Khufiya
On: Netflix
Dir: Vishal Bhardwaj
Solid: Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi, Ali Fazal
Ranking: 3.5/5
Khufiya didn’t develop into the movie I had clicked for. Which is a wierd factor to say, as a result of we all know the movie’s style, i.e. a spy thriller. And its setting, which is a nationwide secret, which means the world of state intelligence, espionage, handlers, brokers and R&AW, India’s secret service, to be exact.
So, why ought to there be disconnect between expectations, and the movie? As a result of it’s primarily based on Amar Bhushan’s true to life account, Escape to Nowhere. Bhushan, being an ex R&AW man himself. The e book was the closest we may get to how India’s spy company truly works.
Basically, stuffed with mid-income group babus, heading to “daftar” in buses with lunch-boxes, preventing over international postings. No completely different from some other paperwork/division, in and round Central Secretariat, in New Delhi.
Effectively, Vishal Bhardwaj’s Khufiya clearly isn’t fairly a Pathaan, Tiger, or Battle, or some other such larger-than life spy-giri as excuse for blastfests, actually. It’s an entire lot extra real looking.
Nonetheless, suitably stylised to look the breathless thriller, with bends and turns, chops and chases, {that a} mainstream film within the style is supposed to be. The 007 right here is, decidedly, Tabu, getting out and in of nations—as and when, whacking a fellow or two.
Calling this thriller, over suspense—as a result of we all know the offender, proper from the start, that the drama is about round. That’s a mole (Ali Fazal) in R&AW, photocopying, passing on essential paperwork from the company to the rival camp.
It seems the cinema corridor is the very best place to trade confidential papers—extra not too long ago, we watched an analogous scene happen in Srinagar’s Paradise cinema in IB 71 (2023), prefer it’s at a Paharganj theatre enjoying Major Hoon Na (2004) right here.
Which provides you sense of the movie’s well structured timeline, cleverly going backwards and forwards, from proper after Kargil Battle (1999), onwards. It’s simple sufficient to nab the R&AW mole—you possibly can see him at work. So, why don’t they?
He’s not that essential. Determining his puppeteers is. The bloke is below fixed surveillance. The stakes are excessive, as a result of the mole is liable for the demise of a key handler, who was notably near our 007, codenamed Cactus (Tabu).
So far as doable, that is equally an try at a private movie. For, no matter style, what’s a narrative, if not about relationships.
The mole is codenamed Brutus. The operation to nab him is named Julius Casear, which is clearly a Vishal Bhardwaj self-reference, given the director’s personal fascination with Shakespeare (Maqbool, Omkara).
I’m advised, Haider (2014), that’s Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Hamlet, was initially deliberate as a pure spy-thriller—earlier than he acquired additional impressed by Basharat Peer’s e book, Curfewed Evening.
The uncooked materials, subsequently, when you’ll pardon the pun, is all there. Bhushan’s Escape to Nowhere, as with all of Bhardwaj’s literary diversifications, is merely the take-off level.
All characters have been imagined anew—whether or not the mole’s spouse (Wamiqa Gabbi), mom (the wacky Navnindra Behl), prime spy (Tabu), her handler (Azmeri Haque Badhon)…
Frankly, I can’t recall a spy flick with that many key feminine characters, wholly proudly owning the present. At greatest, consider it because the reverse of Raazi (2018). Solely, far more a movie with a twistedly humorous bone.
Additionally, a softness of contact right here and there—whether or not that be the usage of ambient sound, at residence, live performance, automotive, for a full-on soundtrack. Or simply staying put with characters and their lives, quite than getting too carried away by geopolitical stuff. On this case, Indo-US relations, or regime change in Bangladesh. The massive stuff is there, primarily to border the script in opposition to.
On the centre, in fact, is Tabu, being Tabu—as in, by no means interfering with the story-telling, whereas carrying it ahead with adequate heft. Even hitting the suitable word with fluent Bengali since The Namesake (2006). Bhardwaj-Tabu would possibly nicely rank among the many best director-muse combos, going all the best way as much as Vijay-Dev Anand, or Ray-Soumitra, for all we all know!
Which is to remove nothing from Wamiqa Gabbi (Jubilee, Grahan, Charlie Chopra)—simply the star of the season, including to the movie’s allure, whilst you query a few of the leaps of religion in it, that should not be talked about right here, for worry of spoilers.
Khufiya is Bhardwaj’s debut on Netflix. The movie drops in 200 nations concurrently. Numerous Indian content material, you discover, tops charts in a number of areas outdoors India on the platform, even globally, typically.
This may be a fantastic take off level for audiences themselves to find extra of Bhardwaj’s world-class earlier works, if this movie works for them as a lot. It’s additionally maybe the one spy film, the place the doofus is the white man. Or as a personality tells the CIA agent, “Looks like you guys are sensible solely within the motion pictures!”
I’ve watched Khufiya twice already, over a niche of every week or two. Pace-watched it the second time, with out the pointless burden/expectations of a slow-burn, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ like espionage stuff, foundation Bhushan’s e book. Therefore, loved the second time much more!