steals the show with her impressive performance portraying the fluctuating emotions of an innocent girl held captive. Other actors like Ayesha Raza Mishra, Navneet Malik, Manjari Fadnnis and Geeta Sharma contribute effectively.
