Director Arun Gopalan’s Tehran, streaming on Zee5, is not a bad film. It is certainly more sincere than some of the big-screen espionage spectacles that have hit us lately with all the momentum of ill-aimed missiles. But it misses making an impact, and not for the lack of imagination or authenticity
Tehran is strong, resolute, gritty and authentic. It recounts a Delhi cop Rajeev Kumar’s efforts to liquidate the activities of Iranian terrorists in India after the 2012 attack in Delhi on Israeli diplomats. Rajiv’s trauma after a young street girl loses her life in a bomb blast, his attempts to pacify the girl’s kid bother, leave an impact. Not much of the rest seems equal to the task.
The buildup to the cataclysmic moment when Rajeev vows to get even with the terrorist is pitch perfect. Sadly, this part of the plot is dealt with in less than twenty minutes of running time. What we are left with thereafter is John Abraham’s clenched unconstitutional quasi-diplomatic maneuvers.
He did that role in The Diplomat recently, and with far more impact.
Tehran loses it zest and appeal in trying to remain true to its theme. There are lengthy passages with characters speaking in Farsi which becomes tedious to follow, as what they are saying sounds way too sinister to make sense. Of course it all feels credible. But we never feel involved in the world that the protagonist Rajeev Kumar inhabits with such obstinate idealism.
In many ways the protagonist’s ambitions reify the film’s aspirations. Rajeev wants to protect his country from terror attacks. This is as difficult to do as what this ambitious film sets out to do.Considering its visibly limited budget and resources, Tehran relies more on instinct than an actual representation of events. It is a well-meaning venture obstructed from optimum impact by a surplus of authenticity.
While John Abraham is every inch the gritty nationalist , the impact of his performance is diluted by actors who look and behave like actors.
