THE DIPLOMAT is a nail-biting thriller.

The Diplomat Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating

Director: Shivam Nair

The Diplomat Movie Review Synopsis:
THE DIPLOMAT is the story of a man on a mission. J P (John Abraham) is the Deputy High Commissioner at the Indian High Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan. One day, a lady named Uzma Ahmed (Sadia Khateeb) arrives at the High Commission with her husband Tahir (Jagjeet Sandhu) and their family friend Basheer (Bhawani Muzamil). When they are not around, Uzma straight away runs inside and asks for help. She claims that she has been forcefully married to Tahir and wants to fly back to India. The matter is serious and hence, J P takes cognizance. He wants to help Uzma but fears that she might have some ulterior motives. He cross-checks all her claims and when he realizes she’s speaking the truth, he decides to ensure that she returns safely to their homeland. But the challenges are immense. Even if they get all the official help, the hostile elements of Pakistan can prove to be detrimental. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

The Diplomat Movie Story Review:
THE DIPLOMAT is based on a true story. This incident was covered extensively by the media then but since it’s an eight-year-old incident, many might not remember it or might not know the full details of it. Hence, it makes it worthy of being told on celluloid. Ritesh Shah’s screenplay is engaging though it doesn’t come under the mass appealing zone. Ritesh Shah’s dialogues are normal yet sharp.

Shivam Nair’s direction is great. He ensures the film doesn’t get boring. He also remains truthful to the subject and to the fact that it’s a real-life incident. The complex world of diplomacy and the awkward relationship shared by India and Pakistan are depicted in a clear and simple manner. The way the protagonist navigates through the complexities and how he has established a strong network makes for an interesting watch. But what works the most is an innocent Indian woman being forcefully kept captive that too in the most hostile part of Pakistan. Her pain is depicted in a hard-hitting manner and hence, viewers get her full support. The tactics deployed by her husband and ISI raise tension levels, especially when the Indian convoy is confronted at the traffic signal. The courtroom sequence is unlike one has seen in any film as Uzma is threatened and how. The final act is nail-biting and the film ends on a clapworthy note.

On the flipside, the makers spent the first half establishing the characters and explaining how Uzma got stuck in Pakistan. This part is a bit slow. The intermission point gives a feeling that one is watching a festival film. Lastly, the makers don’t focus on Uzma’s life in India. Even her daughter is hardly shown and one doesn’t get to know much about how her folks were doing when she was stuck in Pakistan. The absence of these scenes dents the impact to an extent.

The Diplomat (Official Trailer): John Abraham | Sadia Khateeb | Shivam Nair | Bhushan Kumar

The Diplomat Movie Review Performances:
John Abraham is just fine in the first half but he delivers a riveting performance after intermission. He’s known for action and he doesn’t get to indulge in any fights here. But fans won’t have any complaints as he has his share of heroic moments. Sadia Khateeb gets into the skin of her character and delivers a fabulous performance. She deserves to be seen more. Revathy (Sushma Swaraj) is fantastic in a supporting role. Her character is crucial and the makers provide a nice homage to the late minister through her character. Jagjeet Sandhu is aptly cast. Vidhatri Bandi (Seerat; Female staffer in Indian High Commission) leaves a huge mark. Sharib Hashmi (Tiwari) is dependable as always but one wishes he had more to do. Kumud Mishra (N M Sayyed) is adorable. Ashwath Bhatt (Ma;lik; ISI officer) is decent. Bhawani Muzamil, Amitoj Mann (Paramjeet; senior official in High Commission), Vishal Vashishtha (Ayush), Darius Chinoy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs official Faraz), Suman Rana (Malaysian friend Shaheen), Jeet Raidutt (Shaheen’s husband Aamir) and Manoj Dutt (Judge Niazi) do well. Shriswara (J P’s wife) is wasted. Shaunak Duggal (J P’s son) is cute.

The Diplomat movie music and other technical aspects:
There’s only one song in the film, ‘Bharat’, and it’s fine. Ishaan Chhabra’s background score adds to the tension and drama.

Dimo Popov’s cinematography is splendid. Ravi Srivastava’s production design and Rushi Sharma, Manoshi Nath, Gunpreet Kaur Mann and Deepali Singh Raseen’s costumes are realistic. Mohammad Amin Khatib’s action is minimal. Kunal Walve’s editing is slick.

The Diplomat Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, THE DIPLOMAT is a nail-biting thriller that brings a shocking and heroic true story to life. At the box office, the film may start slow, but with strong word of mouth, it has the potential to grow and make a lasting impact.