Bollywood actor and producer John Abraham, who plays Indian diplomat JP Singh in the upcoming political drama The Diplomat, recently shared insights about the film’s making and its approach to storytelling. In one of his latest interviews, John addressed the culture of jingoism in cinema and opened up about the makers' conscious decision to avoid stereotypical portrayals of Pakistanis.
Praising the film’s writer Ritesh Shah and director Shivam Nair, John told India Today, "Full credit to the writer Ritesh Shah and to my director Shivam Nair, who have not painted Pakistanis as evil. They are just people, and people can be both good and bad."
The actor further elaborated on the film’s nuanced narrative, saying, "We have shown both the good and bad of that country. One doesn’t need to be jingoistic. We have shown everything the way it is meant to be shown."
The Diplomat is expected to be a gripping political drama, drawing from real-life events, and offering a balanced perspective rather than relying on exaggerated nationalism.
The Free Press Journal's review of The Diplomat mentioned, "The best part about this drama is the way in which things have been portrayed without going overboard. The political...err the diplomatic pressure mounted, how the judiciary comes into play, how the rogue elements still play havoc, every event is fast paced, crisp and nuanced. Watch the mix of the collective efforts shown here as indeed how one individual can walk the extra miles to save one innocent life -- the amalgamation keeps you invested till the very last minute."
"Deshbhakti portrayed here doesn't come with heavy duty dialogue baazi or bullets being sprayed brazenly. Every word is carefully measured and every step is calculated for impact of one wrong move can ruin the courage on display. All in all, The Diplomat is an engaging, interesting and intense watch. An additional half star for crafting a real, but an unusual story in a relatable way minus jingoism," it further read.
Directed by Shivam Nair, the film is all set to hit the big screens on March 14, on the occasion of Holi. It also stars Sadia Khateeb, Revathy, Kumud Mishra, Sharib Hashmi and others.
The film's gripping, action-packed trailer and soulful music have already struck a chord with audiences.
