Sharad Kelkar Reveals How Neeraj Pandey's Strong Scripts Make Acting Easier

The series is created by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey and will stream on Netflix from January 14.

Kelkar, who plays Bada Chaudhary, a powerful smuggling kingpin in the series, opened up about his working relationship with Neeraj Pandey and how he became part of the project.

"It's a very simple thing for Neeraj sir. If you've worked with him once and he liked your work, he'll repeat it. So this is the same story with me. First, a series, then he gave me a film, Operation Romeo, which is on Netflix. And after that, Taskaree," Kelkar told ANI.

The actor further spoke about what makes working with Neeraj Pandey smooth. Kelkar explained that clearly written characters and strong scripts help actors focus entirely on their roles. Speaking about the comfort and "tuning" he shares with the filmmaker, Sharad said, "The easiest thing for Neeraj sir is that your character is so well-defined, and the script is so strong, you don't have to think a lot or do much homework. He's already done so much homework in writing that you don't have to do much."

"As a director-actor, the tuning is very important. Since I have worked with Neeraj sir so many times, there's a natural tuning. Whenever he explains, I understand the character to a great extent. And he narrates everything himself, every time. So that's enough," he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Netflix shared the trailer for 'Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web' on social media. The series is set around a special customs task force working at Mumbai International Airport. The team is led by Arjun Meena, played by Emraan Hashmi. Other officers in the unit are played by Amruta Khanvilkar, Nandish Singh Sandhu, and Anurag Sinha.

The story shows how the task force tracks smugglers who move goods through secret routes across cities like Al-Dera, Addis Ababa, Milan, and Bangkok. The officers face constant pressure, where even a small mistake can ruin weeks of hard work. On the other side stands Bada Chaudhary, played by Sharad Kelkar, a powerful smuggling kingpin who runs a large network using lies, fake papers, and hidden routes.

Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web will begin streaming on Netflix from January 14.

- ANI