May 12, 2025 • 18 mins
No diplomacy takes place in the new John Abraham film The Diplomat, which is now streaming on Netflix after a theatrical run earlier this year.
While Abraham doesn’t throw any punches in the film, The Diplomat is hardly a toned-down drama for adults.
We discuss the film’s odd narrative choices, unnecessary non-linear writing, and the absolute miscasting of Abraham. We also talk about the film’s problematic perspective, which reduces the female protagonist to a side character in her own story.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:16):
Hi and I'm. Rogan, Nahar.
Welcome to the log take. This week we're discussing the
new John Abraham movie The Diplomat, which is not on
Netflix. Not too confused with the next
city of the same name, which is also on Netflix, which is not
John Abira set on a real life story.
Make it very clear in the end ifyou have got in there and
congratulations, you made it to the end.
(00:37):
Yeah. How did you make it to the end?
I made it to the end because I don't know, like it didn't start
off all that terribly. It's like the first 5 or 10
minutes I thought were OK, but then I think every subsequent
minute was worse than the previous one.
Yeah, I think. The moment like Ozma is in the
embassy on High Commission, keepusing different words.
(00:59):
I think everything just like starts to go downhill like very
quickly. Yeah, yeah.
The moment she, because I thought that they were going to
do something really smart with it and maybe, you know, do like
a locked room sort of smart thriller where the Indians don't
know who she is and the Pakistanis obviously suspect her
of being like a spy. And there's like back and forth
(01:21):
and you try to figure out the truth or whatever.
But this is not directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Exactly. Eventually it becomes like a
basically like a crossword V Raishman Kurana and Akshay Kumar
movie which is. Yeah, like, which is like a
weird space for joy world to be like.
I thought like his stick was that it was to do movies where
he can flash his like grin and like be like, oh, look, what a
(01:43):
cool scene, action scene and in there.
Yeah, I like I like pick up motorcycles, which is bare hands
or yeah. That's perfectly cast in Baton,
right? Like that's the kind of movies
he does now. But now, yeah, wants to do like
a movie where he's basically like a suit.
Yeah, I mean, so he's done versions of this in the past.
I wouldn't say this is the firsttime.
(02:04):
Like I remember Madras Cafe years ago.
But the mother was a feel like adifferent John Abraham era to
me. Yeah, but it wasn't like, you
know, like, like a superhero. John Abraham.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. This one is in all I mean,
barring the action, this is basically a superhero movie.
Only he's not like ideally he's not supposed to be in the movie.
(02:29):
Like that's what I kept thinkingthe whole time.
Like this guy is in in any otherlike a smarter movie, he would
be like some dude who comes in the last 10 minutes, right?
And in the background somewhere.But for some reason, they've
chosen to make this entire moviefrom his perspectives, like the
entire movies from a perspectiveof like, no, he's not even the
(02:51):
High Commissioner, right? Yeah, he's like the death terror
commissioner, but love High Commissioner.
Was they figured this out? I mean, I'm guessing in real
life. And this dude just, like, made a
few calls because I don't understand, like, why is this
the most dramatic element of this story when you take us into
a flashback where, like, actual crazy stuff is happening?
(03:12):
Yeah. And and I'm like 8 second Jake
Quanzi picture. You know, tell me that one
because at least you're centering the woman in that
here. It's like a John Abraham movie.
And he's like a savior and whatever, whatever.
And the woman gets tortured. Are you sure?
I think he's just like he's spotlight everywhere.
Even the courtroom scene that I'd really would just be Uzma
and the lawyer versus Tahir and his lawyer.
(03:33):
We get John am literally in the middle of the two.
He is literally a curtain between the husband.
And the wife, Bolo Bolo. And then he started.
Lawyer side that makes no sense.A lawyer would be fighting, Ozma
would be sitting down, Diploma would be sitting around 3 rows
behind in this audience. And it's not like the lawyer is
(03:55):
incompetent, right? Yeah.
Which would then also you would be like, I take a drama, Kelly,
they're doing this. The lawyer cannot handle it.
So John Abraham steps in. Whatever, whatever.
But no. But the lawyer is he doing?
From the get go, John Abram justtakes over the courtroom.
