Tehran Movie Review: This John Abraham starrer is a middle-of-the-road, well-executed, yet emotionally inadequate thriller

Tehran movie review

‘Tehran,’ directed by Arun Gopalan, was released on 14th August on Zee5 and John Abraham, Manushi Chhillar, Hadi Khanjanpour, Adam Karst, Neeru Bajwa, and Madhurima Tuli.

John Abraham’s steady foray into geopolitical thrillers

John Abraham has steadily worked towards building a repertoire of films that merge the format of thrillers with geopolitics.

In this standard style of storytelling, where a recent real incident is developed into a tale of spying and patriotism, ‘Tehran’ presents a middle-of-the-road yet well-executed chapter. It doesn’t aim for grand spectacle or emotional highs, instead choosing a grounded approach to espionage.

The result is a film that feels authentic in tone, even if its premise strains credibility.

A super cop caught in international conspiracy

John steps into the role of Rakesh Kumar, a hard-as-nails special branch police officer the Delhi Police relies on for his instinctive, emotionally charged responses. Known for cracking complex terrorist plots and solving crimes with a blend of patriotism and personal empathy toward victims of violence, Kumar is drawn into action when a low-impact bomb blast in Delhi is revealed as part of an Iranian attack on Israel.

His resolve deepens after discovering a personal connection to one of the victims. Partnering with RA&W operative Sheilaja (Neeru Bajwa), Kumar races to track the perpetrators of a coordinated triple bombing across three cities worldwide.

Their pursuit leads them to Afsar (Hadi Khanjanpour), a hired killer working for the Iranian military, but the mission soon turns perilous when Kumar becomes a pawn in a diplomatic game where his life is expendable. With teammates portrayed by Manushi Chhillar (in the role of Divya) and Dinker Sharma (Vijay), he must not only unmask those behind the attack in India but also navigate the dangers of hostile territory in Iran.

A flimsy premise that undercuts the drama

As geopolitical plots go, this one is on thin ground. It is not credible that a few civilian lives lost in India would force the hand of anyone in power to risk running roughshod over Iranian or Israeli sentiments.

Both countries, while sworn foes, are friendly and beneficial to India. Building an entire cat-and-mouse chase on foreign soil around this premise, even with the addition of an emotional, patriotic super cop from Delhi, is a stretch—and it shows onscreen. The writing, while efficient and rapid in providing twists and turns, lacks moments of empathy or patriotic highs or sustained emotion.

This is why, despite having a cast of good actors—Madhurima Tuli and Elnaz Nourozi—none have much to do or add here. Bajwa’s character is the one exception, along with Khanjanpour and Iranian actor Adam Kirst, who plays Amir.

Assured direction keeps the tension alive

The film, though, holds up on slick direction by Arun Gopalan, who makes his debut with taut storytelling and chase sequences that go beyond stylised booms and bangs. The element of grit and realistic spycraft is maintained throughout the plot, and it reflects well on the creators that the other side of the story—the Iranians or the Israelis—is given time to breathe and offer their reasoning.

If there had been room for a more nuanced expression of varying points of view among the Indian characters, ‘Tehran’ could have been a convincing tale of patriotism and the sacrifices that intelligence services demand. Amusingly, both RA&W and the Delhi Police come across as bureaucratic organisations where efficiency is compromised for the sake of political expediency.

Cinematic craft outshine the plot

The most endearing aspect about Tehran is its cinematography and attention to technical detail. Cinematographers Ievgen Gubrebko and Evgeniy Gubrenko turn the city’s narrow lanes, busy markets, and gritty corners into a vivid backdrop for the dusty, well-choreographed action.

The portrayal of spies, their sacrifices, and their motives is handled well. If this story had been given more depth, ‘Tehran’ could have been a definite watch on this August 15 holiday weekend.

The use of Farsi adds authenticity and highlights a little-explored side of India’s global ties. As it stands, it’s simply a good film.

Rating: 3/5