Cinema has a significant impact on our society and political narratives as it mirrors our culture, political beliefs, and stances, shaping our perceptions and values. Movies sometimes normalise thought processes that are neither politically nor morally correct. Consequently, the audience adopts these judgments, ultimately influencing society.
Beyond a movie’s cast, their performance, cinematography, or direction, the story itself can prove to have strong impact. A recent example is the Hindi film ‘Khufiya’. The movie has garnered a high rating on trusted platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB, and it has been inundated with positive reviews in various media outlets.
The story is based on Amar Bhushan's spy novel, 'Escape to Nowhere'. Undoubtedly, the movie is expected to reach a wider audience compared to the novel.
That's where the major concern lies. In a nutshell, the movie centers around a R&AW agent Krishna Mehra (Tabu) who embarks on a mission to apprehend another rogue agent Ravi Mohan (Ali Fazal) secretly selling top-secret defence documents to the CIA.
The film is staged in the year 2004, with both India and Pakistan closely monitoring a pivotal election in Bangladesh. Simultaneously, negotiations for the Indo-US nuclear deal are in progress. In the narrative, past events unravel, shedding light on how Krishna obtained intelligence about the rogue Bangladeshi defence minister Brigadier Mirza.
The plot intricately weaves through the political landscape of Bangladesh, where intelligence agencies R&AW and ISI, representing arch foes India and Pakistan, are vying for influence, with the CIA playing a double game.
Bangladeshi actress Azmeri Haque Badhon has received widespread acclaim for her performance, albeit brief, in the movie. Other actors like Tabu, Ali Fazal, and Wamiqa Gabbi have delivered captivating performances throughout the story. However, the weak and sometimes irrational plot tends to diminish the excitement.
In one particular scene, the movie portrays the Bangladeshi defence minister (although in reality, this position is held by the prime minister in Bangladesh) having a meeting with the brother of a Pakistani terrorist on a rooftop in a densely populated residential area, reminiscent of Old Dhaka.
This setup resembles ISIS or Taliban style meetings, showcasing a clear lack of understanding by both the author of the book and the film's director regarding Bangladesh’s politics and its governance structure.
Another irrational depiction is of Badhon’s character as "Octopus," a Bangladeshi woman assisting R&AW in neutralizing her own country's defence minister. The movie lacks clarity on how a woman like her, living in abject poverty with a cancer-afflicted father, could have such a high reach.
She is shown infiltrating a high-profile party to assassinate the defence minister, only to meet her demise. Another far-fetched scene unfolds where she is killed by the defense minister with a fork, reminiscent of a mafia-style execution, in front of hundreds of guests!
As the story unfolds, the mole within R&AW, portrayed by Ali Fazal, manages to escape to the US with the help of the CIA. He adopts a humble life, selling popcorn in a shop, and awaits US citizenship under a fake identity, leaving his lavish life in India behind. His wife, played by Wamiqa Gabbi, who was left half-dead during their escape in India, eventually locates him with the assistance of Tabu, an R&AW official.
The real cringe factor is depicted in the last 15 minutes of the film. The same Bangladeshi defence minister, while visiting the US, pays a dinner visit to the mole, Ravi’s house, accompanied only by a CIA agent and his wife.
Meanwhile, R&AW official Krishna Mehra (Tabu) manages to convince Ravi (Ali Fazal) to assassinate the Bangladeshi defence minister by poisoning him. This particular scene raises concerns.
Some may argue, “Relax, it's just fiction.” However, it is not 'just' fiction, especially at a time when India faces significant allegations by the Canadian prime minister, suggesting R&AW's involvement in the killing of a Sikh activist residing in Canada. Such movies or stories create a narrative that infiltrating another country and assassinating high-ranking officials is heroic.
Movies wield great influence over people, particularly spy and espionage films. We've witnessed how James Bond movies shaped diplomacy during the Cold War and how similar movies downplayed people’s fear of nuclear warfare.
Furthermore, this technique has been an age-old tactic to undermine other countries while creating heroes or propagating misleading narratives. Movies depicting terrorists with specific attire play a significant role in fomenting Islamophobia worldwide or generating hate towards a particular community.
It also reinforces the 'self' and 'other' discourse, sometimes influencing people's minds to create long-term misleading perceptions.
Vishal Bhardwaj should have been more careful and thoughtful in presenting sensitive elements within the plot. As audience we expect more from the maker of movies like Maqbool, Omkara, Haidar and so on.
While the story ran out of steam in most of the places, there are several notable music numbers in the film. One that stands out is the ghazal-style song 'maat ana' sung by Rekha Bhardwaj. Tabu has been outstanding as usual and pulls off in almost every scene brilliantly.
Lastly, looking at the film from the perspective of a Vishal Bhardwaj creation, it lacks the impact to stay in one's thoughts or truly captivate, primarily due to its weak storyline, excessive melodrama, and exaggerations.