Yeah, So Bohema Matlab, you're writing scenes around John
Abraham. Like John Abraham has to like
remind Uzma that no, you have itin you, you can do it.
(04:18):
But then he kind of does most ofthe heavy lifting like no point
in it. Like he's like in which he has
seen OTA and for some reason Johnny Abrahams like I'll drive
like in what worries that happened.
At least yeah, everything that part like feels forget that the
canonically inside the movie if it feels stupid, but like at
least to me, I was like, OK, finally some Johnny Abrahams
stuff, you know, like. Yeah, but like.
I saw got excited upward. Yeah.
(04:40):
You've been cast a diplomat, so I'm not sure why you're trying
to do Johnny Abrahams stuff as adiplomat.
That's the problem. Like he's feels like he's
fighting with his own character.Yeah, Image, character image.
He's like he's caught. He's like, OK, I'm known for
this, but then my character right now is this.
And at what point do I get to dowhat I usually do the next third
(05:00):
act it's. It's a weird like it doesn't
find a tonal balance, right, because it it a John Abraham
looks like John Abraham. And yeah, I mean, they don't
even dress him like in a way where where, you know, his eye
like bulging. Awesome sound right?
Like very like chest is not likecoming out of his like suit.
Yeah, that Chota suit and Iowa. Yeah.
And the biggest mistake that they make is like they show the
(05:22):
real dude at the end. So you are, if you want, who is
in theatre. You're like 8 second.
Yeah. Have you been like this uncle is
like, you know, John Abraham playing that a misery dude who's
been giving all the press conferences.
Like, it just doesn't make any sense.
Like, why would you do that? And like, because you've made
Sushma, Sushma Swaraj, like 80% Sushma Swaraj.
(05:43):
She's not like some, you know, Kriti Sanon or something.
Yeah. See like why the inconsistency
then? Like it's deliberate.
Yeah, but the bigger problem is you decide now, like nobody's
complaining when you lift up bikes and all that.
They want to see you do that. So you do that.
But then why do you have to like, if you're going to do a
straight move, then do a straight movie.
Now why do you have to like, do all this middle of the ground?
(06:04):
Like is that? Good.
Then Ashleck has done both. He has done a straight movie.
He's like played us noble diplomatic character in Argo,
but he also played Batman. He he can mold himself and
people around him ensure that his costumes are a probe head.
And he looked like, yeah, he looked like he doesn't look like
(06:24):
somebody will throw a punch, too.
Yeah, he didn't. Look like a Batman Argo.
He looks like like as a. Government now sure it looks
like he can throw a punch so when he doesn't you're like
solve all your problems. He really like 5 times.
You're watching The Diplomat. You're watching the diplomat, JB
(06:45):
Singh. You're watching John Abraham
cosplay as a diplomat. Yeah, and.
I'm. So we've spoken out like how
miscast people are, you know, inBollywood, but this is to like
crazy level. It's not because you're actively
hurting your own movie and as a result of that, you're hurting
whatever real story is behind this, right?
(07:05):
Because when you have John Abraham in your movie, there is
no way that anybody is going to look at anybody else because
that's the movie is gonna be designed around you.
So the real person who like whatever the Uzma person,
whatever she went through, she'sjust like a silent bystander in
her own story. Yep.
And yeah, I mean, I mean, I meanBollywood like Uncle, they don't
see the irony of this, this whole thing, right, where this
(07:28):
real life woman was conned into coming to a different country by
this man who tried to sell her and then, you know, take
advantage of her etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
And then the movie that's made on her life is basically doing
the same thing. Then who's going to explain that
to? But you got it right.
So I say these guys, everyone who, like, watches this movie
and makes this movie and like, enjoys this movie, feels that
(07:48):
the bold is set up where men need to, like, save everyone
else. And, like, that's the world.
Even literally like, this movie is happening partly to a major
incident between the two countries.
And there also the entire operation has been described as
like, oh, yeah, we're saving you.
Like, we're avenging the death of our husbands.
Yeah, that's why. We are avenging.
(08:09):
So at no point do they consider them as equal participants who
are capable of like voices were capable of like.
Saying put them on the the thing.
No press conference with women officers.
See how forward thinking we are?But that's separate, right.
But I think the as well we stay.Here you just.
