Filmmaker Neeraj Pandey has announced his upcoming web series and Anupam Kher will be seen in a completely new avatar in the show titled The Freelancer. It also stars Mohit Raina and is set for a digital premiere on Disney+ Hotstar soon. Neeraj is the showrunner for The Freelancer which is directed by Bhav Dhulia and is slated for a September 1 release. (Also read: Anupam Kher says he is competing with ‘Tiger Shroffs of the world’, Varun Dhawan)
The show is based on Shirish Thorat’s book A Ticket to Syria: A Story About the ISIS in Maldives. It also features Kashmira Pardeshi, Sushant Singh, John Kokken, Navneet Malik, and Gauri Balaji.
The teaser that was shared online Monday afternoon, is a montage of short clips from the show, combined with a glimpse from the sets of the show. We get to see Anupam for a few seconds but his new avatar – with a short beard – comes as a surprise.
Speaking about The Freelancer, Neeraj said in a press statement, “The Freelancer is a high-scale thriller series that unfolds an extraordinary rescue operation of a young girl held against her will in a war-torn Syria. It’s based on Shirish Thorat’s book A Ticket To Syria, which narrates the true story of Aliya. The series is driven by a powerhouse ensemble cast with Mohit Raina essaying the role of the Freelancer, Anupam Kher as the analyst Dr. Khan, Kashmira Pardesi as Aliya, and other actors portraying unique characters.”
He added that the series has been shot across various international locations and aims at recreating a world that has majorly remained unseen and unexplored. He also lauded director Bhav Dhulia and the team at Friday Storytellers for their hard work, adding that he hopes the audiences love the show.
Head of Content at Disney+ Hotstar & HSM Entertainment Network, Disney Star Gaurav Banerjee added that the digital platform (Disney+ Hotstar) has had incredible collaborations with Neeraj (filmmaker), reiterating that the audience loved all the seasons of Special Ops. “And, now Neeraj is back with yet another thrilling and sensitive story – The Freelancer. This show has powerhouse performances and some incredibly talented performers. We hope our viewers enjoy The Freelancer.”