Stars: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Director: Arun Gopalan
Cast: John Abraham, Neeru Bajwa, Manushi Chhillar, Hadi Khajanpour
Duration: 118 minutes
Tehran is a taut geopolitical thriller that dares to navigate the murky corridors of real-world politics, inspired by the 2012 attack on Israeli diplomats in India. It doesn’t deal in simplistic notions of heroes and villains — instead, it plunges headlong into the grey zones where diplomacy, espionage, and personal loss intertwine.
The film opens with a sobering narration tracing decades of hostility between Iran and Israel, where covert operations and retaliations have long shaped the unseen chessboard of global relations. A devastating bombing in Delhi sets the plot in motion, killing a young flower seller and injuring many. For DCP Rajeev Kumar (John Abraham) of Delhi Police’s Special Cell, the incident is far from routine — the victim was someone he knew. That personal connection turns the investigation into a mission of both justice and vengeance.
John Abraham delivers one of the most restrained yet powerful performances of his career. Gone is the swaggering, bulletproof hero of his earlier action films; here, Rajeev is a man burdened by duty and shadowed by grief. His silences speak volumes, and his eyes often carry more weight than his words. It’s a nuanced, layered act that proves Abraham is more than capable of balancing vulnerability with steel.
Manushi Chhillar, as SI Divya Rana, makes the most of her limited screen time. Her character’s arc plays a key role in a late narrative twist, and though she doesn’t dominate scenes, her presence is felt long after she’s gone. Neeru Bajwa impresses as Sheilaja, a diplomat walking the tightrope of international negotiations. With elegance and quiet authority, she embodies the tension of someone holding far more secrets than she can reveal.
Hadi Khajanpour as Asraf Khan, the suspected terrorist, is chillingly effective. His performance avoids melodrama, relying instead on calm menace — the sort of antagonist who makes your skin crawl precisely because he seems so real. The supporting cast is uniformly strong, each role — no matter how small — woven meaningfully into the larger tapestry.
What sets Tehran apart from standard action thrillers is its refusal to oversimplify the political complexities at hand. The screenplay by Ritesh Shah, Ashish P. Verma, and Bindni Karia walks a delicate line, delivering tense confrontations and moments of high-stakes action without ever losing sight of the moral ambiguities of espionage. The film subtly addresses India’s diplomatic balancing act, caught between powerful allies and the need for justice.
The action sequences are lean, impactful, and grounded in realism. There are no gravity-defying stunts or physics-defying chases — just tightly choreographed, believable combat and explosions that hit harder because they feel plausible.
Cinematographers Ievgen Gubrebko and Andre Menezes turn every location into a visual extension of the story. The dusty streets and cramped chawls of Delhi feel alive with chaos, while the cold, desolate landscapes of Abu Dhabi reflect the isolation of covert missions. Subtle shifts in colour grading mark changes in tone — warmer hues for Rajeev’s home life, starker contrasts for operations abroad.
Ketan Sodha’s background score builds tension without ever overwhelming the scenes, while Akshara Prabhakar’s crisp editing ensures the film never overstays its welcome. The pacing remains steady, allowing both the action and the emotional beats to land with equal force.
The second half raises the stakes when Rajeev, frustrated by political hesitation, goes rogue. The missions that follow are dangerous and unsanctioned, forcing him to confront the fine line between justice and obsession. The urgency is palpable, and the unpredictability keeps you hooked.
Importantly, Tehran refuses to wrap its story in a neat bow. It recognises that in real-world conflicts, there are no absolute victories — only compromises, losses, and small wins that carry heavy costs. This grounded approach gives the film its staying power.
Produced by Maddock Films and Bake My Cake Films, Tehran may not appeal to those seeking high-octane, escapist spectacle. Instead, it offers an intelligent, gripping, and emotionally charged thriller that respects its audience’s intelligence. For viewers drawn to realistic stakes, morally complex characters, and a John Abraham far removed from his usual action-hero mould, Tehran is a must-watch.
A bold, layered political thriller that fires on all cylinders — and leaves you thinking long after the credits roll.
Streaming now on ZEE5.
