{ "id": "ep6fq8hyhx", "slug": "special-ops", "title": "Special OPS", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia", "label": "South and Southeast Asian serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials", "label": "Hindi serials and Indian Hindi-language dramas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials.crime-and-thriller-serials", "label": "Crime and thriller serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials.crime-and-thriller-serials" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials.crime-and-thriller-serials", "label": "India · 2001 to 2020: Crime and thriller serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials.crime-and-thriller-serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001", "label": "India · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials", "label": "Hindi serials and Indian Hindi-language dramas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials.crime-and-thriller-serials", "label": "Crime and thriller serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2001.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials.crime-and-thriller-serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Special OPS is an Indian Hindi espionage thriller web series created by Neeraj Pandey, starring Kay Kay Menon as RAW officer Himmat Singh in a 19-year manhunt; streamed on Hotstar/JioHotstar since 2020, distinct from Special Ops: Lioness and Special Ops: True.", "snippet": "Special OPS is an Indian Hindi espionage thriller web series created by Neeraj Pandey, starring Kay Kay Menon as RAW officer Himmat Singh in a 19-year manhunt; streamed on Hotstar/JioHotstar since 2020, distinct from Special Ops: Lioness and Special Ops: True.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.hindi_serials.crime-and-thriller-serials", "markdown": "# Special OPS\n\n**Special OPS** is an Indian Hindi-language espionage thriller web series created and directed by [Neeraj Pandey](https://www.edgepedia.org/neeraj-pandey), with Shivam Nair as co-director, which premiered on Hotstar on 17 March 2020. It stars [Kay Kay Menon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kay-kay-menon) as Himmat Singh, a senior officer of India's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) who forms a team of five agents to track down the mastermind behind a series of terrorist attacks in India.[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/Feb/02/want-to-push-the-envelope-as-a-storyteller-neeraj-pandey-on-his-films-special-ops-2258509.html) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/special_ops)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | 17 March 2020 on Hotstar; eight episodes[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/special_ops) • [3](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2020/03/19/an-epic-undertaking.html) |\n| Premise | R&AW officer Himmat Singh's 19-year manhunt for the mastermind behind India's most devastating terrorist attacks, tied to the 2001 Indian Parliament attack[3](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2020/03/19/an-epic-undertaking.html) • [4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/neeraj-pandey-special-ops-hotstar-6317208/) |\n| Lead cast | Kay Kay Menon (Himmat Singh), with Vinay Pathak, Divya Dutta, Karan Tacker, Saiyami Kher, Muzammil Ibrahim, and Sharad Kelkar[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/neeraj-pandey-special-ops-hotstar-6317208/) |\n| Production | Friday Storytellers, the digital arm of Pandey's company Friday Filmworks, with Disney+ Hotstar[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/Feb/02/want-to-push-the-envelope-as-a-storyteller-neeraj-pandey-on-his-films-special-ops-2258509.html) • [5](https://www.firsteconomy.com/docs/FE-Deck%202022.pdf) |\n| Franchise | Prequel *Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story* (2021) and a second season released in July 2025[6](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/neeraj-pandey-on-special-ops-1-5/cid/1840172) • [7](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/46754/special-ops) |\n| Recognition | Eight nominations at the Filmfare OTT Awards, with two wins[8](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2021/epaper/november/ranchi-english-edition-2021-11-06.pdf) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and origin\n\nThe series follows Himmat Singh, a chief R&AW analyst whose reputation precedes him, as he pursues a terrorist mastermind across a 19-year span. The story begins with Singh facing an internal committee that is reviewing his team's spending, which covers business-class travel across the globe, while he justifies the outlay as what nation-defending personnel must bear.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/neeraj-pandey-special-ops-hotstar-6317208/) • [9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/special-ops-review-hotstar-6320567/) The narrative weaves fiction with real incidents such as the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, which Pandey described as touch-points and political milestones in India's recent history rather than dramatized retellings.[10](https://www.mid-day.com/amp/entertainment/web-series/article/Neeraj-Pandey-Idea-stayed-with-me-for-almost-five-years-22677236)\n\nPandey conceived the idea during the making of his 2015 film Baby. While filming in Delhi, he met intelligence officers who had been part of the investigations into the 2001 Parliament attack, and research material he could not use for Baby stayed with him for about five years before becoming the series.[3](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2020/03/19/an-epic-undertaking.html) • [10](https://www.mid-day.com/amp/entertainment/web-series/article/Neeraj-Pandey-Idea-stayed-with-me-for-almost-five-years-22677236) He had also pitched an earlier, different project years before to Star India executive Gaurav Banerjee when there was no Hotstar platform; when the opportunity to make something for the web arose, Special Ops fell into place.