Appropriate them. You're like, OK, you suffered
(08:30):
now you are victim. You have no like voice.
You have no like say in this matter.
We will come and help save you, which is literally what John I
was doing. He's like hello there.
Any questions her for like her griser for like half an hour
like the hell are you like guys,this is mental torture and maybe
show some empathy like I was thinking of like what was that
series? Unbelievable.
(08:50):
I don't know. Some of the kids show where like
the cop essentially like so muchempathy there, right?
Like what the woman is going through, like, you know, like
she's been abused. Like I have something like first
second she's they're drilling her for like 15 minutes
straight. I'm like, bhai has some decency.
Yeah, that did we. But this is, I don't know, this
is like a trend, right? Because I remember we discussed
(09:13):
like Satya Barendi, Qatar and all also where there and what
else? Like any random like I think
John Abraham's last movie also did something similar where he
declared that he's going to let the woman take the as if, you
know, they need to be given the permission.
Yeah. But, yeah, I mean, I thought,
like, for a while also that they're going to make a smarter
(09:34):
point about, you know, how a woman is caught between
governments run by, like, dudes and how decisions are being made
on her behalf and nobody is letting her speak.
And then she kind of do whateverdrama.
But then at least she has that realization.
At least the movie has that realization and she's given a
voice. But you know, instead she's used
(09:54):
as like, the way that those soldiers are being used by the
government to give press conferences as mascots.
She is made into a mascot for whatever Sushma Swaraj did at
the end, right? Yeah, why is she in the movie?
Like literally at a crucial point when they're about to put
the first time step into the code.
Look. But Tyson, the movie is like, Oh
(10:14):
yeah, I'm going to like give yousomeone who's gonna encourage
you and then gives the phone to her and enter.
What the hell is happening? The could be should be called
Sushma Swaraj's estate, presentsthe.
Yeah, anyone but the real character we will throw a
spotlight on, basically. Yeah, you know, and waiting for
(10:35):
her at the border and whatever. Like that's the favorite thing
about India, right? Like they were abuse the hell
out of women and then then call them India.
Like bull, Bull. Yeah.
I don't know what the purpose ofthis film is actually, because
is, is it to be like, you know, diplomacy is also a way to kind
of de escalate situations? Is it about?
(10:58):
Diplomacy does he actually do right he just mikes JP Singh
he's being John Abraham but at one point early in the movie, JP
Singh sends Sharif Hashmi's character Kitu JA police
informants of bhaskar and figureout what is happened of. 45
minutes. Yeah, OK.
And he doesn't. They don't actually have a show
what diplomacy does. He's just standing out of the
(11:19):
police station. And after not doing anything for
45 minutes, he gets another callfrom JP Singh and he's like
Tusko Batade. Amir was planning at what point
they were in the karagia and what started to do any
diplomacy. He didn't talk to a single
police informant, and he just sat there.
I'm like, hello? The entire movie should have
been that show. That's diplomacy.
You're calling him with a diplomat, but you're actually
(11:40):
doing like scheming spy stuff. And then they call Kumud Mishra,
who's, like, Comic Relief for some reason.
Yeah. Yeah.
In the middle of all this. And then for some reason, they
choose to have a courtroom scene.
Just may. But judges like, yeah, but she's
an Indian. Let her go.
How? What?
How will I stop her? So I was like the point it's not
(12:03):
bringing anything to the table. Like you might as well just show
that Jason at the end cuz I'll at least buy that.
Speaking of things nahi dalo like for the longest time and
they because they foregrounded very early on in that flashback
thing that like trauma that JP Singh apparently has gone
through and they keep doing it like 3 or 4 times, right?
What? Was the show that we watched,
(12:23):
Sorry, I was not sure that we watched the same thing with the
the Spy thing with the Anil Kapoor.
Night manager. Night manager.
Night manager. Yeah.
Yeah, so for the longest time thinking it this would be
relevant to like the situation that he has previously trusted
some adult woman in some situation who like turned out to
be a bomber or something, is what I'm thinking in my head.
(12:45):
That's why it makes sense that why would you show it so early
on when she enters otherwise? Because that's why you wouldn't.
How would you would establish that?
That's why he's to trust her because he did so in the past
and it blew like in his face. Turns out that's not the case at
all. It's just some unrelated like
traumatism. But but why that?
