Tehran Review: John Abraham's Film Is Not Your Regular Independence Day Crowd-Pleaser, It's A Thriller That Demands Attention

Title: Tehran

Director: Arun Gopalan

Cast: John Abraham, Neeru Bajwa, Manushi Chillar

Where: ZEE5

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Arun Gopalan’s Tehran begins urgently and ends with a polite nod. Loosely inspired by the 2012 bombing of an Israeli diplomat’s car in Delhi, it puts ACP Rajeev Kumar (John Abraham) amid tangled international hostilities, diplomatic caution, and personal vendetta. The death of a young flower-seller drives him from Delhi’s streets to Tehran’s alleys. The brisk pacing, topical premise, and tense atmosphere may prompt you to Google “Iran–Israel relations” before Act Two.

The stakes are high and the two-hour runtime admirably disciplined. Yet for a film about espionage, assassinations, and international intrigue, Tehran rarely quickens the pulse. The first half, in particular, is so tangled in geopolitics that it occasionally forgets the audience might want more clarity than a Ministry of External Affairs memo. By the time the plot streamlines into a revenge thriller, the intrigue has already thinned. It’s intelligent, yes, but intelligence without a consistent emotional anchor can feel oddly distant.

Tehran: Actors’ Performance

John Abraham delivers one of his more restrained performances, relying less on bulging biceps and more on wearied eyes and clenched silences. His Rajeev Kumar is not the swaggering cop from a masala actioner, but a man caught between his duty and the limitations of diplomacy. It’s a mature turn, even if the script occasionally leaves him stranded in exposition-heavy territory.

Neeru Bajwa makes the most of her limited but impactful screen time, exuding quiet authority as diplomat Shilaja. Manushi Chhillar, hampered by an oddly underwritten role (and a distracting hairdo), proves surprisingly adept in her action moments. Much of the supporting cast, despite flashes of promise, are handed roles so underwritten they feel like afterthoughts. The villains snarl on cue, but never quite escape the shadow of John’s brooding intensity. Among them, Hadi Khanjanpour lends the antagonist a welcome authenticity, though some homegrown characters suffer from abrupt edits.

Tehran: Music and Aesthetics

Visually, Tehran is handsomely mounted. The shift from the chaos of Delhi to the subdued menace of Iran is deftly handled, with cinematography that keeps tension simmering in muted tones. The production design resists the temptation to glamourise the spy world, favouring realism over postcard shots.

Tanishk Bagchi’s background score is functional rather than memorable. It complements the film’s restrained tone, but rarely elevates it. The absence of jingoistic anthems is refreshing, though a stronger musical motif might have helped deepen the emotional connection. The editing is brisk, sometimes too brisk, trimming subplots before they find their footing.

Tehran: FPJ Verdict

Tehran is not your chest-thumping, flag-waving Independence Day crowd-pleaser. It’s a thriller that demands attention and some prior knowledge of India–Iran–Israel relations. When it works, it engages with sharp writing and an understated central performance. When it doesn’t, it risks feeling like a diplomatic briefing disguised as a feature film.

For audiences seeking spectacle, car chases, and gravity-defying heroics, this may feel underwhelming. For those willing to navigate its measured pace and muted thrills, it offers moments of quiet intrigue, albeit too few to make it essential viewing.