[4](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/neeraj-pandey-special-ops-hotstar-6317208/)\n\n### Franchise\n\n**Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story.** Rather than a conventional second season, Pandey made an \"in between\" season exploring the formative years of Himmat Singh, released on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) in 2021. He acknowledged the approach was time-consuming and expensive, but said it let the team build a universe around the protagonist in a way a normal season format would not allow, and that a short run helped keep curiosity about the characters alive while bridging the gap between seasons. Sources differ on its length: a February 2021 report described three episodes of 45 to 50 minutes,[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/Feb/02/want-to-push-the-envelope-as-a-storyteller-neeraj-pandey-on-his-films-special-ops-2258509.html) while later reports described it as a four-episode prequel.[6](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/neeraj-pandey-on-special-ops-1-5/cid/1840172) • [11](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/neeraj-pandey-taskaree-franchise-strategy-101206289.html) Pandey said the franchise was always the intent, and that when COVID-19 curtailed production on a full second season, the prequel was released to satisfy demand from the show's fanbase.[12](https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/we-always-meant-for-special-ops-to-be-a-franchise-neeraj-pandey-1765276-2021-02-02) • [11](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/neeraj-pandey-taskaree-franchise-strategy-101206289.html)\n\n**Season 2.** The second season, released in July 2025 on JioHotstar after a gap of roughly four years, consists of seven episodes of about 50 minutes each. Its plot moves into digital warfare, with Himmat Singh confronting a rising technological menace.[7](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/46754/special-ops) • [13](https://www.thefinancialworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/5-July-FW-Delhi-Edition.pdf) Pandey called the execution of the season a \"nightmare\" and said the release was delayed repeatedly; production had been ready six to eight months before launch, but the Jio merger had not yet happened.[14](https://www.livemint.com/entertainment/neeraj-pandey-on-comparison-between-special-ops-2-and-bond-bourne-everyone-is-entitled-to-their-opinion-exclusive-11755857691376.html)\n\n## Production\n\nThe first season took about three years to make and was filmed across 12 countries. Pandey described the volume of work as almost like making three films, and credited co-director Shivam Nair with easing the burden, though working with another director for the first time required aligning both to a common vision. Once the format was fixed, filming took about four to six months.[3](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2020/03/19/an-epic-undertaking.html) • [10](https://www.mid-day.com/amp/entertainment/web-series/article/Neeraj-Pandey-Idea-stayed-with-me-for-almost-five-years-22677236)\n\nPandey cast Kay Kay Menon as Himmat Singh and said he was the only choice for the role; the two had worked together on a television original film about 15 years earlier, and Menon had a small role in Baby. Pandey said he wanted an actor who could capture the essence of a two-decade journey.[3](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2020/03/19/an-epic-undertaking.html) • [10](https://www.mid-day.com/amp/entertainment/web-series/article/Neeraj-Pandey-Idea-stayed-with-me-for-almost-five-years-22677236) The series was produced through Friday Storytellers, the digital arm of Pandey's production company Friday Filmworks, and was digitally promoted alongside its Disney+ Hotstar release.[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/Feb/02/want-to-push-the-envelope-as-a-storyteller-neeraj-pandey-on-his-films-special-ops-2258509.html) • [5](https://www.firsteconomy.com/docs/FE-Deck%202022.pdf)\n\n## Reception\n\nThe first season received a mostly positive critical response. Rohan Naahar of Hindustan Times wrote that Pandey and Menon delivered \"the first Hotstar original series almost worth the self-isolation.\"[15](https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/special-ops-review-neeraj-pandey-and-kay-kay-menon-deliver-first-hotstar-original-almost-worth-the-self-isolation/story-qtcWbTNb9QNtCDi6e5C0xI.html) Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave three out of five stars, calling it \"a sprawling espionage actioner,\" and noted that the show situates Himmat Singh's mission against departmental and domestic pressures as well as the face-off with external enemies.[16](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/special-ops-review-slow-burning-espionage-thriller-never-loses-the-plot-3-stars-out-of-5-2196073) More critical voices included Divyanshi Sharma of India Today, who cited forced slow-motion scenes, predictable twists, absence of logic, and a poorly executed story,[17](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/special-ops-review-an-overly-stretched-espionage-thriller-1658100-2020-03-21) and [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) review, which rated the season two stars, called Menon the saving grace of a rambling enterprise, and suggested a 30-minute episode length and tighter writing would have helped.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/special-ops-review-hotstar-6320567/)\n\nSeason 2 holds a 67% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes from six reviews. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave it 3.5 out of 5, finding the spy saga mostly on-point despite slack stretches, while Udita Jhunjhunwala of Scroll.in wrote that Menon's steady presence, along with strong support from the senior cast, gives the season a solid foundation but that it stumbles under the weight of padding.