Because they want to they, they,they want to show that John
(13:07):
Abraham has like baggage and thecost of doing service to the
country. You know, it's not easy.
And then you have to sacrifice your family because the child
keeps making an appearance like his son also.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's like, really jarring
because you don't know, like. And then I guess the point of
that is to show that, you know, he's away from his family, is
(13:29):
away from his son, all singularly sacrifice to do this.
And people like John Abraham arekeeping the country safe.
Not people like, you know, but Han or whatever, I guess.
But yeah, I suppose that's what the movie is about.
But then again, if this is what the movie is about, then wow
Have you exploited which I'd usemore.
(13:49):
She's just like to do everythingelse except.
Explore her. She also has like a child who we
never see in real. Life, it's just.
What is that? That and they always see them
flashbacks where it's not from her POV.
Yeah, it's from a tall person's POV looking at Uzma and her kid.
Might as well be imaginary. Yeah.
And like, why would you like imagine like if you're looking
(14:09):
for your own life, you would nothave an auto body experience.
What happened? Because we meet her when she's.
Like we see the mob in the end, the real mob, they show up with
the daughter. They don't matter in the movie
like. Like what would were they not
(14:30):
like making calls? Where is her daughter?
She's real. Life like the Indian media like
30-4 people would be at their house.
Pakistani media was at her throat.
Yeah, but I asked the Pakistani media to.
Obviously it was an. Indian leaders letting like
them, like how did you marry your Pakistani boy?
Like you know the questions. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So fully, like they ignored, like I have no idea where she's
(14:51):
from, what she does. We met her when she's in
Malaysia or whatever. And then even there when she
calls up her friend, who unsurprisingly passes the phone
over to her husband, who is fully prepared with like a plan
of action. Yeah, in like 5 seconds,
although the movie's timeline isvery confusing to me at
sometimes, but I feel like that's like a yeah or the level
(15:12):
discussion we need to. Do that is not even something
yeah yeah and basically they admit they both will take a teen
huff day or something you know they she stayed there for like
20 days or what no. That line line, but even the
marriage timeline, right we go from at one point they say that
she only has one month visa, right, which means she arrived
like just and then escaped like 2 days later.
(15:36):
Yeah, I that's what I felt. I thought 333 days we escaped.
Two days later, why are there somany like abuses on her body?
Women who are still there, right?
Because. How many there?
Yeah. Because it feels like there's a
long time she spends as a house and then gets married and gets
abused. And then at one point when the
female officer examines her, she's like, there are old wounds
(15:56):
on her vagina. And I'm like, how are the old
wounds if she's been there for afew days?
What's? Something like the I don't
understand at what point she came to Pakistan and then at
what point she escaped to the embassy.
Like what is that time period? Is it like days, weeks, months?
Like how long is it? I think the entire ordeal is
maybe like a month long is the feeling that I got after
(16:19):
watching the movie. Now, if I if I'm totally off
track, then that's the movie's fault, because it doesn't.
Yeah, because like you are giving me conflicting like
timelines in different places. So I'm just like all out of the
way. I'm like, I don't know what's
going on, so I don't care at this point.
So I'll just let this go along with.
It this is one of those instances where I'm like, just
keep it simple. Don't do anything.
(16:40):
Volta, Volta, don't do nonlinearstuff.
Just tell. Yeah, straightforward.
It was so much like flashbacks, jumping point.
Don't give me I don't want to know about JB Singh family.
I wanted to be locked room thingjust like yeah, figure what to
do here. That cotton is thing, solve it,
finish it, go home. That's it.
This is a post Razi world we're living in, so I don't even know
(17:03):
if we could like make a generalized King Kuchatani and
is that whatever because it's clearly been proven and proven
like box office wise, you don't forget quality.
You can make it the greatest movie in the world, but if it
flops, nobody takes it seriouslyhere.
But that movie made money. Everybody was it made stars out
of you know, it's two stars and generally speaking, it was quite
(17:24):
toned down. It was character first, you
know, but. That's what tells you why the
director might always more important than the star.
Yeah. I but like who's gonna tell
Bollywood that whatever and wrapit up.
