Pritam And Pedro Review: Arshad Warsi In An Engaging Watch Steered By Rajkumar Hirani & Avinash Arun's Storytelling

Title: Pritam And Pedro

Director: Avinash Arun

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Vir Hirani and others

Where: JioHotstar

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Pedro (Arshad Warsi) is a seasoned cop, and Pritam (Vir Hirani) is a tech-savvy youngster who must work together to find a kidnapped child.

Actors’ Performances

What if Arshad Warsi’s Circuit from Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. had taken a different route in his life and had become a police inspector? That is what Pedro seemed like to me, a man with a serious job and the funniest lines in the story. Arshad plays a brilliant, on-the-ground police inspector who, for no fault of his, is transferred to the cybercrime department.

The problem with this is that he is ‘digitally challenged’, as he feels the only way to solve an issue of bugs in the computers is by calling pest control. Although I do agree with him regarding the placement of letters on the keyboard. Overall, however, I feel he is that one actor who holds the entire series together with his practical frustrations.

Vir is a vacuum cleaner seller with a secret past who seems to be able to solve anything, especially crimes, using his digital prowess. While he plays a seedha sadha ‘good’ boy in his debut, I felt he’s a nice guy in real life too through his portrayal, but that’s a separate discussion, and I would want to see him in more diverse roles before delving into further critical commentary. Vikrant Massey is the suave cybercriminal, a role which I feel was probably like therapy for him after his outing as the serial killer in Sector 36. Mona Singh, in her limited role as Arshad’s wife, stands out in that one scene where she tells him why New Year’s is so important to her. Vinod Nagpal was an apt choice as the old, ailing father, something which we have seen him do before too. Bharat Ganeshpure is perfect as that typical politician’s PA who is swift to put everyone else under the bus, while Gaurav More is hilarious in his overt confession scene. It was a surprise to see Naina Sareen here in a lighter avatar with a penchant for sarcasm, after her last outing in the brutal Raakh.

Direction And Story

But the real strength of the series lies with the story and direction, so that credit goes to Avinash Arun and the creator, Rajkumar Hirani. One novel element about the story is that they don’t explore the typical digital scams and crimes we are already aware of, but new ones.

FPJ Verdict

In an era where we are surrounded by serial killers, Pritam and Pedro is a light, but engaging watch.