‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ Review: Pratik Gandhi and Sunny Hinduja’s Spy Series Shines in Its Grounded Storytelling and Smarter Villains (LatestLY Exclusive)

Saare Jahan Se Accha Review: Netflix's new Indian series Saare Jahan Se Accha has a strategic advantage - it’s releasing a week after JioHotstar’s Salakaar. That advantage is only obvious if you’ve had the (mis)fortune of watching the JioHotstar series first. Both share similar premises: set in the 70s, (loosely) inspired by real events, and centred on a RAW agent infiltrating Pakistan to sabotage its nuclear programme. Actor Pratik Gandhi on ‘Gandhi’, ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’: Both Ideologies Are Trying to Keep the Country Safe.

The real-life political adversaries are different. In Salakaar, Mukesh Rishi hams his way through the role of then-President Zia-ul-Haq. In Saare Jahan Se Accha, Hemant Kher plays Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, armed with a hairstyle that feels straight out of Havells’ 'Shock Laga' ad, determined to make Pakistan a nuclear state before India. As history tells us, that didn’t happen - no spoilers, just basic geopolitical knowledge.

While both series fictionalise events for narrative purposes, Saare Jahan Se Accha feels far more polished. It treats its theme seriously, unlike Faruk Kabir’s Salakaar, which resembled a clumsy action movie hiding its flaws under the guise of nationalism.

'Saare Jahan Se Accha' Review - The Plot

Created by Gaurav Shukla and directed by Sumit Purohit, the series revolves around the formation of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in 1968, tying it to the conspiracy theory that Dr Homi Bhabha’s fatal plane crash was engineered by the CIA to stall India’s nuclear ambitions.

Watch the Trailer of 'Saare Jahan Se Accha':

Vishnu Shankar (Pratik Gandhi), an intelligence officer weighed down by guilt over not saving Bhabha, is assigned by agency chief RN Kao (Rajat Kapoor) to infiltrate Pakistan. Bhutto, humiliated by the 1971 war defeat, is pushing for a nuclear weapon. Vishnu’s mission: find the facility and destroy it before the bomb is built.

'Saare Jahan Se Accha' Review - A Gritty Series With a Formidable Villain

Saare Jahan Se Accha is made with respect for its era, with detailing in both the characters and the setting. It distances itself from a week-old competitor like Salakaar not only in its making and writing, but also in the grounded nature of its storytelling, which reminded me of Nikhil Advani’s D-Day – one of the best spy thrillers Bollywood has produced this century. ‘Salakaar’ Review: Naveen Kasturia and Mouni Roy’s Series Is an Amateurish Spy Drama Without Any Smarts.

The spies we meet here are not beefed-up action heroes who exist to look cool in fight scenes; they feel like real people caught in dangerous situations, trying to accomplish their missions with limited resources, which makes their stories all the more thrilling. And yes, like most spy dramas, even Saare Jahan Se Accha repeats that their stories can’t be told to the world – not that it has ever stopped anyone from making series or films about them.

Pratik Gandhi’s earthy presence makes Vishnu a credible protagonist who uses his wits and charm to find the answers he needs. He’s not infallible - at times, he makes serious missteps, like putting himself and an informer at major risk by meeting in a theatre, which doesn’t go his way. The show also uses his narration to explain events and activities where he is not directly involved, but that occasionally feels like a lazy way to deliver exposition.

Vishnu’s rival and the show’s antagonist is Murtaza Mallik (Sunny Hinduja), the ISI chief, and here’s where Saare Jahan Se Accha truly shines. Most Hindi spy dramas show Pakistani counterparts as incompetent, but here we have an intelligent, ruthless antagonist whose mere name is enough to intimidate. Hinduja plays him with a chilling demeanour that almost dominates the show, yet also injects humaneness into some of his actions. In his mind, he’s simply a hero doing his duty for his nation.

With a strong villain – even Nakul Roshan Sahdev, playing Murtaza’s subordinate, is shown to be resourceful – the stakes are raised for the heroes in what is nearly an impossible mission.

'Saare Jahan Se Accha' Review - Into the Grey Zones

The show doesn’t shy away from exploring the grey areas of RAW’s work – from blackmailing generals with incriminating photos to fake-kidnapping children. Allies are found in unexpected places, like a Pakistani journalist Fatima (Kritika Kamra), or through international cooperation, such as with Israel’s Mossad.

The series shifts between Pakistan, France and London, portraying the complex challenges faced by Vishnu and his team, though much of it involves honeypotting their targets. A subplot follows Sukhbir (Suhail Nayyar), planted in Pakistan as a spy who assimilates into local life and even falls for the sister of a target.

His track has some of the show's tensest moments, and Nayyar convincingly portrays the fear, frustration and apprehension of undercover work. However, it becomes predictable, and the injection of nationalism into his arc in the final episode feels forced.

'Saare Jahan Se Accha' Review - Weak Spots

Not everything lands. Mohini (Tilottama Shome), Vishnu’s wife, has a promising start when she confronts him about being dragged into a covert cover marriage without consent. Sadly, this arc is sidelined in favour of spy games, leaving her mostly as a jealous bystander.

There are also convenient setups that allow heroes to slip through Murtaza’s grasp. Despite suspecting Vishnu early on, Murtaza delays putting him under surveillance. Even when he finally does, Vishnu manages to evade him without explanation. Even the epilogue feels rushed - there should have been some breathing space given to clear stuff up after the explosive finale.

Despite these flaws, Saare Jahan Se Accha remains engaging, bolstered by taut sequences like an ISI raid on an informer hideout from which a protagonist narrowly escapes. The production design, attention to period detail, and committed performances make it a gripping watch. More so, you can feel the show is very well-researched in how it covers the operations and that deserves high points in itself.

'Saare Jahan Se Accha' Review - Final Thoughts

With its intelligent writing, grounded tone and a rare, formidable antagonist, Saare Jahan Se Accha sets itself apart from recent Hindi spy dramas. It may stumble with a few underdeveloped arcs and convenient escapes, but it’s a compelling, tense watch that proves India can deliver espionage thrillers with both heart and brains. Saare Jahan Se Accha is streaming on Netflix

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2025 12:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).