You OK? That's all for this episode of
The Long Take. You invite us on Facebook
threads, Instagram and YouTube at the Long Take Pod.
(17:44):
You can write to us at the Long Take pod@gmail.com.
Please leave us a rating and interview where there is the
episode and we will see you nextweek.
Thanks for listening.
Hi and I'm. Rogan, Nahar.
Welcome to the log take. This week we're discussing the
new John Abraham movie The Diplomat, which is not on
Netflix. Not too confused with the next
city of the same name, which is also on Netflix, which is not
John Abira set on a real life story.
Make it very clear in the end ifyou have got in there and
congratulations, you made it to the end.
(00:37):
Yeah. How did you make it to the end?
I made it to the end because I don't know, like it didn't start
off all that terribly. It's like the first 5 or 10
minutes I thought were OK, but then I think every subsequent
minute was worse than the previous one.
Yeah, I think. The moment like Ozma is in the
embassy on High Commission, keepusing different words.
(00:59):
I think everything just like starts to go downhill like very
quickly. Yeah, yeah.
The moment she, because I thought that they were going to
do something really smart with it and maybe, you know, do like
a locked room sort of smart thriller where the Indians don't
know who she is and the Pakistanis obviously suspect her
of being like a spy. And there's like back and forth
(01:21):
and you try to figure out the truth or whatever.
But this is not directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Exactly. Eventually it becomes like a
basically like a crossword V Raishman Kurana and Akshay Kumar
movie which is. Yeah, like, which is like a
weird space for joy world to be like.
I thought like his stick was that it was to do movies where
he can flash his like grin and like be like, oh, look, what a
(01:43):
cool scene, action scene and in there.
Yeah, I like I like pick up motorcycles, which is bare hands
or yeah. That's perfectly cast in Baton,
right? Like that's the kind of movies
he does now. But now, yeah, wants to do like
a movie where he's basically like a suit.
Yeah, I mean, so he's done versions of this in the past.
I wouldn't say this is the firsttime.
(02:04):
Like I remember Madras Cafe years ago.
But the mother was a feel like adifferent John Abraham era to
me. Yeah, but it wasn't like, you
know, like, like a superhero. John Abraham.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. This one is in all I mean,
barring the action, this is basically a superhero movie.
Only he's not like ideally he's not supposed to be in the movie.
(02:29):
Like that's what I kept thinkingthe whole time.
Like this guy is in in any otherlike a smarter movie, he would
be like some dude who comes in the last 10 minutes, right?
And in the background somewhere.But for some reason, they've
chosen to make this entire moviefrom his perspectives, like the
entire movies from a perspectiveof like, no, he's not even the
(02:51):
High Commissioner, right? Yeah, he's like the death terror
commissioner, but love High Commissioner.
Was they figured this out? I mean, I'm guessing in real
life. And this dude just, like, made a
few calls because I don't understand, like, why is this
the most dramatic element of this story when you take us into
a flashback where, like, actual crazy stuff is happening?
(03:12):
Yeah. And and I'm like 8 second Jake
Quanzi picture. You know, tell me that one
because at least you're centering the woman in that
here. It's like a John Abraham movie.
And he's like a savior and whatever, whatever.
And the woman gets tortured. Are you sure?
I think he's just like he's spotlight everywhere.
Even the courtroom scene that I'd really would just be Uzma
and the lawyer versus Tahir and his lawyer.
(03:33):
We get John am literally in the middle of the two.
He is literally a curtain between the husband.
And the wife, Bolo Bolo. And then he started.
Lawyer side that makes no sense.A lawyer would be fighting, Ozma
would be sitting down, Diploma would be sitting around 3 rows
behind in this audience. And it's not like the lawyer is
(03:55):
incompetent, right? Yeah.
Which would then also you would be like, I take a drama, Kelly,
they're doing this. The lawyer cannot handle it.
So John Abraham steps in. Whatever, whatever.
But no. But the lawyer is he doing?
From the get go, John Abram justtakes over the courtroom.
Yeah, So Bohema Matlab, you're writing scenes around John
Abraham. Like John Abraham has to like
remind Uzma that no, you have itin you, you can do it.
(04:18):
But then he kind of does most ofthe heavy lifting like no point
in it. Like he's like in which he has
seen OTA and for some reason Johnny Abrahams like I'll drive
like in what worries that happened.
