Pritam and Pedro
Created by Rajkumar Hirani
Written by
  • Rajkumar Hirani
  • Abhijat Joshi
  • Suyash Trivedi
Dialogues by Pranjal Saxena
Shashank Kunwar
Rajkumar Hirani
Directed by Avinash Arun
Starring
  • Vir Hirani
  • Arshad Warsi
  • Vikrant Massey
  • Boman Irani
  • Mona Singh
  • Rajesh Sharma
  • Satyadeep Mishra
  • Shruti Marathe
Theme music composer
Vishal Khurana K
Composers
  • Songs:
  • Shantanu Moitra
  • Score:
  • Sanjay Wandrekar
Country of origin
India
Original language
Hindi
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 6
Production
Executive producer
Sanjiv Kishinchandani
Producer Rajkumar Hirani
Cinematography Avinash Arun
Editor Rajkumar Hirani
Running time 32–37 minutes
Production company Rajkumar Hirani Films
Original release
Network JioHotstar
Release 3 July 2026 (2026-07-03)

Pritam and Pedro is a 2026 Indian cybercrime comedy thriller television series created and produced by Rajkumar Hirani. It has been directed by Avinash Arun. The series began streaming from 3 July 2026 on JioHotstar.[1][2]

This series marked Hirani's debut as a producer and creator in the streaming media. This series also marked the debut of Hirani's son Vir Hirani. Along with Arshad Warsi, Vir plays the lead role in the series.[3]

Synopsis

The series follows, Pritam, (Hirani) a young, tech-savvy coding expert, and Pedro, (Warsi) an old-school police officer in Goa. After Pritam is arrested following a dispute with the police, he impresses them by quickly helping solve a major ATM theft using his cyber skills. As a result, he and Pedro are forced into an unlikely partnership. Together, they investigate a series of cyber-enabled crimes, including thefts, kidnappings, and online scams, while navigating the clash between traditional policing and modern technology.

Cast

  • Vir Hirani as Pritam Parker/Kabir Sahani
  • Arshad Warsi as Pedro Gonsalves
  • Vikrant Massey as Martin Fonseca
  • Mona Singh as Stacey Gonsalves
  • Satyadeep Mishra as Sports Minister
  • Shruti Marathe as Shraddha Sardesai
  • Rajesh Sharma as Sub Inspector Carlos Lobo
  • Mohit Chauhan as Dig Arvind Rao
  • Shreyansh Kaurav as Vinny Sardesai
  • Nachiket Purnapatre as Hari Nair; Blackmailer
  • Bharat Ganeshpure as Manager Saathe
  • Naina Sareen as Sherlyn
  • Jayant Gadekar as Jayant Rege
  • Ajay Madhok as Raj Taneja
  • Ajay Jadhav as Bhalekar
  • Sandeep Jhawar as Nitin Menon
  • Apoorva Mehra as Nina Joseph Fonseca
  • Gaurav More as ATM Theif Dulha
  • Harshika Kewalramani as Chakachank Chandni
  • Vinod Nagpal
  • Ashwin Mushran

Cameo Appearance

  • Sanjay Dutt as Himself
  • Virender Sehwag as Himself
  • Boman Irani as Professor Fonseca

Development

Hirani mentioned in an interview that Pritam and Pedro would be a "fun series". He added that he got the idea for this series during the COVID-19 lockdown, when the Mumbai Cyber Cell had approached him to make a film on cybercrime. Later he met writer Amit Dubey, and after discussing over with him, the idea was finalized.[4][5]

The trailer was released on 15 June 2026.[6][7] During the premier, Arshad Warsi hinted that Sanjay Dutt could be seen playing a cameo in the series.[8][9]

Release

Pritam and Pedro began streaming on JioHotstar on 3 July 2026.[10]

Reception

Critical reception

Tanisha Bhattacharya of NDTV rated the series 4/5 stars and wrote "Arshad Warsi is excellent in Pritam & Pedro, while Vir Hirani leaves a lasting impression in his debut series."[11] Shubhra Gupta of the Indian Express rated the series 2/5 stars and opined "Arshad Warsi-starrer show fits right within the Rajkumar Hirani universe in which the baddies come with sad backstories and mitigation."[12] Poulomi Das of The Quint reviewed the series and opined "'Pritam and Pedro' has no granularity. It is cybercrime explained at the level of a school assembly."[13]

Rahul Desai of the The Hollywood Reporter reviewed the swries and noted "A lot of the humour plays out like it expects audience reactions in the theatre, or even applause cues within the scenes. The performances are nothing to write — or type — home about. The supporting cast and cameos are largely ineffective."[14] Sukanya Verma of Rediff rated the series 2/5 stars and wrote "Arshad Warsi can create an air of levity around anybody but Vir Hirani's stiff screen presence as Pritam Parkar has no vibe to match his peevish, pitiable Pedro Gonsalves, observes Sukanya Verma."[15]

Anuj Kumar of The Hindu reviewed the series and highlighted "Bringing his magical touch to long-form storytelling, Rajkumar Hirani turns a cold, clinical cyber-thriller into a heartwarming buddy-cop comedy where old-school muscle beautifully collides with modern computer code."[16] A critic from Bollywood Hungama rated the series 3.5/5 stars and noted "On the whole, PRITAM AND PEDRO works due to its nail-biting narrative, fast-paced storytelling, the relevance of its cybercrime backdrop and the dependable presence of Arshad Warsi. However, the cinematic liberties and a few rushed developments dent the impact to some extent."[17]

