The Freelancer is an Indian Hindi-language action thriller television series created and written by Neeraj Pandey, with Bhav Dhulia serving as the director after Khakee: The Bihar Chapter (2022). Produced by Shital Bhatia under the banner of Friday Storytellers, the series features Mohit Raina, Anupam Kher and Kashmira Pardeshi. It premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 1 September 2023.
Plot
The series is set in an hostile climate set apart by misdirection and treachery. It revolves around Aliya's journey as she endeavors to escape from challenging conditions.
Cast
Mohit Raina as Avinash Kamath alias "The Freelancer", Mrunal's husband
Anupam Kher as Dr. Aseef Akmal Khan
Kashmira Pardeshi as Aliya Khan, Inayat and Sabeena's daughter
Ayesha Raza Mishra as Sabeena Khan, Aliya's mother and Inayat's wife
Manjari Fadnis as Mrunal Kamath, Avinash's wife
Sarah-Jane Dias as CIA Agent Radha Baxi
Sushant Singh as Inayat Khan, Aliya's father and Sabeena's husband
Navneet Malik as Mohsin Fazal, Aliya's husband
Geeta Agrawal Sharma as Asar Fazal
Hardika Sharma as Child Aliya
Edward Sonnenblick as Burt Raphael
Danny Clifford as Buzz Jones
Mario Silva as Sheikh Khaleel
Balaji Gauri as Farhat Khala
John Kokken as Intelligence officer Raghavendra Sethu
Aakkash Dabhade as Wilson
Sairi Salma as Nadia
Sangay Tsheltrim as Gurung
Jalila Talemsi as Amena
Anouar Akerrmann as Ritchie
Sami Fekkak as The Photographer
Youssef Tounzi as Registration officer 1
Faycal Zeglat as Registration officer 2
Varun Pande
Shahid Lateef
Production
The series was announced on Disney+ Hotstar by Friday Storytellers, and features Mohit Raina in the titular role, Anupam Kher and Kashmira Pardeshi as the lead. It is based on Shirish Thorat's A Ticket to Syria (2017). The principal photography of the series commenced in 2022 and wrapped up in 2023. The series is set in Syria and were primarily shot in Mumbai, Morocco, Europe, America and the Middle East. The trailer of the series was released on 8 August 2023.
Critical reception
Anuj Kumar of The Hindu stated that "Bereft of high-octane action or deep insight, this thriller created by Neeraj Pandey feels formulaic and farcical"Archika Khurana of The Times of India rated 3.5 out of 5 and wrote that "Without a doubt, 'The Freelancer' adds another success to Neeraj Pandey's portfolio. It's a must-watch for its engaging plot, tension-filled atmosphere, and effective storytelling, which captivate viewers throughout."