John Abraham Delivers a Career-Defining Performance in The Diplomat

The Diplomat: John Abraham’s Career-Best Performance Shines in This Gripping and Realistic Political Thriller

The Diplomat is a taut political thriller with a fine touch: it goes away from the usual dreary jingoistic tropes that generally go with an Indo-Pak narrative and instead presents a very realistic drama. Directed by Shivam Nair, the film stars John Abraham as JP Singh, India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Pakistan, and Sadia Khateeb, as Uzma Ahmed, an Indian woman caught in a horror story across the border. The film opens with an insightful quote by Gandhi, and unto that, the movie sets the tone for a really tense, emotional journey which unfolds slowly and then reaches quite a nail-biting climax.

An Interesting Narrative, Well-Paced

In this genre-driven film, The Diplomat is definitely never an unreasonably chest-thumping film by keeping it real. The tale unfolds free from any kind of fast-forwarding or improving. Flashbacks are used here to give additional exposure into the characters and would ultimately tell the story of how Uzma Ahmed ends up being pretty much tortured after she falls victim to a false marriage scheme and is trapped by Pakistan. Nair melds the art of diplomacy, personal hardships, and political turmoil into a very exciting drama.

Superior Acts Add Up to the Film

Known for action-packed roles, John Abraham reinvented himself for The Diplomat. An understated yet effective performance by him in the role of JP Singh proves that sometimes, less is indeed more. That one glance or pause conveys more than often complete words indicates dedication towards himself as an actor in evolving. This is a landmark film in his career to prove he can do well even with serious, content-heavy cinema.

A revelation, Sadia Khateeb brings her rawness and depth into her character. Heart-rending as Uzma, her character action keeps the audience very much in tune with her pain and the agony that she endures. Her eyes being able to express where drama would fail is what distinguishes her.

The rest of the cast is commendable too. Jagjeet Sandhu does well as the menacing Tariq, while those veterans like Revathi, Kumud Mishra and Sharib Hashmi add up to the overall realism of the film. Revathi in particular laid down the commitment of a very important character as Sushma Swaraj.

Strengths and Limitations

Though many aspects of The Diplomat shine bright, still it has some blemish in it. The first part although it is imperative for the story to unfold, does have a slightly dragged aspect in some tangents. Some dialogues are spenders and Singh’s personal part with wife’s and son’s issues is not given enough interest. In addition, Uzma’a backstory and what all horrendous things happened to her in Pakistan, should’ve been edited more tightly to not slow down the pace of the film.

However, none of these minor hitches takes away from the absolute power of this film. The second half is taut, quite gripping and loaded with emotion. The thrilling, satisfying conclusion has lots of action. The razor-sharp focus of this story is complemented by the omission of unnecessary songs or distractions.

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Must-Watch Political Drama

Diplomat is perhaps the most intelligently crafted political thriller to date. This is a film based on a true-life story that has been adapted well. Shivam Nair’s direction is restrained but forceful and complemented by strong performances, especially a career-best act by John Abraham. No excess theatrics and authenticity make this a refreshing entry into the genre.

The Diplomat, an experience worth immersing in, is for people who appreciate well-made cinema that is thought-provoking.

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