Pritam and Pedro: Rajkumar Hirani’s Painfully Mediocre OTT Debut That Feels Like a Total Waste of Time

Rajkumar Hirani making his long-form OTT debut with Pritam and Pedro should have been something special. The man behind beloved films full of heart, humor, and sharp storytelling decided to tackle a cybercrime buddy dramedy starring Arshad Warsi and his own son Vir Hirani. Six short episodes on JioHotstar, set in Goa, mixing crime, comedy, and some emotional bits. Sounds promising on paper. In reality, it is an absolute drag, a bizarrely flat letdown that feels like it was made by someone going through the motions. I forced myself to finish it for this review, and it was pure torture. This series is dull, tonally confused, and shockingly ordinary coming from Hirani.

The biggest problem is how incredibly boring it is. The pacing is slow and lifeless even though episodes are short. Scenes stretch on without purpose, the investigations lack any real tension or cleverness, and the so-called twists are visible from miles away. What is supposed to be a thrilling cybercrime story turns into a tedious slog filled with simplistic explanations and predictable plot points. It is neither an engaging thriller nor a funny comedy. It just exists, limping from one weak moment to the next. I kept waiting for it to pick up or show some Hirani magic. It never did.

The story itself is bizarre and frustrating. The buddy dynamic between Pedro (Arshad Warsi) and Pritam (Vir Hirani) barely crackles. Their contrasting styles should create sparks, laughs, or at least interesting friction, but it feels forced and colorless. The narrative jumps awkwardly between lame jokes and heavy melodrama involving serious cyber issues, and none of it lands. Emotional beats feel fake, the “heart” parts are shallow, and the whole thing has this strange, cuckworthy undertone in how it handles relationships and backstories that just feels off and unsatisfying. Hirani’s signature warmth is missing. In its place is generic, half-baked writing that never commits to anything.

Arshad Warsi is literally the only thing stopping this from being completely unwatchable. He brings whatever energy and timing he can to Pedro, and he is the sole saving grace. Even then, the material is so weak that it drags him down too. He is essentially playing a version of roles we have seen from him for decades. It works because he is naturally good, not because the character or script is strong. Vir Hirani looks lost at times, and the rest of the cast cannot elevate the thin writing. Vikrant Massey and others are wasted in forgettable parts. The cameos feel pointless.

Coming from Hirani, this is the real disappointment. Where is the wit, the sharp observation, the emotional punch? This feels like a watered-down, confused attempt that belongs on television from a decade ago, not a Hirani project in 2026. The cyber elements are simplistic and dated. The Goa setting is barely used. The tone is a mess. Everything about it screams “good enough” when it should have been special. It is a big, bloated letdown that wastes strong talent on BS storytelling.

I cannot recommend Pritam and Pedro to anyone except die-hard Arshad Warsi fans who want to see him struggle to carry dead weight. For everyone else, skip it. It is taxing, boring, and frustratingly average. Hirani can do so much better, and we deserve better than this lazy drag. This is not just a miss. It is the kind of series that makes you question why it was made at all. Rating: 1.5 out of 5, and that half point is only for Arshad showing up to work. Avoid unless you enjoy torturing yourself with mediocre content.