Nimish Dass
Special Ops is a global Indian web series in the true sense and should be on the bucket list of those—especially non-Indians—interested in Indian intelligence, state politics, and foreign affairs.
Director Neeraj Pandey is widely respected for his mastery in the espionage–thriller genre. The second instalment of Special Ops is yet another ambitious production, perhaps a notch higher than its predecessor. Many talented ‘outsider’ film directors in India started in the early 2000s from humble backgrounds and could be considered Pandey’s contemporaries or seniors. Yet, many of them have struggled to give films/series that are both commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Pandey, on the other hand, has not just given quality cinema but also built a brand, created successful franchises (Special Ops and Khakee), and is still pushing harder to achieve more—all this while retaining his sanity and humility in interviews and public appearances.
Coming to the web series, Special Ops 2 is relevant—technically and geopolitically. We live in a digital age where cyber attacks are modern warfare techniques. India has enemies on several fronts, and we get to see that in Special Ops 2. Pandey has never shied away from voicing his uncomfortable—often politically incorrect—socio-political opinions through his work. In Special Ops 2, he subtly shows his discontent using the seasoned actor Prakash Raj’s character, which reminds the viewer of the common man—masterfully portrayed by Naseeruddin Shah—from Pandey’s breakout film, A Wednesday (2008), which was remade in Hollywood as the Ben Kingsley-starrer A Common Man (2013).
Vikas Manaktala and Tota Roy Chowdhury are welcome additions to the Special Ops universe; however, Tota Roy Chowdhury could have been written as a Bengali character because in a long dialogue scene, his distinct Bengali accent gives him away.
Manaktala, who is brilliant as the RAW agent Abhay Singh, rose to fame 18 years ago when he portrayed Cadet Amardeep Huda in the popular TV series Left Right Left (2006–2008). There are a few serials from that time that have left an indelible mark on viewers’ minds. Left Right Left is among them. A wishful thinking, it would be exciting to see Rajeev Khandelwal, another Left Right Left alum, in Special Ops 3, if that were to happen.
Tahir Raj Bhasin is equally good as the main antagonist. Bhasin’s character, Sudhir Awasthi, might be a dig at some highly skilled individuals who cease to believe in borders, consider themselves global citizens, and sometimes go as far as compromising on ethics and their birth country’s interests for money and power. While it may appear rather unconventional of Neeraj Pandey to turn the tech-savvy Sudhir Awasthi into the big baddie of the series—an antagonist that does not fit the stereotypical antagonist in nationalist films, Pandey has always been bold and a step ahead in his casting choices in the films and series he has written and/or directed thus far, be it A Wednesday (2008), Baby (2015), M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), Special Ops 1 (2020), Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story (2021), Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022), The Freelancer (2023), or Khakee: The Bengal Chapter (2025).
Kay Kay Menon’s character, Himmat Singh, the series’ protagonist, is the absolute star of the show. Singh is a committed intelligence agent ready to live and die for the nation, who has taken bullets while protecting his motherland. It is common for Neeraj Pandey to make films/series on patriotic/nationalist themes with protagonists ready to die or kill for the nation.
One of the finest actors around, Menon’s endless practice at honing his craft shows as his scenes look effortless. The subtle changes in his pitch and tempo can be noticed as he gets angry in two scenes, but he contains it, ably masking his fury with an acerbic wit and humour. The first instance is when he returns after breaking news of a colleague’s death to the latter’s mother and meets a shady hawala guy who also claims to be a patriot. The second incident is when Singh is fed up with his mentor’s (played by Prakash Raj) jarring threats.
There is a particular mannerism associated with each character Kay Kay Menon portrays. Here, Himmat Singh keeps his phone face down every time he meets his senior colleagues—the characters played by Kali Prasad Mukherjee and Parmeet Sethi; Mukherjee is well suited as a Bengali Babu, and Sethi is also apt in his role.
When the nation is under threat, there is hardly time to show backstories of the supporting cast. Muzammil Ibrahim, Shikha Talsania and Saiyami Kher are all good in their roles as field agents trained by Himmat Singh. Vinay Pathak and Karan Tacker have smaller roles in Special Ops 2 as Tota Roy Chowdhury and Vikas Manaktala are given more screen time in this season.
Karan Tacker’s character, Farooq, looks more comfortable and emotive than in the previous season. His on-screen flirtation with Kamakshi Bhat’s Dr. Harminder, sibling-like chemistry with Shikha Talsania’s Ruhani, and the somewhat informal teasing dynamic he shares with his mentor Himmat Singh bring nuance and humanity to the character portrayed in the earlier instalment as a no-nonsense professional.
Arif Zakaria’s experience adds to the series. His character, Dr. Piyush Bhargava, in his speech, mentions AI quoting the Bhagavad Gita to justify its actions. This is an interesting and intelligent take on the age-old but ongoing practice of citing holy scriptures to justify one’s actions.
The family-man aspect of Himmat Singh is dealt with delicately, and Gautami Kapoor and Revathi Pillai play their roles with near perfection.
A show based on cyber security, the digital space looks sleek on screen—kudos to the editor and the VFX team. Although the VFX could have been better in the climax bomb scene.
Shivam Nair is commendable as co-director, so are Deepak Kingrani and Benazir Ali Fida as writers. Advait Nemlekar’s background score is also worth appreciating. The usage of string instruments makes the music all the more expressive.
There are questions teased and left unanswered. Such as why did Abhay Singh not join the others while returning from the final mission? Is Prakash Raj’s subplot laid to rest, or would we see more of Himmat Singh’s grey mentor in the next instalment? Is the 2019 cyber attack on an Indian nuclear plant inspired by true events? Does the government or any political party/person really have or had a covert China connection? (The character Chaddha could be a hint.) What is the Dubai Princess Case? Is Megasus real?
Besides good writing, an engaging and layered screenplay, soulful characters, and good direction, Special Ops 2 also boasts of picturesque locations, smooth cinematography, and great action sequences. There is no denying that the climax could have been more complex. But there is always room for improvement.
Special Ops, Special Ops 1.5 and Special Ops 2 are streaming on JioHotstar.
Nimish Dass is a software professional and film/music enthusiast. He has made some original songs and short films. YouTube: Nimish Creates
Featured photo: Official Poster of Special Ops 2