At least yeah, everything that part like feels forget that the
canonically inside the movie if it feels stupid, but like at
least to me, I was like, OK, finally some Johnny Abrahams
stuff, you know, like. Yeah, but like.
I saw got excited upward. Yeah.
(04:40):
You've been cast a diplomat, so I'm not sure why you're trying
to do Johnny Abrahams stuff as adiplomat.
That's the problem. Like he's feels like he's
fighting with his own character.Yeah, Image, character image.
He's like he's caught. He's like, OK, I'm known for
this, but then my character right now is this.
And at what point do I get to dowhat I usually do the next third
(05:00):
act it's. It's a weird like it doesn't
find a tonal balance, right, because it it a John Abraham
looks like John Abraham. And yeah, I mean, they don't
even dress him like in a way where where, you know, his eye
like bulging. Awesome sound right?
Like very like chest is not likecoming out of his like suit.
Yeah, that Chota suit and Iowa. Yeah.
And the biggest mistake that they make is like they show the
(05:22):
real dude at the end. So you are, if you want, who is
in theatre. You're like 8 second.
Yeah. Have you been like this uncle is
like, you know, John Abraham playing that a misery dude who's
been giving all the press conferences.
Like, it just doesn't make any sense.
Like, why would you do that? And like, because you've made
Sushma, Sushma Swaraj, like 80% Sushma Swaraj.
(05:43):
She's not like some, you know, Kriti Sanon or something.
Yeah. See like why the inconsistency
then? Like it's deliberate.
Yeah, but the bigger problem is you decide now, like nobody's
complaining when you lift up bikes and all that.
They want to see you do that. So you do that.
But then why do you have to like, if you're going to do a
straight move, then do a straight movie.
Now why do you have to like, do all this middle of the ground?
(06:04):
Like is that? Good.
Then Ashleck has done both. He has done a straight movie.
He's like played us noble diplomatic character in Argo,
but he also played Batman. He he can mold himself and
people around him ensure that his costumes are a probe head.
And he looked like, yeah, he looked like he doesn't look like
(06:24):
somebody will throw a punch, too.
Yeah, he didn't. Look like a Batman Argo.
He looks like like as a. Government now sure it looks
like he can throw a punch so when he doesn't you're like
solve all your problems. He really like 5 times.
You're watching The Diplomat. You're watching the diplomat, JB
(06:45):
Singh. You're watching John Abraham
cosplay as a diplomat. Yeah, and.
I'm. So we've spoken out like how
miscast people are, you know, inBollywood, but this is to like
crazy level. It's not because you're actively
hurting your own movie and as a result of that, you're hurting
whatever real story is behind this, right?
(07:05):
Because when you have John Abraham in your movie, there is
no way that anybody is going to look at anybody else because
that's the movie is gonna be designed around you.
So the real person who like whatever the Uzma person,
whatever she went through, she'sjust like a silent bystander in
her own story. Yep.
And yeah, I mean, I mean, I meanBollywood like Uncle, they don't
see the irony of this, this whole thing, right, where this
(07:28):
real life woman was conned into coming to a different country by
this man who tried to sell her and then, you know, take
advantage of her etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
And then the movie that's made on her life is basically doing
the same thing. Then who's going to explain that
to? But you got it right.
So I say these guys, everyone who, like, watches this movie
and makes this movie and like, enjoys this movie, feels that
(07:48):
the bold is set up where men need to, like, save everyone
else. And, like, that's the world.
Even literally like, this movie is happening partly to a major
incident between the two countries.
And there also the entire operation has been described as
like, oh, yeah, we're saving you.
Like, we're avenging the death of our husbands.
Yeah, that's why. We are avenging.
(08:09):
So at no point do they consider them as equal participants who
are capable of like voices were capable of like.
Saying put them on the the thing.
No press conference with women officers.
See how forward thinking we are?But that's separate, right.
But I think the as well we stay.Here you just.
Appropriate them. You're like, OK, you suffered
(08:30):
now you are victim. You have no like voice.
You have no like say in this matter.
We will come and help save you, which is literally what John I
was doing. He's like hello there.
