Saagar Kote
Netflix’s Indian thriller drama series ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ or ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha: The Silent Guardians’ follows the life of an Indian R&AW spy named Vishnu Shankar (Pratik Gandhi) as he is sent across to Pakistan to retrieve information and stop the nuclear program of the neighboring country. However, Murtaza Mallik (Sunny Hinduja), his opponent from the ISI, pursues him relentlessly, bringing the two decorated men into a game of cat and mouse where bilateral relations and the security of the region are at stake. Created by Gaurav Shukla, the show follows the themes of loyalty, patriotism, courage, family, secrecy, and spycraft. The nucleus of the show lies in its portrayal of the intricacies of the complex lives of spies, their motivations, the line between individual and nation, and the consequences of nuclear proliferation. If you found the narrative and the thematic elements of the narrative engaging, these shows, similar to ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ will entertain you.
10. The Spy (2019)
Created by Gideon Raff, Netflix’s British-French show ‘The Spy’ chronicles the life of an Israeli spy named Eli Cohen (Sacha Baron Cohen). The thriller drama series follows the protagonist as he risks his life for Israel when he is recruited by the Mossad to infiltrate certain strategically important circles in Syria. The mission and the people around him soon put him in danger. Based on the book ‘L’espion qui venait d’Israël’ by Uri Dan and Yeshayahu Ben Porat, the series navigates the themes of patriotism and secrecy in ways similar to ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha.’ Both shows deal with spies who are sent to an enemy territory to complete important missions, while also looking at their personal stories and the important people in their lives. The stories are spiritually connected as they take place in volatile regions of the world during decades in history known for political conflicts and spycraft.
9. Rana Naidu (2023-)
Netflix’s ‘Rana Naidu’ is an Indian crime thriller series that navigates the journey of the titular protagonist (Rana Daggubati), who finds himself in a complex situation of lies and secrets that threaten to endanger his life and mind. Rana, who works as a handler of issues for celebrities, becomes entangled in danger when his dangerous father, Naga Naidu (Venkatesh Daggubati), is released from prison. The two men go on a journey of self-discovery, danger, and violence. On the lines of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ it features a take on the complexities of familial ties in a dangerous world where the line between enemy and friend seems to be blurring. The Karan Anshuman creation, based on Ann Biderman’s ‘Ray Donovan’ complements the Pratik Gandhi starrer in terms of tonality, themes of deception, and the motivations of the main characters to survive their ordeals.
8. Bodyguard (2018)
The British thriller series ‘Bodyguard’ tells the story of Sergeant David Budd (Richard Madden), who is ordered to protect the Home Secretary of the UK, named Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes). The military man who experiences PTSD finds it difficult to manage his family and career. However, when his relationship with his protectee becomes complicated, he finds himself in the middle of a greater conspiracy with national security implications. The Jed Mercurio creation reflects the sentiments of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha’ due to its focus on the personal lives of officers. Both shows examine the dangers of being involved in secret missions while also involving family or loved ones.
7. Tehran (2020-)
Apple TV+’s Israeli thriller drama series ‘Tehran’ is a complex tale of deception, loyalty, identity, and spycraft set in the dangerous world of Tehran. It follows the story of Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan), an Israeli spy who is embedded in the Persian capital to gain useful information about Iran’s nuclear program and prevent the country from developing its nuclear arsenal. Created by Moshe Zonder, Dana Eden, and Maor Kohn, the series delves into themes of patriotism, identity, loyalty, and secrecy, which connects it to ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha.’ Both stories feature protagonists who find themselves in hostile territories, while also grappling with their identities. The elements of nuclear politics, bilateral relations between countries, and threats are core ideas explored in both narratives.
