Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web, which was released earlier this month on Netflix, has been receiving immense appreciation. Raghav M Jairath, one of the directors of the Emraan Hashmi-starrer, spoke exclusively with Bollywood Hungama about the response to the show and a lot more. He also looked back on working as an assistant director in several films of Akshay Kumar, which were either directed or produced by Neeraj Pandey.
How has the response been to Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web? Did you get interesting feedback from real-life customs officers?
The response to Taskaree has been truly larger than life. Seeing the show trend at No.1 globally has been incredibly humbling. What’s most telling is the binge-watching pattern. I'm an early riser, and between 3:30 and 4:30 am, my phone is flooded with messages, which clearly shows how deeply audiences are engaging with the series.
What’s even more special is the feedback from real-life customs officers. They were genuinely thrilled with how accurately the show captures the intensity, emotions, and realities of their world, from the kinds of criminals they deal with to the ingenious techniques smugglers use to hide drugs, gold, and luxury goods. They especially appreciated the realism. The show isn’t overly dramatic but deeply rooted in the real cat-and-mouse race between smugglers and customs officials. Many even pointed out specific moments and details that felt extremely familiar to them.
The show was filmed at Mopa, Nagpur and Delhi airports. Was it challenging to do so? How many days did you shoot there?
Airport shoots are among the most challenging environments because you’re working inside a live, high-security zone. Coordination, discipline, and minute-by-minute planning become absolutely critical since flights can’t be stopped.
Rather than counting shooting days conventionally, we worked in short, highly controlled windows across different airport zones, passenger areas, boarding gates, inline areas, and even the tarmac. Multiple crews often operated simultaneously in different sections.
Security restrictions meant departments couldn’t carry basic tools like scissors or screwdrivers. This forced every department to innovate, using modular, Lego-like setups that fit seamlessly without violating security norms. Interestingly, these constraints added to the authenticity and realism of the show.
How has your association with Neeraj Pandey been?
I’ve been working with Neeraj Pandey since Baby (2015), and my admiration for him began when I watched A Wednesday (2008). I was completely blown away by that film. What sets him apart is his conviction, his grounding in reality, and his ability to blend realism with gripping drama.
One piece of advice from him has stayed with me deeply. During a particularly challenging shoot on Taskaree, when things weren’t going as planned, he told me, “Aim for the stars. But if something isn’t available in the moment, that’s where the magic begins. Change the angle, shift the focus, as long as the emotion and story come through, you’ve won.” That philosophy – clarity before the shoot and adaptability during execution – has shaped me tremendously as a filmmaker.
With multiple directors involved, was it challenging to keep the narrative style consistent?
Not at all. Neeraj Pandey, B A Fida, and I were in complete sync from the writing stage itself. Workshops helped define tone, character boundaries, and performance styles early on. Since we worked in an online workflow, footage was constantly shared and reviewed. Editors would quickly assemble scenes, allowing the next unit to match tone, intensity, and continuity even for split conversations or parallel sequences. This constant exchange ensured seamless transitions and a unified narrative voice. It was truly a collaborative and smooth process.
You’ve worked with Akshay Kumar multiple times. How has that experience been, especially given his punctuality?
Working with Akshay Kumar has been an absolute privilege from Baby (2015) and Rustom (2016) to Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) and Naam Shabana (2017). His reputation for punctuality is well-earned, and I see it as a huge positive. His strict eight-hour work discipline pushes the entire team to prepare better and stay aligned. He arrives extremely well-prepared, deeply understands his character, and is fully committed to the craft. At the same time, he brings warmth and fun to the set, a perfect balance of discipline and joy. That energy reflects in the performances and the atmosphere on set.
What next?
I’m currently developing multiple projects and exploring new subjects post-Taskaree. Rather than restricting myself to a genre, I want to take audiences on immersive emotional journeys, whether through joy, thrill, love, sadness, or fear. My focus remains on understanding systems through human stories. Something exciting is coming very soon, and I’ll be putting my honest heart into it (smiles).
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