# Bad Cop (TV series)
**Bad Cop** is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language action crime streaming series directed by Aditya Datt and adapted by Rensil D'Silva from the German series *Bad Cop: Kriminell Gut* (2017). It stars [Gulshan Devaiah](https://www.edgepedia.org/gulshan-devaiah) in a dual role as twin brothers, one a police officer and the other a thief, and filmmaker-actor [Anurag Kashyap](https://www.edgepedia.org/anurag-kashyap) as the villain Kazbe. The series premiered on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) on June 21, 2024, and was the first fiction series produced by Fremantle India, a company previously known for reality formats such as *India's Got Talent* and *Indian Idol*.[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) • [2](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original platform | Disney+ Hotstar (Hotstar Specials), premiere June 21, 2024, with two episodes released first and then one per week[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) • [3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-series-is-fully-filmi-9404595/lite/) |
| Source material | Adaptation of RTL's German series *Bad Cop: Kriminell Gut* (2017)[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) |
| Lead cast | Gulshan Devaiah as twins Karan (a cop) and Arjun (a thief); Anurag Kashyap as the villain Kazbe; Harleen Sethi, Saurabh Sachdeva, and Aishwarya Sushmita in pivotal roles[4](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/aditya-datt-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-sharing-screen-bad-cop-off-screen-bond-made-shooting-process-smoother/) • [2](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205) |
| Format | One season of 8 episodes; TV-MA age rating; listed runtime of 24-to-28 minutes per episode[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/bad-cop) |
| Reception | IMDb user rating of 6.3/10 from about 960 ratings; critics praised the performances and action but generally faulted the script[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32458829/ratings/) • [7](https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2024/06/20/bad-cop-has-excellent-acting-and-cool-stunts-but-is-let-down-by-a-bad-script.html) |
| Viewership | Fremantle reported 3.1 million views on Disney+ Hotstar[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and characters
The series is a cop-versus-villain chase drama. Karan, played by Gulshan Devaiah, is a fierce police officer pursuing Kazbe (Anurag Kashyap), a villain described as more powerful and deadly than him, while also managing his personal relationships.[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) The story hinges on the polar opposite personalities and lives of twin brothers, a no-nonsense cop and a thief.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/bad-cop/season-1/seasonreview/111083603.cms) Devaiah's characters are named Karan and Arjun, a deliberate nod to [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema), and the twins took different paths in childhood.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-series-is-fully-filmi-9404595/lite/)
Kashyap described his character as someone who does not think before acting, calling Kazbe dreadful, eccentric, nefarious, and a quintessential villain, and said that playing him was harder than creating gory or dark characters behind the camera.[2](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205) The supporting cast includes [Harleen Sethi](https://www.edgepedia.org/harleen-sethi) as Karan's fellow officer and wife, Saurabh Sachdeva as a cop named Aarif Khan, and [Aishwarya Sushmita](https://www.edgepedia.org/aishwarya-sushmita) as Kiki, Arjun's accomplice.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-series-is-fully-filmi-9404595/lite/) • [9](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-sourabh-sachdeva-disney-hotstar-2556630-2024-06-22)
## Production
**Adaptation and writing.** Rensil D'Silva reimagined the German original in an Indian setting, with Hussain Dalal and Rehan Khan writing dialogue and Renzil D'Silva as head writer.[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) • [10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32458829/fullcredits/) Director Aditya Datt, previously known for *[Commando 3](https://www.edgepedia.org/commando-3-film)* and *[Crakk](https://www.edgepedia.org/crakk)*, said he wanted a story that was classic, quirky, thrilling, and full of action, a hardcore cop-versus-villain chase with a fun twist.[9](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-sourabh-sachdeva-disney-hotstar-2556630-2024-06-22) • [2](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205)
**Casting.** Datt paired Devaiah and Kashyap as on-screen adversaries and named Devaiah's dual role Karan-Arjun as part of making the show deliberately "extra filmy".[11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsmczYwj_dU) He said the two actors' off-screen camaraderie made the shooting process smoother.[4](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/aditya-datt-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-sharing-screen-bad-cop-off-screen-bond-made-shooting-process-smoother/) For Devaiah, the role marked a return to action six years after *[Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota](https://www.edgepedia.org/mard-ko-dard-nahi-hota)* (2018) and his second double role; he said a fight sequence with Kashyap drew him to the project, and that the running in the action sequences was challenging because he was not physically built for it.[12](https://mid-day.http.akamai-trials.com/entertainment/web-series/article/bad-cop-show-gulshan-devaiah-on-how-a-fight-sequence-with-anurag-kashyap-drew-him-to-the-project-23354727) • [2](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205) Kashyap had previously only directed and produced Devaiah's films, so acting opposite him was new for both.[2](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205)
**Company milestone.** The series was Fremantle India's first scripted fiction production. Aradhana Bhola, Managing Director of Fremantle India, described it as the beginning of a new chapter in the company's content creation.[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) • [2](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205)
## Release and reception
The series premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on June 21, 2024, opening with two episodes and then releasing one per week.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-series-is-fully-filmi-9404595/lite/) [Fremantle](https://www.edgepedia.org/fremantle) later reported 3.1 million views on the platform.[1](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/) In the United States, the series became available on Hulu under a TV-MA rating.[5](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/bad-cop)