Any questions her for like her griser for like half an hour
like the hell are you like guys,this is mental torture and maybe
show some empathy like I was thinking of like what was that
series? Unbelievable.
(08:50):
I don't know. Some of the kids show where like
the cop essentially like so muchempathy there, right?
Like what the woman is going through, like, you know, like
she's been abused. Like I have something like first
second she's they're drilling her for like 15 minutes
straight. I'm like, bhai has some decency.
Yeah, that did we. But this is, I don't know, this
is like a trend, right? Because I remember we discussed
(09:13):
like Satya Barendi, Qatar and all also where there and what
else? Like any random like I think
John Abraham's last movie also did something similar where he
declared that he's going to let the woman take the as if, you
know, they need to be given the permission.
Yeah. But, yeah, I mean, I thought,
like, for a while also that they're going to make a smarter
(09:34):
point about, you know, how a woman is caught between
governments run by, like, dudes and how decisions are being made
on her behalf and nobody is letting her speak.
And then she kind of do whateverdrama.
But then at least she has that realization.
At least the movie has that realization and she's given a
voice. But you know, instead she's used
(09:54):
as like, the way that those soldiers are being used by the
government to give press conferences as mascots.
She is made into a mascot for whatever Sushma Swaraj did at
the end, right? Yeah, why is she in the movie?
Like literally at a crucial point when they're about to put
the first time step into the code.
Look. But Tyson, the movie is like, Oh
(10:14):
yeah, I'm going to like give yousomeone who's gonna encourage
you and then gives the phone to her and enter.
What the hell is happening? The could be should be called
Sushma Swaraj's estate, presentsthe.
Yeah, anyone but the real character we will throw a
spotlight on, basically. Yeah, you know, and waiting for
(10:35):
her at the border and whatever. Like that's the favorite thing
about India, right? Like they were abuse the hell
out of women and then then call them India.
Like bull, Bull. Yeah.
I don't know what the purpose ofthis film is actually, because
is, is it to be like, you know, diplomacy is also a way to kind
of de escalate situations? Is it about?
(10:58):
Diplomacy does he actually do right he just mikes JP Singh
he's being John Abraham but at one point early in the movie, JP
Singh sends Sharif Hashmi's character Kitu JA police
informants of bhaskar and figureout what is happened of. 45
minutes. Yeah, OK.
And he doesn't. They don't actually have a show
what diplomacy does. He's just standing out of the
(11:19):
police station. And after not doing anything for
45 minutes, he gets another callfrom JP Singh and he's like
Tusko Batade. Amir was planning at what point
they were in the karagia and what started to do any
diplomacy. He didn't talk to a single
police informant, and he just sat there.
I'm like, hello? The entire movie should have
been that show. That's diplomacy.
You're calling him with a diplomat, but you're actually
(11:40):
doing like scheming spy stuff. And then they call Kumud Mishra,
who's, like, Comic Relief for some reason.
Yeah. Yeah.
In the middle of all this. And then for some reason, they
choose to have a courtroom scene.
Just may. But judges like, yeah, but she's
an Indian. Let her go.
How? What?
How will I stop her? So I was like the point it's not
(12:03):
bringing anything to the table. Like you might as well just show
that Jason at the end cuz I'll at least buy that.
Speaking of things nahi dalo like for the longest time and
they because they foregrounded very early on in that flashback
thing that like trauma that JP Singh apparently has gone
through and they keep doing it like 3 or 4 times, right?
What? Was the show that we watched,
(12:23):
Sorry, I was not sure that we watched the same thing with the
the Spy thing with the Anil Kapoor.
Night manager. Night manager.
Night manager. Yeah.
Yeah, so for the longest time thinking it this would be
relevant to like the situation that he has previously trusted
some adult woman in some situation who like turned out to
be a bomber or something, is what I'm thinking in my head.
(12:45):
That's why it makes sense that why would you show it so early
on when she enters otherwise? Because that's why you wouldn't.
How would you would establish that?
That's why he's to trust her because he did so in the past
and it blew like in his face. Turns out that's not the case at
all. It's just some unrelated like
traumatism. But but why that?
Because they want to they, they,they want to show that John
(13:07):
Abraham has like baggage and thecost of doing service to the
country. You know, it's not easy.
