For Raghav M Jairath, directing Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, a thriller set in the world of customs officers, was not about sensationalising crime. Neither was it about simplifying smuggling into a binary of good versus evil. “It’s a collision of both crime and systemic failure. Crime exploits gaps, but those gaps exist because systems are stretched. Many honest officers aren’t just fighting criminals; they are fighting fatigue, bureaucracy, pressure, and isolation. That became a part of the storytelling,” says Jairath, who has co-directed the Emraan Hashmi and Sharad Kelkar-starrer with creator Neeraj Pandey.

The Netflix series is Jairath’s latest collaboration with Pandey over their 10-year association. He admits that working with the filmmaker has influenced his directorial instincts. He recalls a particular instance. “I once pushed for more exposition in a scene, and Neeraj pushed for silence. That guidance taught me the power of what’s left unsaid.”