The Diplomat Review: A True Story of Dramatic Proportions Spoiled by Weak Feminism

RATING - ⭐ ⭐ ✨ 2.5/5*

The Diplomat Review Movie Talkies:

Shivam Nair created Naam Shabana as a spin-off to Neeraj Pandey's classic thriller, Baby (2015), and I don't need to tell you how underwhelming that film was despite its great potential. Similarly, The Diplomat showcased a great potential, but Nair's lackluster dramatics and lack of high-end thrills make it an underwhelming affair.

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The film is based on a true event, so I can't really expect to have those high-stakes moments on the cinematic horizon, but we definitely deserve some thrilling moments. The three major, or rather, the only three needed conflicts this film has are quite undermining, which are as follows: the courtroom scene where you want me to believe that an educated woman is too weak to give her statement and is also unable to look into the devil's eyes; the magistrate and press statement scene; and the third one is the chase sequence in the climax. All three scenes lack the moments of conflict that are essential for every thriller. Why is it so difficult for Bollywood to make brilliant evacuation/transportation thrillers like Baby or the Malayalam classic, Take-Off (2017)?

The Diplomat Story:

The film tells the story of Uzma (Sadia Khateeb), who arrives at the Indian Embassy in Pakistan, stating that she has been forcefully kept in the country and wants to return to India. The High Commissioner officer at the embassy, JP Singh (John Abraham), and his team check through all details and try to get things in line after a discussion with the Pakistan embassy. However, the person who brought Uzma to Pakistan isn't letting her go, and he is also backed by political and official powers in the country. Will Singh and our Foreign Minister, Sushma Swaraj, manage to overcome them all?

The Diplomat becomes a very predictable film after a while because, as I said, there are no major conflicts that can elevate its status as a thriller. The notion of Pakistan being an evil country and India holding an edge against them is maintained to evoke a patriotic feel, and at some point, it reaches the level of jingoism. Singh's conversations with his son were irritating, Uzma's ultra-weak personality literally made this an anti-feminist affair, and then there was the antagonism from Pakistan, which, I believe, was very well done. However, The Diplomat, like other evacuation dramas, made some mistakes with an overdose of certain elements like misogyny, law and order, and especially made a joke of humanity.

The Diplomat Cast:

John Abraham shines in his role, but when you look at the original footage of the real JP Singh, you can immediately point out how different John looked in that role. The prosthetics and dialogue delivery should have been closer. Having said that, John, as an individual, has done well. Sadia is actually so cute, and she perfectly suits the character. I didn't like that overly cowardly characterization of her, but somehow her milky face did the trick. Kumud Mishra was fun to watch, Sharib Hashmi was fine, Revathy was decent, Jagjeet Sandhu was fantastic, Amitoj Mann was good, Jeet Raidutt provided nice support, and last but not least, Ashwath Bhatt was amazing.

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The Diplomat Movie Review:

The Diplomat isn't a lavish film and didn't need to be, but the color grading and cinematography could have been better. The music hardly matters here, but the background score is decent. The embassy and other locations bring some authenticity, making this one look like a situational thriller set in suitable premises, but the outdoor scenes aren't worth it. Shivam Nair views it as a plain thriller, when he should have focused on making it unique. The Diplomat hardly discusses geopolitical pressure and barely explores any political conspiracies. In one scene, Singh handles things on a phone call, hoping that the "threat" should work, and it actually does. Things can't be that simple on screen, and if they are, audiences aren't going to enjoy them. That's where The Diplomat fell flat, while the performances kept it afloat throughout.