The Diplomat

The Diplomat is a no nonsense political thriller that perfectly demonstrates how to keep the audience (At least those who turn up for the movie) hooked to the screen with a tense story and crisp screenplay supported very well with honest performances by talented actors.

John Abraham does a pretty good job as the titular smart and decisive Indian diplomat, even though his built perhaps makes him look a bit out of place as the calm protagonist. Sadia Khateeb is exceptional as the Indian woman tricked into an unwilling and abusive marriage in Pakistan. She balances the fragility and strength of her character very well and gives a great performance. Kumud Mishra, Sharib Hashmi and even the antagonists portrayed by Ashwath Bhatt and Jagjeet Sandhu do a justice to their respective roles. Revathy is good in her small but impactful role.

Shivam Nair truly delivers a cracker of a political thriller after directing tense spy thrillers like Naam Shabana, Special Ops and Mukhbir. The Diplomat is definitely close to the quality and thrills of his earlier work and a step up as far as his previous silver screen outings are concerned. Many may wait for the movie to land on OTT in a couple of month's time but if we want more cinema of this level of quality and genre then we should support it more in theater. Hopefully its target audience will not betray it at the box office. A top notch solid thriller. 8/10.