6. The Night Agent (2023-)
In Netflix’s espionage thriller series ‘The Night Agent,’ Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) explores the dangerous world of spycraft, while also dealing with an existential threat to the security of the United States. When the protagonist is tasked with a seemingly simple job of manning a secret telephone line for spies in the White House basement, he becomes involved in greater danger. In the Shawn Ryan creation based on the eponymous book by Matthew Quirk, the protagonist teams up with Rose Larkin (Luciane Buchanan) to protect national interests, while also finding loyalty and love. Akin to ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ the narrative navigates the cost of national security and power through the sacrifices made by individuals. Both shows feature elements of love interfering with the execution of spycraft and violence.
5. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018-2023)
Based on the eponymous series of novels and the characters by Tom Clancy, Prime Video’s ‘Jack Ryan’ or ‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’ is a thriller series that narrates the intriguing tale of the titular protagonist (John Krasinski), a CIA analyst who springs into action and violence when he comes across threats to his homeland. Spread across four seasons, each one narrates a different core threat that Jack must eliminate to secure national interest. Resembling the themes of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ the Carlton Cuse and Graham Roland creation focuses on the elements of sacrifice, love, and the double lives of officers who deal with regional and global threats. Both shows feature protagonists who are drawn into dangerous networks of people and their survival from them.
4. Fauda (2015-)
Created by Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, ‘Fauda’ is a spy thriller drama series on Netflix that follows the life of Doron Kavillio (Lior Raz), Nurit (Rona-Lee Shimon), and other Israeli agents as they go on perilous missions into Palestinian territories. What starts as a manhunt for a dangerous terrorist soon turns into an increasingly complicated situation of identity and loyalty. Like ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ it follows a bilateral conflict in a dangerous geopolitical era, while also exploring the personal lives of the men and women who become pawns in larger games. Both shows feature characters who face issues related to loyalty, identity, and the meaning of patriotism.
3. Bard of Blood (2019-)
In Netflix’s ‘Bard of Blood,’ a disgraced R&AW agent named Kabir Anand (Emraan Hashmi) finds himself in a scenario of betrayal, redemption, and loyalty. The one promising agent who now pursues a career in teaching returns to the world of danger when four Indian intelligence officers are captured in a dangerous territory. The protagonist realizes that he has a chance of redemption if he can execute this particularly demanding mission. Based on the eponymous book by Bilal Siddiqi, it resembles the world of ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ as it is a story about an Indian man who faces peril to protect national interest. Both shows delve into the ideas of loyalty, patriotism, and the personal challenges faced by the protagonists during dangerous missions.
2. The Family Man ( 2019-)
Prime Video’s ‘The Family Man,’ created by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dasarakothapalli, is an Indian spy thriller series that chronicles the life of Srikant Tiwary (Manoj Bajpayee), a man working as an intelligence officer for a clandestine branch of the National Investigation Agency. The nucleus of the show is its exploration of the protagonist’s balancing act between family and nation. The narrative, akin to ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ delves into the complexities of bilateral conflicts, religious angles, personal stakes, and the complicated idea of patriotism. The shows are spiritually connected because of their unraveling of the dangers experienced by spies, especially in the context of India and its neighborhood. The angle of weapons and war is also important in both stories, along with the element of loyalty and commitment to the nation and the family.
1. Special OPS (2020-2025)
Created by Neeraj Pandey, Hotstar’s ‘Special OPS’ or ‘Special Ops’ is a tale of deception, intelligence, threats, and national security. Starring Kay Kay Menon as the protagonist, Himmat Singh, it follows the life of the R&AW officer as he uses both brains and brawn to apprehend a dangerous individual whom he believes is responsible for many attacks on India’s sovereignty. Just like Vishnu Shankar in ‘Saare Jahan Se Accha,’ Himmat Singh finds himself in the middle of dangerous situations that test his loyalty towards his country and his commitment to the objective. Both shows feature characters that struggle with the idea of patriotism and the complexities associated with it. Essentially, both narratives comment on the sacrifices made by people in the shadows whose achievements often go unrecognized in the vast arena of public opinion and cultural debates of democratic countries.
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