John Without Abs, But With Brains—Finally !

John Without Abs, But With Brains—Finally! : My quick take on movie “The Diplomat” (Theatrical Release)

Let me start with a confession: I did not know about this real-life episode of Sushma Swaraj’s diplomatic dabanggiri. Shame on my GK. But now that I’ve watched The Diplomat, I feel thoroughly educated, thoroughly entertained, and—dare I say—thoroughly proud.

This is one of those rare Bollywood outings where John Abraham doesn’t enter in slow motion, shirtless, with background music yelling “MACHO!” Instead, he enters as JP, the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan—fully clothed always suited booted and fully convincing. Surprise, surprise—John actually acts. Yes, someone call the headlines.

Directed by Shivam Nair, who clearly sat in the front row during Sriram Raghavan’s masterclasses on How to Make Thrillers Without Losing the Plot (and the audience), the film is slick, sharp, and fast-paced. Nair knows his thrill, and Ritesh Shah—oh, the man with the golden pen—once again proves that he’s not here to write wallpaper. From Kahaani to Pink, and now The Diplomat, this guy just keeps adding shiny feathers to his already overstuffed cap.

Casting? Spot on. Whoever handpicked the cast deserves a diplomatic posting in Bollywood.

•John Abraham as JP—a dignified mix of stoic and simmering. No ab-show, just substance. Who knew!

•Revathy as Sushma Swaraj—my God, her grace, her gait! She didn’t play Sushmaji, she channelled her.

•Sadia Khateeb as Uzma—vulnerable yet strong, and utterly believable.

Even the Pakistani characters were well-etched and well-played. Okay, except Kumud Mishra—fabulous actor, wrong address. He stuck out like a vada pav in a Lahori platter.

The production design? Let’s just say if you told me they shot it across the border, I’d believe you. So kudos to team John Abraham (producer John clearly likes to multitask).

Now, the climax. Yes, it got a tad filmy, a tad extra. But come on, bhai. John hai, thoda action toh banta hai! You can’t expect him to end a film without at least one angry-squinting moment.

So, why didn’t this film set the box office on fire? Maybe because the audience was busy watching IPL matches instead. But mark my words—The Diplomat will find its due when it hits OTT. That’s when the collective “Arre yaar, yeh toh acchi picture thi!” will start.

When diplomacy meets daring, and restraint outshines rage—The Diplomat reminds us that sometimes, power is in persuasion, not punches.

Thank you, Sushmaji, not just for the bravado we witnessed on screen, but for mentoring leaders like Dr. S. Jaishankar, who now carries your baton—swift, sure-footed, and utterly unstoppable when it comes to answering every distress call from an Indian, anywhere on the globe.