# Commander Karan Saxena

**Commander Karan Saxena** (कमांडर करण सक्सेना) is a 2024 Hindi-language action espionage thriller web series in which a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent races to avert ISI-aided terror attacks on India. It premiered on [Disney+ Hotstar](https://www.edgepedia.org/disney-hotstar) on 8 July 2024 and ran for 20 episodes, ending on 2 August 2024.<sup>[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32644414/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/commander-karan-saxena/allseasons/official)</sup> The series stars [Gurmeet Choudhary](https://www.edgepedia.org/gurmeet-choudhary) in the title role, with Hruta Durgule, Iqbal Khan, Amit Behl, and Krishna Singh Bisht in supporting parts.<sup>[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/commander-karan-saxena)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premiere and finale | 8 July 2024 to 2 August 2024, one episode each weekday<sup>[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/commander-karan-saxena/allseasons/official)</sup> |
| Format | 20 episodes of about 21 minutes each; Hindi; age rating UA16+<sup>[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/commander-karan-saxena)</sup> |
| Source material | Based on the Commander Karan Saxena book series by Amit Khan<sup>[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/commander-karan-saxena/season-1/seasonreview/111578589.cms)</sup> |
| Director and producers | Directed by Jatin Satish Wagle; produced by Rajeshwar Nair and Krishnan Iyer for Keylight Productions<sup>[5](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/gurmeet-choudharys-commander-karan-saxena-to-stream-from-july-on-disney-hotstar/cid/2026091)</sup> |
| Main cast | Gurmeet Choudhary (Karan Saxena), Hruta Durgule (ACP Rachana Mhatre), Iqbal Khan (Nasir Khan), Amit Behl (RAW Chief Gangadhar), Krishna Singh Bisht (Javed Bashir)<sup>[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/commander-karan-saxena)</sup> |
| IMDb rating | 5.2/10 from about 1.5K user ratings<sup>[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32644414/ratings/)</sup> |
| Current streaming | Included with a VI movies and tv subscription and free with ads on JioHotstar in India<sup>[7](https://ottasia.com/title/tv/256537/commander-karan-saxena)</sup> |

## Spoilers

### Premise and plot

The series follows RAW agent Commander Karan Saxena as he works to stop a terror campaign aided by Pakistan's ISI. The official synopsis describes him racing against the clock to avert attacks while conspirators lurk in every shadow.<sup>[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/commander-karan-saxena)</sup> The first episode, "Namak Ka Paani", opens with the body of a RAW agent washing ashore in Mumbai as the ISI agent Javed activates sleeper cells; Karan takes charge of the case.<sup>[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/commander-karan-saxena/allseasons/official)</sup> Over the season he works with Mumbai police officer ACP Rachana Mhatre against ISI chief Colonel Nasir Khan, uncovering sleeper-cell hideouts, a possible mole in the force, and a planned attack on Mumbai.<sup>[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/commander-karan-saxena/allseasons/official)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/commander-karan-saxena-review/20240711.htm)</sup>

## Production

Disney+ Hotstar announced the series with a teaser on 10 June 2024.<sup>[9](https://www.ottplay.com/news/commander-karan-saxena-all-you-need-to-know/42bee35d8a435)</sup> Jatin Satish Wagle, an Indian director and writer known for Marathi films such as *Bandh Nylon Che* and *Manjha* and the TV series *[Bhaukaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/bhaukaal)*, directed the show and co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Sheela Bansal and Vivek Malik.<sup>[5](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/gurmeet-choudharys-commander-karan-saxena-to-stream-from-july-on-disney-hotstar/cid/2026091)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.bawejastudios.com/uploads/1757139341.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/commander-karan-saxena/season-1/seasonreview/111578589.cms)</sup> Rajeshwar Nair and Krishnan Iyer produced it under Keylight Productions.<sup>[5](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/gurmeet-choudharys-commander-karan-saxena-to-stream-from-july-on-disney-hotstar/cid/2026091)</sup> Anil Katke was the director of photography, K. Rajgopalan the editor, and the music duo Bharatt-Saurabh composed the background score.<sup>[11](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/commander-karan-saxena-1/season/1/credits)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/commander-karan-saxena/season-1/seasonreview/111578589.cms)</sup>

Wagle described Mumbai as the heartbeat of the show, saying the makers tried to present the city as part of the whole story, with each episode carrying a small piece of plot, each week a larger arc, and the season one long arc.<sup>[12](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/commander-karan-saxena-director-jatin-wagle-reveals-mumbai-heartbeat-show-says-tried-show-city-part-entire-story/)</sup> Producer Rajeshwar Nair said the aim was to bring Amit Khan's character to life in a story of courage and action.<sup>[13](https://theprint.in/feature/teaser-of-gurmeet-choudharys-action-packed-series-commander-karan-saxena-unveiled/2125070/)</sup>

## Source material

The series adapts a character created by the writer Amit Khan.<sup>[12](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/commander-karan-saxena-director-jatin-wagle-reveals-mumbai-heartbeat-show-says-tried-show-city-part-entire-story/)</sup> The Commander Karan Saxena novels are a Hindi pulp fiction franchise whose first book appeared in the early 1990s; the series has since been described as spanning 58 novels and has also been adapted as an audio book.<sup>[14](https://newsindiatimes.com/web-review-commander-karan-saxena-pulps-the-espionage-genre/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[15](https://www.bodhitreemultimedia.com/assets/investor-relations/Press%20Release%20Sep%202025.pdf)</sup> A Spotify Original audio series based on the novels, produced with MNM Talkies, was released in August 2022, before the web series.<sup>[16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pvvoXJ0Q_g)</sup>

