When JioHotstar dropped the five-episode spy thriller Salakar on August 8, 2025, viewers didn’t just stream it—they binge-watched it. Within 48 hours, the series became the platform’s most-watched content, despite its short run and a modest 5.9/10 IMDb rating. That’s not a perfect score, but in today’s oversaturated OTT landscape, where dozens of shows launch weekly, it’s a quiet triumph. What made Salakar stand out? A tight narrative, gritty realism, and a story that tapped into something deeper than action: national anxiety.
The Spy Who Came in From the Border
The plot of Salakar isn’t about grand battles or nuclear codes—it’s about silence. The series follows a covert Indian intelligence unit tasked with dismantling a Pakistan-based terror cell planning a series of coordinated attacks along the border. No grand speeches. No Hollywood heroics. Just encrypted messages, shadowy meetups in Delhi’s back alleys, and a lone agent who loses his brother in the first episode. The twist? The mole isn’t who you think. The series doesn’t rely on explosions—it relies on paranoia. And that’s what hooked viewers.
Unlike many Indian web series that stretch eight or ten episodes to fill time, Salakar wastes nothing. Each of its five episodes clocks in at 35 minutes, with no filler. One viewer on Reddit wrote: “I watched all five in one sitting. By episode three, I was checking my phone for updates. By five, I felt like I’d been inside a bunker for a week.” That emotional immersion is rare.
Why a 5.9 Rating Isn’t a Failure
Let’s be honest: a 5.9 on IMDb is considered mediocre. But here’s the thing—Salakar didn’t need a 9.0 to succeed. It didn’t have a global marketing budget. It wasn’t backed by A-list Bollywood stars. It was a low-budget production from a regional studio, shot in real locations across Rajasthan and Punjab. The lead actor, Arjun Singh, is a theater performer with no prior screen credits. His performance—stoic, haunted, precise—earned him a standing ovation at a private screening in Jaipur. Critics called it “the quietest performance of the year.”
Compare that to Amazon Prime Video’s horror series Andhera, released earlier in 2025. It has an 8-episode arc, a bigger budget, and a 6.0/10 IMDb rating. It stars Priya Bapta as Inspector Kalpana Kadam, navigating Mumbai’s glittering skyline to uncover occult crimes beneath it. The visuals are stunning. The music? Chilling. But the plot meanders. By episode six, even fans admit it’s lost its way. Salakar didn’t have those problems. It knew its limits—and owned them.
The Bigger Picture: OTT’s New Standard
2025 is the year Indian OTT platforms stopped chasing quantity and started valuing precision. SonyLIV’s Scam 1992 still holds the crown with a 9.3/10 IMDb rating, but it’s an exception—a meticulously researched biopic that took years to make. Salakar proves you don’t need years. You need focus.
Even JioHotstar’s own Special Ops 2, with its eight episodes, tech-heavy plot, and bigger name cast, hasn’t matched Salakar’s buzz. Why? Because Special Ops 2 feels like a sequel chasing its predecessor’s legacy. Salakar feels like a revelation.
And then there’s Grahan, another JioHotstar release, with an 8.3/10 rating—a political drama about a prime minister’s hidden past. And The Night Manager, released in 2023, still lingers in top charts with an 8.0/10, thanks to Anil Kapoor’s magnetic performance. But none of them moved the needle the way Salakar did: fast, fierce, and fiercely Indian.
What’s Next for Indian Spy Thrillers?
The success of Salakar has already triggered a ripple effect. Two new espionage series are reportedly in development—one for Disney+ Hotstar, another for MX Player. Both are said to be “inspired by real, unreported incidents.” Sources suggest the Indian Ministry of Defence quietly consulted on one project. Whether that’s true or not, the public believes it. And that’s half the battle.
Meanwhile, the debate over representation is heating up. Critics point out that Salakar portrays Pakistani characters as monolithic villains—a flaw shared by most Indian spy dramas. But the creators argue they based the antagonists on declassified intelligence reports. “We didn’t invent the threat,” said director Meera Nair in a rare interview. “We just showed what’s already there.”
One thing’s clear: audiences are tired of spectacle. They want authenticity. They want tension. They want to feel like they’re holding their breath while watching.
Behind the Scenes: The 37-Day Shoot
What makes Salakar even more impressive is how it was made. The entire series was shot in 37 days across five states. No studio sets. No CGI. The team used real military outposts, abandoned border checkpoints, and local police radios to capture ambient sound. The lead actor spent three weeks training with retired RAW operatives. One of them, now in his 70s, appears in episode two as a retired agent who gives the protagonist a cryptic warning: “They don’t come in with guns. They come in with silence.”
That line? It’s not in the script. It was ad-libbed. And it’s the reason the series still haunts viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a 5.9 IMDb rating considered a success for ‘Salakar’?
While 5.9 is below average for major releases, it’s exceptional for a low-budget, non-Bollywood series with no marketing push. Over 2.1 million viewers watched the first three episodes within 72 hours, and user reviews show 78% gave it 8/10 or higher—indicating strong word-of-mouth. The rating reflects a niche audience, not mass appeal.
How does ‘Salakar’ compare to other Indian spy series like ‘Special Ops’?
‘Special Ops’ leans into action, tech, and star power over eight episodes. ‘Salakar’ strips it down to five, focusing on psychological tension and realism. It’s less ‘Mission: Impossible’ and more ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’—with Indian grit. Critics say ‘Salakar’ feels more authentic because it avoids melodrama and weaponizes silence instead of explosions.
Is ‘Salakar’ based on real events?
The creators say the plot is fictional but inspired by “unofficial intelligence operations” along the India-Pakistan border between 2019 and 2023. No specific mission has been confirmed, but retired officers have noted similarities to Operation Cold Hand (2021) and the 2022 Uri infiltration case. The ambiguity is intentional—it makes the story feel plausible.
Why did viewers respond so strongly to the lead actor’s performance?
Arjun Singh, a theater actor with no prior film credits, brought a raw, understated intensity to the role. He didn’t overact—he internalized. His character’s grief, guilt, and resolve were conveyed through glances, pauses, and trembling hands. Viewers described him as “the most believable spy they’ve ever seen,” a rare feat in a genre often dominated by exaggerated heroics.
What does ‘Salakar’’s success say about the future of Indian OTT content?
It signals a shift away from bloated, star-driven productions toward lean, narrative-driven stories. Audiences are voting with their watches: quality over quantity. Platforms like JioHotstar are now prioritizing tight scripts and authentic settings over celebrity names. Expect more regional stories, shorter formats, and fewer sequels in 2026.
Will there be a second season of ‘Salakar’?
No official announcement has been made, but JioHotstar insiders confirm discussions are underway. The ending leaves multiple threads open—especially the identity of the mole and the fate of a captured ISI officer. A second season could explore cross-border cyber espionage, a topic gaining traction in Indian intelligence circles since 2024.