Widely admired for his competence to adapt popular novels into well-acclaimed films, Vishal Bhardwaj reigns at the top of the OTT world with his impressive espionage thriller, Khufiya. Set in the aftermath of the Kargil war, the film covers the dual life led by a resolute spy in her quest to pick up every possible lead with the objective of apprehending a crafty mole at the earliest. Packed with geopolitical chills and bone-crunching action, it offers a delightful experience to the viewers, taking the brilliance of a thriller to a new pinnacle.

The storyline was compact and crisp, striking a perfect balance between love and commitment in the life of a secret agent bound to perform duties against all odds. Out of the many performances, Tabu embodies the essence of the film, delivering a knockout act. She was definitely the highlight of the film! In short, it is gripping and realistic, waiting to blow the minds of the viewers effortlessly. (I liked/didn’t like Khufiya because... October 6)

Aayman Anwar Ali

Khufiya is a crisp, smart and beautiful movie. The story juggles around the geo-political triumvirate of India, Bangladesh and US and the time frame (1999, after Kargil war) is used carefully as well. The movie revolves around some R&AW agents, their families and some strategic and secret missions. Director Vishal Bhardwaj understood the pulse of the story written by Amar Bhushan well and created a movie which provides a gripping, edge-of-the-seat experience.

Tabu’s (who plays KM) acting is natural, subtle and effortlesss. Her expressions are perfect, whether as a mother of a teenage boy or as an emotional, affectionate, but tough intelligence officer. Wamiqa Gabbi (Charu) creates interest and secures a place in the heart of her audience. There are very small loopholes in the relationship between KM and Heena, played by Azmeri Haque Badhon. Though in a small role, this Bangladeshi actress drew attention. This is a complete rock-solid espionage drama which is worth a watch.

Sarbani Banerjee

Vishal Bharadwaj effectively creates a brooding atmosphere of suspicion and espionage in his latest true-blue spy thriller, Khufiya. Krishna Mehra aka KM (Tabu) working as an operative for R&AW is recruited by her boss, Jeev (Ashish Vidyarthi) to keep tabs on Ravi Mohan (Ali Fazal), an Indian secret agent and his wife Charu (Wamiqa Gabbi), after the gruesome murder of Heena aka Octopus (Azmeri Haque Badhon) in Bangladesh.

Vishal Bhardwaj delves deep into the human psyche of his three lead female characters, KM, Charu and Heena. KM sacrifices marital bliss at the altar of her commitment to a gruelling profession. Tabu brilliantly brings out the dilemma and helplessness of a woman failing time and again to balance her social responsibilities and familial obligations, leading to her estrangement from her teenage son. Her son is unaware of her profession and its hazards. Azmeri Haque Badhon excels as a gung-ho undercover agent working for KM. KM cannot escape the charm exuded by Heena and is left totally shattered after the grisly assassination of Heena while executing a dangerous mission in Bangladesh. Azmeri’s brief presence is sure to linger in our minds for quite a while. It is Wamiqa Gabbi, the director’s muse of late, as the feisty, sensuous wife of the suspected mole, Ravi Mohan, who stuns with her eloquent eyes and display of a kaleidoscope of emotions. She’s a devoted homemaker and a doting mother who turns antagonistic once her son is separated from her and her patience is stretched to the limit.

The action in the film remains too slow-paced as compared to its content. The round-the-clock surveillance kept on Ravi and his family seems too easy a task without the suspects getting even an inkling. All is said and done, despite its apparent flaws, Khufiya remains an engrossing watch to satisfy our craving for an intriguing tale.

Suparna Ghosh