[18](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/special_ops/s02) The series received eight nominations at the Filmfare OTT Awards and won two.[8](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2021/epaper/november/ranchi-english-edition-2021-11-06.pdf)\n\n## Context in Indian streaming\n\nSpecial Ops arrived in 2020, the year Pandey joined filmmakers including [Anurag Kashyap](https://www.edgepedia.org/anurag-kashyap) and [Vikramaditya Motwane](https://www.edgepedia.org/vikramaditya-motwane) (Sacred Games), Raj and DK ([The Family Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-family-man)), and Kabir Khan (The Forgotten Army) in directing his first OTT series.[12](https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/we-always-meant-for-special-ops-to-be-a-franchise-neeraj-pandey-1765276-2021-02-02) It remains among JioHotstar's biggest hits according to a 2025 industry interview with Pandey, whose espionage output for streaming has since expanded with series such as Freelancer and Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web.[19](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/inside-neeraj-pandeys-streaming-strategy-special-ops-taskaree-and-the-future-of-the-hindi-film-industry)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Want to push the envelope as a storyteller: Neeraj Pandey on his films, 'Special Ops', The New Indian Express (2021)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2021/Feb/02/want-to-push-the-envelope-as-a-storyteller-neeraj-pandey-on-his-films-special-ops-2258509.html)\n2. [Special OPS, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/special_ops)\n3. [An epic undertaking, The Week (2020)](https://www.theweek.in/theweek/leisure/2020/03/19/an-epic-undertaking.html)\n4. [Neeraj Pandey: Special Ops will resonate with everyone, The Indian Express (2020)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/neeraj-pandey-special-ops-hotstar-6317208/)\n5. [SPECIAL OPS, First Economy deck (2022)](https://www.firsteconomy.com/docs/FE-Deck%202022.pdf)\n6. [Neeraj Pandey on Special Ops 1.5, Telegraph India (2021)](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/neeraj-pandey-on-special-ops-1-5/cid/1840172)\n7. [Special OPS, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/46754/special-ops)\n8. [Daily Pioneer, Ranchi edition (6 November 2021)](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2021/epaper/november/ranchi-english-edition-2021-11-06.pdf)\n9. [Special Ops review: Kay Kay Menon shines in Hotstar web series, The Indian Express (2020)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/special-ops-review-hotstar-6320567/)\n10. [Neeraj Pandey: Idea stayed with me for almost five years, Mid-Day (2020)](https://www.mid-day.com/amp/entertainment/web-series/article/Neeraj-Pandey-Idea-stayed-with-me-for-almost-five-years-22677236)\n11. [Neeraj Pandey on 'Taskaree,' Franchise Strategy, Yahoo News UK (2025)](https://uk.news.yahoo.com/neeraj-pandey-taskaree-franchise-strategy-101206289.html)\n12. [We always meant for Special Ops to be a franchise: Neeraj Pandey, India Today (2021)](https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/we-always-meant-for-special-ops-to-be-a-franchise-neeraj-pandey-1765276-2021-02-02)\n13. [The Financial World, New Delhi edition (July 2025)](https://www.thefinancialworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/5-July-FW-Delhi-Edition.pdf)\n14. [Neeraj Pandey on comparison between Special Ops 2 and Bond-Bourne, Mint (2025)](https://www.livemint.com/entertainment/neeraj-pandey-on-comparison-between-special-ops-2-and-bond-bourne-everyone-is-entitled-to-their-opinion-exclusive-11755857691376.html)\n15. [Special OPS review, Hindustan Times (2020)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/tv/special-ops-review-neeraj-pandey-and-kay-kay-menon-deliver-first-hotstar-original-almost-worth-the-self-isolation/story-qtcWbTNb9QNtCDi6e5C0xI.html)\n16. [Special Ops Review: Slow-Burning Espionage Thriller Never Loses The Plot, NDTV (2020)](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/special-ops-review-slow-burning-espionage-thriller-never-loses-the-plot-3-stars-out-of-5-2196073)\n17. [Special Ops Review: An overly-stretched espionage thriller, India Today (2020)](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/special-ops-review-an-overly-stretched-espionage-thriller-1658100-2020-03-21)\n18. [Special OPS: Season 2, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/special_ops/s02)\n19. [Inside Neeraj Pandey's Streaming Strategy, The Hollywood Reporter India (2025)](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/inside-neeraj-pandeys-streaming-strategy-special-ops-taskaree-and-the-future-of-the-hindi-film-industry)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › South and Southeast Asian serials › Hindi serials and Indian Hindi-language dramas › Crime and thriller serials*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/special-ops", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/special-ops.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Special OPS\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/special-ops. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Special OPS](https://www.edgepedia.org/special-ops)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/special-ops](https://www.edgepedia.org/special-ops). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Special OPS\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/special-ops. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Special OPS is an Indian Hindi espionage thriller web series created by Neeraj Pandey, starring Kay Kay Menon as RAW officer Himmat Singh in a 19-year manhunt; streamed on Hotstar/JioHotstar since 2020, distinct from Special Ops: Lioness and Special Ops: True." }