And then you have to sacrifice your family because the child
keeps making an appearance like his son also.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's like, really jarring
because you don't know, like. And then I guess the point of
that is to show that, you know, he's away from his family, is
(13:29):
away from his son, all singularly sacrifice to do this.
And people like John Abraham arekeeping the country safe.
Not people like, you know, but Han or whatever, I guess.
But yeah, I suppose that's what the movie is about.
But then again, if this is what the movie is about, then wow
Have you exploited which I'd usemore.
(13:49):
She's just like to do everythingelse except.
Explore her. She also has like a child who we
never see in real. Life, it's just.
What is that? That and they always see them
flashbacks where it's not from her POV.
Yeah, it's from a tall person's POV looking at Uzma and her kid.
Might as well be imaginary. Yeah.
And like, why would you like imagine like if you're looking
(14:09):
for your own life, you would nothave an auto body experience.
What happened? Because we meet her when she's.
Like we see the mob in the end, the real mob, they show up with
the daughter. They don't matter in the movie
like. Like what would were they not
(14:30):
like making calls? Where is her daughter?
She's real. Life like the Indian media like
30-4 people would be at their house.
Pakistani media was at her throat.
Yeah, but I asked the Pakistani media to.
Obviously it was an. Indian leaders letting like
them, like how did you marry your Pakistani boy?
Like you know the questions. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So fully, like they ignored, like I have no idea where she's
(14:51):
from, what she does. We met her when she's in
Malaysia or whatever. And then even there when she
calls up her friend, who unsurprisingly passes the phone
over to her husband, who is fully prepared with like a plan
of action. Yeah, in like 5 seconds,
although the movie's timeline isvery confusing to me at
sometimes, but I feel like that's like a yeah or the level
(15:12):
discussion we need to. Do that is not even something
yeah yeah and basically they admit they both will take a teen
huff day or something you know they she stayed there for like
20 days or what no. That line line, but even the
marriage timeline, right we go from at one point they say that
she only has one month visa, right, which means she arrived
like just and then escaped like 2 days later.
(15:36):
Yeah, I that's what I felt. I thought 333 days we escaped.
Two days later, why are there somany like abuses on her body?
Women who are still there, right?
Because. How many there?
Yeah. Because it feels like there's a
long time she spends as a house and then gets married and gets
abused. And then at one point when the
female officer examines her, she's like, there are old wounds
(15:56):
on her vagina. And I'm like, how are the old
wounds if she's been there for afew days?
What's? Something like the I don't
understand at what point she came to Pakistan and then at
what point she escaped to the embassy.
Like what is that time period? Is it like days, weeks, months?
Like how long is it? I think the entire ordeal is
maybe like a month long is the feeling that I got after
(16:19):
watching the movie. Now, if I if I'm totally off
track, then that's the movie's fault, because it doesn't.
Yeah, because like you are giving me conflicting like
timelines in different places. So I'm just like all out of the
way. I'm like, I don't know what's
going on, so I don't care at this point.
So I'll just let this go along with.
It this is one of those instances where I'm like, just
keep it simple. Don't do anything.
(16:40):
Volta, Volta, don't do nonlinearstuff.
Just tell. Yeah, straightforward.
It was so much like flashbacks, jumping point.
Don't give me I don't want to know about JB Singh family.
I wanted to be locked room thingjust like yeah, figure what to
do here. That cotton is thing, solve it,
finish it, go home. That's it.
This is a post Razi world we're living in, so I don't even know
(17:03):
if we could like make a generalized King Kuchatani and
is that whatever because it's clearly been proven and proven
like box office wise, you don't forget quality.
You can make it the greatest movie in the world, but if it
flops, nobody takes it seriouslyhere.
But that movie made money. Everybody was it made stars out
of you know, it's two stars and generally speaking, it was quite
(17:24):
toned down. It was character first, you
know, but. That's what tells you why the
director might always more important than the star.
Yeah. I but like who's gonna tell
Bollywood that whatever and wrapit up.
You OK? That's all for this episode of
The Long Take. You invite us on Facebook
threads, Instagram and YouTube at the Long Take Pod.
(17:44):
You can write to us at the Long Take pod@gmail.com.
Please leave us a rating and interview where there is the
episode and we will see you nextweek.
Thanks for listening.
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