Pritam and Pedro Review
Director: Avinash Arun and Amit Satyaveer Singh
Date Created: 2026-07-03 19:58
2.5
Pritam and Pedro Review: Directed by Avinash Arun and Amit Satyaveer Singh, created and produced by Rajkumar Hirani. JioHotstar series stars Arshad Warsi as Pedro, Vir Hirani as Pritam, Vikrant Massey as Martin, alongside Satyadeep Misra, Mona Singh, Shruti Marathe, Vinod Nagpal, Rajesh Sharma, Boman Irani, Naina Sareen and others. The series has six episodes, each with a runtime of 35 minutes.
Pritam and Pedro Review
JioHotstar’s Pritam and Pedro plot focuses on Pedro, an old-fashioned police inspector who is moved to the Cyber Cell after angering a very influential minister. Totally clueless about the world of hackers and digital detectives, Pedro is forced to work alongside Pritam, a highly intelligent but socially inept computer whiz with deep emotional scars of the past, who resides with his grandfather. This odd partnership that starts off solving a case regarding a missing cassette gradually turns out to be a battle against cybercriminals, kidnappers, blackmailers, and emotional ghosts of the past. As the mysteries get deeper and deeper, their friendship gets stronger and stronger too.
One of the best things about the JioHotstar series Pritam and Pedro, is the chemistry between their lead characters. Arshad Warsi seamlessly puts on the persona of Pedro, bringing about laughter and vulnerability from his character. His struggles with the use of gadgets form a constant source of fun in the TV show; however, the best part about Pedro is that he does not become a caricature. Be it asking embarrassing questions about using gadgets or proving himself after getting demoted, Warsi brings out a real side of Pedro that just wants to do what is right.
On the other hand, Vir Hirani turns in a good performance as Pritam. The actor’s introverted nature suits the character well, particularly as the series gradually uncovers the reasons for Pritam’s seclusion from the outside world. Pritam’s bond with his deceased grandmother’s cassette tape makes the character more relatable, while interactions between Pritam and his grandfather provide some of the most touching moments in the entire series. Nevertheless, while Pritam’s background is certainly engaging, at times, he appears rather detached. The actor is sometimes unable to deliver lines with sufficient naturalness to make the quiet scenes truly moving.
Pedro and Pritam’s friendship alone makes one feel that the series is worth watching. Their bond forms naturally rather than because of artificial emotional outbursts. At first, Pedro uses the missing cassette to coerce Pritam into helping him, but in time, he is able to gain the man’s respect rather than just his reluctant help. Some small touches, like Pedro learning more about why Pritam hurts or Pritam helping Pedro mend a broken marriage, make the series emotionally rich but not overly sappy.
The place where Rajkumar Hirani’s Pritam and Pedro fall short lies in the storytelling itself. The series manages to introduce some intriguing ideas related to cybercrime, but hardly spends any time developing them properly. The first crime, the robbery of an ATM, is easily solved by the end of the episode, leaving the viewer unsatisfied by something that was supposed to be thrilling. In the main storyline of kidnapping the minister’s son, the show promises suspense but fails to create it.
The character of Martin, played by Vikrant Massey, was supposed to be the most menacing one of the series; however, the screenplay fails to create a convincing villain out of him. The motivations of the character are explained in such a way that he becomes rather sympathizable to some extent; nevertheless, the series always manages to soften the conflict before it is able to deliver a certain psychological blow. Instead of developing any psychological tension between Martin and the main characters, the story opts for redemption through emotions, which suits the director’s vision perfectly.
Other than that, there is also a lack of balance in the use of humour and crime. There have been instances where Pedro’s ignorance regarding technology makes him funny since he confidently uses very wrong assumptions regarding the investigation of the cyber world. However, the jokes get old after some time, and some of the characters present in the show only exist to give a little comic relief without adding anything important to the big picture. On the other hand, some of the touching storylines regarding Pedro’s dead son and the background story of Pritam are not given the attention that they should be getting.
The ensemble cast seems equally underused. Even Mona Singh, who is seen as the wife of Pedro, has been underutilised by the scriptwriters, whereas Shruti Marathe and Satyadeep Misra are restricted to only serving functional purposes in the kidnapping plot line. The inclusion of Vikrant Massey sets up expectations that the scriptwriting fails to meet.
In terms of production quality, it’s well-made; the setting is beautiful, especially in places such as Goa. Nonetheless, the setting never plays any role in the storytelling process. Besides a few beautiful locations, the drama could have happened anywhere else without altering much. Also, the pacing is somewhat erratic; while some episodes move at a fast pace, other episodes move at a slow pace, spending too much time on subplots.
JioHotstar Pritam and Pedro Review: Summing Up
Overall, the 2026 Pritam and Pedro series is one of those shows that always leaves a sense of something interesting left unsaid. The friendship of the two main characters is lovely, Arshad Warsi keeps delivering the same level of entertainment he is known for, and moments of true passion are not lacking either. However, the formulaic cases, undeveloped characters, and unexpectedly tame storytelling hold the show back from being as interesting as it sets out to be. It makes for a good Friday night show if you’re looking for something to do.
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