**Critical response.** Reviews were mixed, with performances and action generally praised and the writing faulted. Shubhra Gupta of *The Indian Express* gave it 2.5 out of 5, calling it fully "filmi" and noting that the brisk 24-to-28-minute episodes and pace were the best part, while the situations felt familiar.[3](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-series-is-fully-filmi-9404595/lite/) *The Week* found excellent acting and cool stunts but a script loaded with action, characters, and twists that still felt trite and unsurprising.[7](https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2024/06/20/bad-cop-has-excellent-acting-and-cool-stunts-but-is-let-down-by-a-bad-script.html) *India Today* called it a stereotypical, filmy thriller with bursts of good action but characters viewers could not connect with.[9](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-sourabh-sachdeva-disney-hotstar-2556630-2024-06-22) *The Times of India* judged that the series prioritized thrills over narrative depth and cohesive storytelling.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/bad-cop/season-1/seasonreview/111083603.cms) *Moneycontrol* was more positive, saying Kashyap and Devaiah elevated a refreshing but flawed crime thriller suited to viewers who want Bollywood-style mass action in series form.[13](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/ott/bad-cop-review-anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-elevate-this-refreshing-but-flawed-crime-thriller-article-12753373.html) On IMDb, the series holds a user rating of 6.3/10 from roughly 960 votes, with individual first-season episodes scoring between 7.0 and 8.0.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32458829/ratings/)
## Behind the scenes
Kashyap reportedly had difficulty filming one gory scene: director Aditya Datt said that during an intense sequence calling for Kashyap's character to cut a throat, the actor could not bring himself to do it.[14](https://avenuemail.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/THE-AVENUE-MAIL-JULY-9_compressed.pdf) Kashyap's performance as Kazbe drew positive responses after release, according to an IANS report.[14](https://avenuemail.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/THE-AVENUE-MAIL-JULY-9_compressed.pdf)
## References
1. [Anurag Kashyap, Gulshan Devaiah to Headline Disney+ Hotstar's 'Bad Cop,' Fremantle India's First Fiction Series, Fremantle India](https://fremantle.co.in/fremantle-indias-bad-cop-garners-3-1-million-views-on-disney-hotstar/)
2. [Anurag Kashyap, Gulshan Devaiah to star in police-villain chase drama 'Bad Cop', IANS](https://ianslive.in/anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-to-star-in-police-villain-chase-drama-bad-cop--20240531124205)
3. [Bad Cop review: Gulshan Devaiah-Anurag Kashyap series is fully 'filmi', The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-series-is-fully-filmi-9404595/lite/)
4. [Aditya Datt on Gulshan Devaiah and Anurag Kashyap sharing screen in Bad Cop, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/amp/news/features/aditya-datt-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-sharing-screen-bad-cop-off-screen-bond-made-shooting-process-smoother/)
5. [Bad Cop (2024) streaming details, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/bad-cop)
6. [Bad Cop (TV Series 2024) Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32458829/ratings/)
7. ['Bad Cop' review: Excellent acting and cool stunts, but let down by a bad script, The Week](https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2024/06/20/bad-cop-has-excellent-acting-and-cool-stunts-but-is-let-down-by-a-bad-script.html)
8. [Bad Cop Season 1 Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/bad-cop/season-1/seasonreview/111083603.cms)
9. ['Bad Cop' Review: Gulshan Devaiah-starrer doesn't rise beyond stereotypical, filmy thriller, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/television/story/bad-cop-review-gulshan-devaiah-anurag-kashyap-sourabh-sachdeva-disney-hotstar-2556630-2024-06-22)
10. [Bad Cop (TV Series 2024) Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32458829/fullcredits/)
11. [Bad Cop director Aditya Datt on casting Gulshan Devaiah, Anurag Kashyap & more, WION](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsmczYwj_dU)
12. [Gulshan Devaiah on how a fight sequence with Anurag Kashyap drew him to Bad Cop, Mid-Day](https://mid-day.http.akamai-trials.com/entertainment/web-series/article/bad-cop-show-gulshan-devaiah-on-how-a-fight-sequence-with-anurag-kashyap-drew-him-to-the-project-23354727)
13. ['Bad Cop' review: Anurag Kashyap, Gulshan Devaiah elevate this refreshing but flawed crime thriller, Moneycontrol](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/ott/bad-cop-review-anurag-kashyap-gulshan-devaiah-elevate-this-refreshing-but-flawed-crime-thriller-article-12753373.html)
14. [The Avenue Mail, July 9, 2024 edition](https://avenuemail.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/THE-AVENUE-MAIL-JULY-9_compressed.pdf)
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*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*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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