
Director: Shivam Nair Cast: John Abraham, Sadia Khateeb, Revathy, Sharib Hashmi, and Kumud. Stars: 3 and a half "The Diplomat" is an unyielding political thriller that mounts on a solid, fascinating story, keeping the audience engaged from start to finish. Storyline: Based on a true incident from 2017 in Pakistan, the film follows the valiant efforts of the then Deputy High Commissioner of the Indian Embassy.
He is sincerely fighting to free an Indian woman from the clutches of an abusive relationship with her husband and works effortlessly to make her return to India possible. How Uzma (Sadia Khateeb) is held captive in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, how she lands at the Indian Embassy, and how Deputy Commissioner JP Singh (John Abraham) frees her from her husband Tareeq (Jagjeet Sandhu), followed by court drama and showcasing her grueling journey to reach Wagah, forms the crux of the story. Direction: With a runtime of 137 minutes, Director Nair sticks to the core of the narrative, keeping away redundant distractions.
The in-depth direction keeps everyone engaged throughout. In times when theatrical Bollywood releases are tanking one after the other, "The Diplomat" received critical appreciation for its wonderful direction, keeping every sphere of filmmaking intact. A film documented well, with an alluring commercial value without songs and dancing numbers, Director Nair surely deserves a pat on the back.
Performances: John Abraham looked the character with his simple hair styling and donning apt attire throughout the film. However, John has come a long way. He is one actor who has always worked with his head down.
It is indeed his hard work that has paved his path into the Bollywood arena, despite being an outsider. He shines through his work and the talent he possesses. His performances, without an iota of doubt, bring forth his enhanced sensibilities towards his craft, which have multiplied over the years.
John Abraham, in every scene, gave perfect action as well as reactions; there was heroism in him which brought about an altogether different high. Without much action and bloodshed, he excelled in this character. Sadia Khateeb, playing this de-glam role, brought life to it.
Khateeb will get the much-deserved recognition with this role. Jagjeet Sandhu looked dreadful while performing as a bad husband. Kudos to him for keeping his negative performance in control without going overboard.
All the character actors gave their best. Screenplay/Dialogues: The backbone of filmmaking, i.e.
, the screenplay, was very tight here, and the crisp and tight screenplay enabled the film to move forward smoothly. The dialogues are just fine. Editing/Cinematography: Fast-paced editing doesn’t bring boring moments at all.
Cinematography has been aptly done, especially the Pakistan scenes, which seem so real. Every fear of Uzma has been captured very minutely. The only minus point: This gripping patriotic story has no mass appeal as there is no scope for it.
Without songs and dancing numbers, whether the masses will like to enter the theaters remains the million-dollar question. Verdict: However, the film needs to be watched by all age groups to understand the love for your country and being sincere to your profession and the post you hold. Usually, when any film is critically acclaimed, it rarely finds its place in the hearts of the people.
The film gives a clear message, proving such documents can not only be converted into documentary films but can be presented as an apt commercial film as well. Also, in today's times, presenting a film like "The Diplomat" with the right angle of patriotism, steering clear of jingoism, "The Diplomat" stands tall in this regard.".