Nandini Ramnath of the Scroll.in reviewed the series and wrote "Fortunately, the series is tight enough to wrap up its themes and position itself for a second season of crime-solving that needs brawn, brains and a big heart."[18] Archika Khurana of The Times of India rated the series 3.5/5 stars and opined "The show’s biggest limitation lies in its predictability. Certain twists feel familiar, and some conflicts are resolved a little too conveniently. Still, these flaws do little to dilute the show’s overall charm. Overall, it is an entertaining blend of humour, suspense and heart that makes for a thoroughly enjoyable binge."[19]

Abhishek Srivastava of Moneycontrol rated the series 3.5/5 stars and noted "‘Pritam and Pedro’ is a simple and warm cybercrime story that never feels heavy or complicated and keeps things easy to follow. Powered by strong performances and light humour, it turns into an easy, feel-good watch."[20] Shweta Keshri of India Today rated the series 3.5/5 stars and wrote "The series, featuring Arshad Warsi and Vir Hirani, pairs a cyber-savvy young man with an old-school officer on a kidnapping case. The series is a light-hearted buddy-cop drama set in Goa, blending simple cyber crime with humour and heartfelt moments."[21]

Raja Sen of Mint reviewed the series and wrote "In his new series ‘Pritam and Pedro’, Rajkumar Hirani is again oversimplifying things and talking down to his audience."[22] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare reviewed the series and opined "It entertains, makes you laugh, keeps you guessing and quietly reminds you how vulnerable we have all become in the online age. Backed by superb writing and wonderfully lived-in performances, it marks a confident and thoroughly enjoyable OTT debut for Rajkumar Hirani."[23] Shreyanka Mazumdar of News18 rated the series 2.5/5 stars and noted "Pritam and Pedro is an entertaining cybercrime thriller that doesn't always hit the mark, but Arshad Warsi and Vir Hirani's chemistry makes this six-episode series a breezy binge."[24]

References

  1. ^ "'Pritam and Pedro': Rajkumar Hirani's comedy-drama series sets release date". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  2. ^ "'Pritam and Pedro': Rajkumar Hirani's Debut Series To Premiere on July 3". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  3. ^ "Pritam and Pedro trailer: Vikrant Massey turns hacker in Arshad Warsi, debutant Vir Hirani's series". India TV. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  4. ^ "Rajkumar Hirani Shares the Story Behind His First OTT Series, Pritam and Pedro". MTI News. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  5. ^ ""It has happened with me 3-4 times": Vikrant Massey reveals being victim of cybercrime". Lokmat Times. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  6. ^ "Pritam and Pedro Trailer: Arshad Warsi Leads A Cybercrime Investigation In Rajkumar Hirani's New Series". NDTV. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  7. ^ "Arshad Warsi-Vir Hirani team up for cybercrime comedy thriller Pritam and Pedro, watch trailer". Indian Express. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  8. ^ "Munna Bhai-Circuit Reunion Loading? Arshad Warsi Drops Major Hint About Sanjay Dutt's Cameo In Pritam Pedro". NDTV. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  9. ^ "Arshad Warsi hints at Sanjay Dutt's cameo in Rajkumar Hirani show Pritam and Pedro". Indian Express. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  10. ^ "New OTT releases this weekend: 9 new movies and shows coming on Netflix, JioHotstar, Prime Video and more - New OTT releases this weekend". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2026-07-05.
  11. ^ Bhattacharya, Tanisha (3 July 2026). "Pritam & Pedro Review: Arshad Warsi Finds A Partner-In-Crime, And It's Not Munna Bhai This Time". NDTV. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  12. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (3 July 2026). "Pritam and Pedro review: Arshad Warsi show remains lackluster despite a Munna Bhai reunion". The Indian Express. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  13. ^ Das, Poulomi (3 July 2026). "'Pritam and Pedro' Review: Rajkumar Hirani's Debut Series is a Dated Exercise". The Quint. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  14. ^ Desai, Rahul (3 July 2026). "'Pritam and Pedro' Series Review: Rajkumar Hirani Makes A Long-form and Out-of-form OTT Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  15. ^ Verma, Sukanya (3 July 2026). "Pritam And Pedro Review: Buddy Comedy Falls Flat". Rediff. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  16. ^ Kumar, Anuj (3 July 2026). "'Pritam and Pedro' series review: Arshad Warsi and Vir Hirani rescue priceless emotions from the digital void". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  17. ^ "Web Series Review: PRITAM AND PEDRO works due to its nail-biting". Bollywood Hungama. 3 July 2026. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  18. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (3 July 2026). "'Pritam and Pedro' review: A light-hearted exploration of friendship and redemption". Scroll.in. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  19. ^ Khurana, Archika (3 July 2026). "Pritam And Pedro Season 1 Review : Rajkumar Hirani's OTT Debut Brings Humour, Heart And Cybercrime Together". Times of India. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  20. ^ Srivastava, Abhishek (3 July 2026). "Pritam and Pedro Review: Rajkumar Hirani turns cybercrime into a feel-good watch with his OTT debut". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  21. ^ Keshri, Shweta (3 July 2026). "Pritam and Pedro review: A refreshing break from dark, high-stakes thrillers". India Today. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  22. ^ Sen, Raja (3 July 2026). "'Pritam and Pedro' review: Hirani series feels like a relic from another time". Mint. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  23. ^ Sharma, Devesh (3 July 2026). "Pritam and Pedro Review: Engaging cybercrime thriller with a heart". Filmfare. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
  24. ^ Mazumdar, Shreyanka (3 July 2026). "Pritam And Pedro Review: Arshad Warsi And Vir Hirani's Charm Lifts A Middling Cyber Mystery Above Its Flaws". News18. Retrieved 3 July 2026.