The Diplomat (2025): A True Tale Of Repatriation

Words are his ammunition; tact, his weapon; and vigilance, his armor! John Abraham makes his return as the legendary Indian risk taker, J.P. Singh! This Hindi political thriller titled “The Diplomat” is based on a true incident and has been written by Ritesh Shah, produced by Bhushan Kumar, and directed by Shivam Nair. It made its theatrical debut on the festive occasion of Holi 2025.

The Diplomat (2025) Official Trailer:

The Good:

Your interest in watching The Diplomat is sure to heighten if you are aware of the true story on which the film is based. In 2017, an Indian Muslim woman named Uzama Ahmed (Sadia Khateeb) went to Malaysia for work. There she met a Pakistani Muslim man named Tahir (Jagjeet Sandhu) and they fell in love. Next, the love for Tahir instigated Uzma to travel to Pakistan to meet him.

Her dreams turned into nightmare after she came to Pakistan and became familiar with the Jihadi mentality of Tahir. She was trapped! Uzma learnt that Tahir already had multiple wives and children in Pakistan whom he had kept captive. He was involved in human trafficking, where he used to viciously torture or sell these women.

Nostalgia Reloaded: The Remastered Patriotic Track “Bharat” (India) from The Diplomat

Seeing this, Uzma fled from the scene and took shelter in the Indian Embassy located in Islamabad, Pakistan. There she met Indian diplomat J.P. Singh (John Abraham). The story continues with shocking twists and chilling thrills as J.P. Singh takes on international government and legal pressures, overcomes all hurdles, and helps the abducted Uzma return safely back to India.

At times, reality is much stranger and intriguing than fiction. The Diplomat does justify that. The events shown in this political thriller and the endeavors of Indian Diplomat J.P. Singh to save the Indian Muslim woman have been showcased exactly as they happened back in 2017. Of course, the climax has been a bit exaggerated and when it’s John Abraham’s movie, you need to experience a Bollywood-style filmy climax to keep the entertainment alive.

The best part about The Diplomat is, unlike other anti-Pakistani films that Bollywood makes, this does not portray the evil side of Pakistan. It cleverly takes the story to a personal level, keeping the international political matters between India and Pakistan as formal as possible.

Loaded with patriotic essence and dialogues, this engaging thriller will keep you at the edge of your seats till the very end. The performances of John Abraham and the supporting cast are praiseworthy. Although John is known for his expressionless acting, this time, he has truly nailed it in the character of Indian diplomat J.P Singh. The cinematography has a mature diplomatic aura and some of the sets were designed realistically enough to look like locations in Pakistan. The action choreography is commendable. This is a no-nonsense thriller and winds up within 2 hours and 17 minutes.

The track “Naina” from The Diplomat

The Bad:

The only disappointing fact about this movie is the central character of Uzma Ahmed played by Sadia Khateeb. The character’s buildup is weak and as such, the audience doesn’t feel attached or sympathetic for her. Certain scenes where this character was supposed to be vulnerable didn’t match up. Moreover, it was shown that the character Uzma already had a daughter when she went to meet Tahir in Pakistan.

Love was just one reason. Her visiting Pakistan had other reasons as well that have been shown in The Diplomat. Another reason was to obtain some naturopathic cure for her daughter’s ailments. I mean, come on! Which Indian would want to visit a dangerous place like Pakistan to obtain some naturopathic cure? Sounds direly unconvincing and suspicious!

No nudity has been depicted. However, some vicious hate crime and rape scenes have been shown which are not suitable for children and teenagers to watch.

The track “Ghar” from The Diplomat

The Verdict:

I have to praise the filmmakers’ true depiction of situations in Pakistan. The Pakistani environment had been presented in a sugar-coated version in some spy movies or political thrillers we might have seen earlier. But The Diplomat has presented a clear picture of certain horrific situations in the country.

Even if we do not connect with Sadia Khateeb’s character of Uzama Ahmed in The Diplomat, the film does familiarize us with the immense contributions of Indian diplomat J.P. Singh (played by John Abraham) and the late Indian External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj (played by Revathy).

When J.P. Singh was questioned by a reporter to reveal the exact occurrences, he just told the reporter to watch John Abraham’s new movie, The Diplomat. Such is the authenticity of the incidents depicted in the movie. I am not forcing you to watch it. But if you are a true patriotic Indian citizen, then you must!