Waiting Hai: Is This Tatkal Ticket Scam Web Series Worth Watching?
In short: Mostly yes, especially if you've ever lost the 10 a.m. scramble for a Tatkal train ticket. Waiting Hai is a seven-episode Hindi scam dramedy on Amazon MX Player (September 16, 2026), set in Patna: a programmer (Bhuvan Arora) builds an app that beats Tatkal booking, his uncle turns it into a racket, and a rookie railway police officer (Divyenndu) sets out to stop it. Reviews ranged from 3 to 4 stars: strong leads and premise, weaker crime plotting.
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- Released: September 16, 2026, all seven episodes, on Amazon MX Player.
- Director: Sameer Vidwans (Anandi Gopal, Satyaprem Ki Katha).
- Writers: Shreyas Jain, Prateek Payodhi and Ashish Thomas.
- Produced by: JAR Pictures and Jio Studios.
- Setting: Patna, Bihar.
What it's about
Tatkal is Indian Railways' last-minute booking quota: a small number of tickets released each morning, gone in seconds. Afroz Hamza (Bhuvan Arora), a gifted young programmer, writes an app that beats the rush. When his uncle sees the money in it, a clever hack becomes a ticket-resale racket. Sugam Mishra (Divyenndu), a newly posted Railway Protection Force officer, is determined to bring it down.
Cast
- Divyenndu as Sugam Mishra.
- Bhuvan Arora as Afroz Hamza.
- Kumud Mishra as Pramukh Tripathi.
- Harshita Gaur as Princy, Sunita Rajwar as Shanti Devi and Vijay Maurya as Mama.
What critics said
Most reviews landed between 3 and 4 stars. The Times of India called it a promising premise that "doesn't quite reach its full potential," with "enough humour, emotion and suspense." Times Now called it engaging. Aaj Tak praised Divyenndu and Arora and said the second half is the more gripping. The recurring complaint is that the crime track and the conflict with the gangster feel lazily written.
Who it suits
If you liked Panchayat's small-town humour or the scam stories of Scam 1992 and Jamtara, this sits between the two. Seven episodes make it an easy weekend watch.
Our verdict
Worth watching for the premise and the two leads. Lower your expectations for the thriller side and enjoy it as a comedy about a very Indian frustration.
Frequently asked questions
Is Waiting Hai based on a true story? No single real case, but it's built on the very real problem of touts and automated software gaming Indian Railways' Tatkal booking window.
Is Waiting Hai good? Reviews were mixed to positive: The Times of India gave it 3 out of 5 and Times Now 4 out of 5. Critics liked the leads and the relatable premise but found the gangster subplot underwritten.
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