2020 · Series
Asur
Hindi psychological crime thriller in which CBI forensic experts hunt a serial killer in Varanasi who sees himself as the incarnation of the asura Kali.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Asur is streaming in India on JioHotstar with a subscription.
- Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026 via Airtel Xstream listing
The story
Nikhil Nair once worked as a forensic expert with the Central Bureau of Investigation before leaving to become a teacher. When he returns to the CBI's forensic unit, he is drawn back to his former mentor Dhananjay Rajpoot, who is chasing a killer who stages his crimes around Hindu mythology. Set against the ghats of Varanasi, the investigation becomes a cat-and-mouse game with a murderer who believes he is the asura Kali and seems to stay one step ahead. Arshad Warsi plays Dhananjay and Barun Sobti plays Nikhil.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Meant for older teens and adults who like dark serial-killer mysteries mixed with mythology and forensic investigation. It carries a U/A 16+ rating and includes gory murders and disturbing violence.
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Asur was created by Gaurav Shukla and Vibhav Shikdar, written by Shukla with Niren Bhatt and others, and directed by Oni Sen. The eight-episode first season premiered on Voot on 2 March 2020 and was Arshad Warsi's first streaming series. Season 2, titled Asur 2: The Rise of the Dark Side, moved to JioCinema and began streaming on 1 June 2023, again with eight episodes, with Meiyang Chang and Abhishek Chauhan joining the main cast. Both seasons are now on JioHotstar.
Outlook India gave season 2 four stars out of five, while India Today gave it three and found season 1 more gripping. Hindustan Times compared season 1 to CID, Crime Patrol and Sacred Games. Bollywood Hungama reported on 5 September 2026 that season 3 had started filming, with shooting expected to run until December 2026, a planned mid-2027 release on JioHotstar, and Gaurav Shukla directing.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Psychological thriller, Crime
- Certificate
- U/A 16+ (JioHotstar rating, as listed on Airtel Xstream Play)
- Director
- Oni Sen
- Cast
- Arshad Warsi, Barun Sobti, Anupriya Goenka, Riddhi Dogra, Amey Wagh
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Asur in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Asur is streaming in India on JioHotstar with a subscription.
- Is Asur in Hindi?
- Yes. Asur is a Hindi-language series.
- Is Asur suitable for children?
- Asur has a CBFC U/A 16+ (JioHotstar rating, as listed on Airtel Xstream Play) certificate.