## Release and reception

The series premiered on 8 July 2024 with new episodes released Monday to Friday, a daily-release format Disney+ Hotstar applied to several of its finite series.<sup>[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/commander-karan-saxena/allseasons/official)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[14](https://newsindiatimes.com/web-review-commander-karan-saxena-pulps-the-espionage-genre/)</sup> The trailer was released in late June 2024 and drew nearly 20 million views on the platform's YouTube channel, and Disney+ Hotstar hosted a screening for Mumbai Police officials in early July.<sup>[17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGbztAXerQ)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[18](https://www.yugmarg.com/edition/2024/07/07/pages.pdf)</sup>

**Critical response was mixed to negative.** The Times of India gave the season 3.0 out of 5, crediting Gurmeet Choudhary with a commanding screen presence and well-choreographed action in pacy sub-half-hour episodes, but judging the plot highly predictable, with twists visible from far off.<sup>[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/commander-karan-saxena/season-1/seasonreview/111578589.cms)</sup> Rediff's reviewer found the first two episodes average in acting, editing, and storytelling, and noted that the story returns to the familiar India-Pakistan rivalry formula.<sup>[8](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/commander-karan-saxena-review/20240711.htm)</sup> Leisurebyte scored it 2 out of 5, calling it repetitive and clichéd while acknowledging that its brisk pace and short runtime make it easy to sit through.<sup>[19](https://leisurebyte.com/commander-karan-saxena-review/)</sup> Several reviews singled out the weekday release schedule as a drawback for sustaining interest.<sup>[4](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/commander-karan-saxena/season-1/seasonreview/111578589.cms)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[14](https://newsindiatimes.com/web-review-commander-karan-saxena-pulps-the-espionage-genre/)</sup>

On IMDb the series holds a weighted rating of 5.2/10 from about 1.5K users, with India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Bangladesh among the countries with the most ratings.<sup>[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32644414/ratings/)</sup>

## Availability

In India the series can be streamed with a VI movies and tv subscription or free with ads on JioHotstar; it is also reachable through bundled services such as Airtel Xstream Play and Tata Play Binge.<sup>[7](https://ottasia.com/title/tv/256537/commander-karan-saxena)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[20](https://www.airtelxstream.in/tv-shows/commander-karan-saxena/HOTSTAR_DTH_TVSHOW_1271319111)</sup> It is not currently available for streaming in Singapore.<sup>[21](https://ottasia.com/title/tv/256537/commander-karan-saxena?country=SG)</sup>

## References

1. [Commander Karan Saxena (TV Series 2024– ), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32644414/)
2. [Commander Karan Saxena – All Seasons, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/commander-karan-saxena/allseasons/official)
3. [Commander Karan Saxena – streaming tv show online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/commander-karan-saxena)
4. [Commander Karan Saxena Season 1 Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/commander-karan-saxena/season-1/seasonreview/111578589.cms)
5. [Gurmeet Choudhary's Commander Karan Saxena to stream from July on Disney+ Hotstar, The Telegraph India](https://www.telegraphindia.com/amp/entertainment/gurmeet-choudharys-commander-karan-saxena-to-stream-from-july-on-disney-hotstar/cid/2026091)
6. [Commander Karan Saxena – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32644414/ratings/)
7. [Where to watch Commander Karan Saxena (2024) in India, OTTASIA](https://ottasia.com/title/tv/256537/commander-karan-saxena)
8. [Commander Karan Saxena Review: We've Seen It All Before, Rediff.com](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/commander-karan-saxena-review/20240711.htm)
9. [Commander Karan Saxena – All you need to know, OTTPlay](https://www.ottplay.com/news/commander-karan-saxena-all-you-need-to-know/42bee35d8a435)
10. [Baweja Studios Annual Report 2024-25](https://www.bawejastudios.com/uploads/1757139341.pdf)
11. [Commander Karan Saxena Season 1 Cast & Crew, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/show/commander-karan-saxena-1/season/1/credits)
12. [Commander Karan Saxena director Jatin Wagle reveals Mumbai is the heartbeat of the show, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/commander-karan-saxena-director-jatin-wagle-reveals-mumbai-heartbeat-show-says-tried-show-city-part-entire-story/)
13. [Teaser of Gurmeet Choudhary's action-packed series 'Commander Karan Saxena' unveiled, ThePrint](https://theprint.in/feature/teaser-of-gurmeet-choudharys-action-packed-series-commander-karan-saxena-unveiled/2125070/)
14. [Web Review: Commander Karan Saxena pulps the espionage genre!, News India Times](https://newsindiatimes.com/web-review-commander-karan-saxena-pulps-the-espionage-genre/)
15. [Bodhi Tree Multimedia press release, September 2025](https://www.bodhitreemultimedia.com/assets/investor-relations/Press%20Release%20Sep%202025.pdf)
16. [Commander Karan Saxena | Audio Series Trailer | Spotify India, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pvvoXJ0Q_g)
17. [Commander Karan Saxena | Official Trailer, JioHotstar YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGbztAXerQ)
18. [Yugmarg edition, 7 July 2024](https://www.yugmarg.com/edition/2024/07/07/pages.pdf)
19. [Commander Karan Saxena Review: Same Old, Same Old, Leisurebyte](https://leisurebyte.com/commander-karan-saxena-review/)
20. [Commander Karan Saxena on Airtel Xstream Play](https://www.airtelxstream.in/tv-shows/commander-karan-saxena/HOTSTAR_DTH_TVSHOW_1271319111)
21. [Where to watch Commander Karan Saxena in Singapore, OTTASIA](https://ottasia.com/title/tv/256537/commander-karan-saxena?country=SG)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Indian and South Asian web series*

*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license
