“TUM ghabrana bilkul nahin. Tum Bharat ki beti ho,saradesh tumhare peeche khada hai,” when the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (played by Revathy) assured Uzma Sheikh (Sadia Khateeb) over the phone assuring her of a safe return, you could see the dread in Uzma’s eyes being replaced by a quiet determination and hope that she will finally be rescued from the jaws of death in Pakistan that she had found herself in, and would find a safe passage back home. But the rescue mission, at a time when Indo-Pak relations were extremely tense because of not only geopolitical conflict, but the shadow of Kulbhushan Jadhav and India’s requestforhis case to be reviewed looming large, wouldn’t have beenpossible forthe exemplary grit and diplomacy thatJPSingh (JohnAbraham),the Deputy High Commissioner at Indian High Commission, demonstrated under these fragile times. This, then is the crux of The Diplomat, helmed by Shivam Nair and penned by Ritesh Shah, who take us back to May 2017,and bring us another cinematic nugget based on a real story that had the authorities involved on tenter hooks for more than twenty days. Clearly a great deal of research and effort has gone into shaping of the narrative that is more real than reel. Meticulous and well crafted, The Diplomat starts on a slow note, and as the story unfolds, it becomes gripping, eventually taking on the shape of a tense edge-of-the-seat thriller.

 

The premise had all the ingredients of a typical Bollywood potboiler - the Indo-Pak setting, an innocent victim caught in a trap laid by a formidable adversary. But the writer keeps it real, and what the audience gets to see is the harrowing time and the personal struggle that Uzma undergoes because she blindly believed in Tahir (Jagjeet Sandhu), who tricked her into coming to Pakistan and then forced herinto marriage, holding her captive inBemur, a remote hamlet in Khyber Pashtun region, known for its lawlessness.

 

Uzma, beaten but not broken, tricks Tahir into taking her to the Indian High Commission and grabs the window of opportunity, pleading for the Embassy to give her shelter and rescue her from the evil clutches of Tahir. But naturally, Tahir and his cronies, with ISI also lending a hand to their devious plans, will not take it lying down. As they plan a siege, JP Sir withaquietgumption is working relentlessly to help Uzma’scase.Because of the many angles involved in the case, including police verification and immigration formalities, the situation is complicated. And here is where the writer/director score - by painting a nuanced picture. While the system ic issues dogging the neighbouring nations are highlighted, there is no chest-thumping jingoism, no sub-plots taking away the spotlight from the real issue at hand, and as the case progresses we are introducedtoajoviallawyer(KumudMishra), who lends a helping hand; the Judge deciding the case doesn’t bow down to any pressure created by the rowdy Tahir and his gang and the dreadful ISI guys.

 

 

He doles out justice, putting a stamp on the fact that not everyone on the other side of the border is a foe. Even though the film is titled The Diplomat, the diplomat doesn't hog all the limelight.Each and every character has a significant role.And for once youdonot see John Abraham, the action hero. What you see onthe screen is the suave diplomat, who spearheads the high stake mission with kids gloves,whouses intellect and shrewd diplomacy in Uzma’s repatriation. He gets into the skin of the character and scores high for the perspective that he brings to the role. JA, with this you have proven that you don’t need to be in high-action mode all the time to make an impact.Hisquite determination,his wry humour and his savoir faire make The Diplomat a compelling watch. John Abraham, of course, had the help of supporting cast to lift his own performance. Sadia Khateeb has enough footage to showcase her talent as the terrified yet resilient Uzma, who is ready to die but not return to a life of dread that she had experienced with Tahir. Revathy, as (now late) Sushma Swaraj adds weight to the narrative. Sharib Hashmi, Kumud Mishra,Tahir all leave an impact with their powerful performances. Music and cinematography are the other stars of the film that raise the level of the film a notch. Rootedinrealism,thisgrippingpoliticaldrama, with a house-full first day first show-is a rarity these days. Should be on every film buffs ‘must watch’ list.