You spot a flawed spy getting injured, hero easily cornered by the bad guy and no-cars-flying sequences, you know you’re streaming the realistic spy saga Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story!
What makes it ‘special’ is watching Himmat Singh’s (Kay Kay Menon) story from the eyes of Abbas Sheikh (Vinat Pathak), a happy-go-lucky Delhi police officer who makes you fall in love with the protagonist and even with his vulnerabilities.
Continue reading as we’ve dissected 8 reasons to binge-watch Special Ops 1.5 that will indulge you in a stunning ride from espionage to sexpionage and everything else in between!
1. No unrealistic spies anymore.
This action sage isn’t peppered with successful spy missions and over-the-top spies in action. Instead, it’s refreshing to watch their operations fail and agents either getting suspended or slain by enemies.
2. Your hero is not invincible (for a change).
Our protagonist Kay Kay Menon won’t be seen springing across buildings akin to kids playing Hopscotch. Yeah, once he attempted to flee from the second floor only to have his hand fractured ‘coz spies are humans too, you know. Your hero is vulnerable and that’s something Bollywood hasn’t taught us.
3. Return of Aftab Shivdasani.
Perhaps one of best roles of Abtab Shivdasani’s career lies in Vijay of Special Ops 1.5. Vijay is humble, strong yet kind enough to make you root for him. He is a friend that a man like Himmat Singh couldn’t do without.
4. Takes a dig at the system.
Neeraj Pandey, time and again, pokes fun at the system, which just adds to the hilarity. You know that with the subtle references of election gimmicks, political games, and ‘chronology’, your mind eventually draws a connection to the off-screen system that prevails.
5. Not just about secret missions.
Himmat Singh may not wear his heart on his sleeve but in this prequel, he had his fair share of love and heartbreak. It’s not easy-to-guess, head-over-heel romance but what’s interesting is the suspense that comes with the shebang.
6. Abbas Sheikh’s phenomenal story telling.
Vinay Pathak aka Abbas Sheikh has a touch of the Delhi police in him, which adds a dash of hilarity in his storytelling. He’s a big admirer of Himmat, that’s pretty evident. Perhaps this is what makes his narrative so personal and appealing.
7. Moves from espionage to sexpionage.
This saga swiftly moves from espionage, corruption to sexpionage and honey-trapping. It shows tough guys like honest bureaucrats, upright defence personnel and R&AW agents falling prey to it.
8. Four episodes long.
What really makes it ‘special’ is the streaming hours doing justice to the demand of the story. This prequel is more like a movie divided into 4 parts and isn’t one of those wannabe-10-episode-shows. It’s designed to be binge-watched all at once.
Special Ops 1.5: The Himmat Story has all the ingredients to make it a fascinating and compelling spy thriller. You can stream it on Disney+ Hotstar.