Taskaree trailer launch: Emraan Hashmi and Amruta Khanvilkar Enter a High-Stakes War Against Smuggling

On Wednesday, January 7, the trailer launch event of Emraan Hashmi’s upcoming series Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web took place in Mumbai. The event was attended by Emraan Hashmi along with Zoya Afroz, showrunner Neeraj Pandey, Amruta Khanvilkar, Sharad Kelkar, Nandish Singh Sandhu, Netflix India Series Head Tanya Bami, and the show’s director Raghav. Let’s take a look at what all happened during the trailer launch.

What the Trailer Shows

The trailer presents an intense game of hide and seek. While smugglers consider hiding illegal goods an art, Emraan Hashmi’s character sees uncovering them as his expertise. In the series, Emraan Hashmi plays the role of a customs officer. He is joined by Officer Mitali Kamath, Ravinder Gurjar, and Prakash Kumar. Standing against them is Bade Chaudhary, a powerful smuggling kingpin whose network operates secretly through global routes to remain invisible.

Emraan Hashmi on His Character

Talking about his character, Arjun Meena, Emraan Hashmi said, “I don’t want to reveal too much about my character right now. I want the audience to experience it themselves.” Speaking about the script, he added that Taskaree is full of surprises. “The script is extremely interesting and has several moments that will shock you. This is a thriller, and Neeraj ji is considered a master of this genre. The series is packed with exciting twists throughout,” he said.

Why Emraan Chose Taskaree

Emraan also explained why he agreed to be part of the series and what makes his role special. He said he signed the show because heroism is portrayed in a very grounded and intelligent manner. “The love that the trailer and teaser are receiving is very encouraging. Through Taskaree, I am working with director Neeraj Pandey and his talented team for the first time, and the experience has been fantastic,” he said.

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He further added, “What stood out to me the most is the show’s perspective on heroism—there is no loud or flashy bravery here. Instead, it focuses on quiet courage, discipline, and duty. The entire cast and crew have worked hard to bring this world alive. I’m eagerly waiting for the audience to watch it.”

“There’s Always a Strange Fear” — Emraan Hashmi

During the trailer launch, Emraan Hashmi was asked whether he had ever been stopped or questioned by customs officers at the airport. Responding to this, Emraan said he had never been stopped at the green channel. However, he did mention that he had been stopped several times during immigration checks.

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The actor shared that when he used to travel alone, he was often stopped during immigration, possibly because of his ear piercings or similar reasons. “But now, when they see me with my lovely family, they don’t suspect me,” he said. He recalled that in the early 2000s, he was frequently pulled aside, which is known as profiling. “I apparently look like someone, though I don’t know who that person is,” he added.

Emraan clarified that customs officials have always treated him well. “Whenever I return, they are very polite. But there’s always a strange kind of fear. It’s like when you’re learning to drive and suddenly see an RTO officer on the road—you get nervous. That’s exactly how it feels. Even if I’m carrying only clothes, while passing through the green channel, it feels as if I’m carrying 100 kilos of illegal goods,” he joked.

On His ‘Serial Kisser’ Image

Despite doing a wide variety of roles, Emraan Hashmi’s ‘serial kisser’ image continues to follow him. This topic came up during the event and led to a lot of laughter. A journalist asked Zoya Afroz, “Can a customs officer like Emraan Hashmi be controlled with a kiss?” Zoya was taken aback and burst out laughing. She said, “I can’t believe this! I can’t even imagine such questions. I don’t know how to answer this.”

Emraan responded with equal humor, saying, “When I’m sitting on the dais, I have to be prepared for the worst.” Sharad Kelkar jokingly added, “I thought this would happen, but I didn’t get the chance.” Zoya Afroz further said, “Being in the same frame as Emraan… he has a lot of charm. But I want to say one thing—whenever I told people I was working with Emraan Hashmi, they looked at me and said ‘hmm’ (laughs). There will be many surprises for you, but you might miss those surprises.” Tanya Bami clarified with a smile, “This is a family-friendly show.”

Amruta Khanvilkar on Taskaree

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Responding to a question from Mayapuri Magazine, asked by Shilpa Nalamwar, Amruta Khanvilkar was asked to describe Taskaree in one word. She replied that the biggest strength of the series is that Taskaree itself is a complete description. According to her, it’s a very Mumbai-style word that instantly brings to mind a world of smuggling, mischief, cleverness, and mystery. “One word captures the entire story and its flavor. If you have to understand Taskaree in one word, that word is enough—Taskaree,” she said, calling it the true identity and strength of the series.

In another question, Amruta was asked about her role as a female customs officer. She said it was a completely new and challenging experience for her. “I had never done this kind of style or action on screen before,” she shared. During the shoot, things became so real and intense that she accidentally injured someone during a scene and even fractured her own hand in the process. “It was all a first for me,” she said.

She also spoke about her first experience of working with director Neeraj Pandey, calling it very special. According to Amruta, Neeraj’s shooting style—especially his one-shot takes—is very different, with so many things happening at once that even actors feel the thrill. “That excitement is not only felt by the actors but is clearly visible to the audience on screen as well,” she added. Amruta also described her experience of working with co-actors Nandish and Emraan as wonderful, calling the teamwork and close-knit scenes truly memorable.

Neeraj Pandey Speaks

Producer Neeraj Pandey said during the event, “Showing the world of customs has always been my dream. It’s a space that works quietly, precisely, and under constant pressure. Bringing this vision to life has been exciting. The cast and crew showed complete dedication. After the Khakee franchise, it’s great to collaborate with Netflix again. We’ve created a different kind of crime thriller rooted in reality. I hope the audience enjoys it.”

Challenges During the Project

When asked about the biggest challenge in making the series, Neeraj Pandey smiled and said, “Making a family-friendly show with Emraan Hashmi was my biggest challenge.” Reacting to this, Emraan Hashmi jokingly added, “Even I had to control myself a lot to work in such a family-oriented show.” His comment was met with loud applause and laughter from the audience.

Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, directed by Neeraj Pandey, will begin streaming on Netflix from January 14. Along with Emraan Hashmi, the series stars Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Nandish Singh Sandhu, Anurag Sinha, and Zoya Afroz in key roles.

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