MUMBAI: Who says political thrillers can’t pack a punch? Tehran throws you straight into the fire — a volatile blend of espionage, emotional fallout, and explosive stakes that never lets its foot off the pedal. Inspired by the 2012 attack on Israeli diplomats in India, director Arun Gopalan delivers a taut, grounded thriller where bullets fly, but it's the silences that hit hardest. And at the centre of it all is John Abraham, in a performance that might just redefine how we see him.
A major tonal shift lands in the film’s gripping second half, when John Abraham’s character, DCP Rajeev Kumar, goes off-book. With official channels stalled by international diplomacy and political red tape, Rajeev chooses to take justice into his own hands. What follows is a rogue mission layered with uncertainty and high tension — every move feels like it could be the wrong one, and every choice has consequences. It’s this unpredictability that fuels Tehran’s urgency.
Cinematographers Ievgen Gubrebko and Andre Menezes work magic behind the lens, capturing the mood of every setting — be it the cluttered chaos of Delhi or the chilling emptiness of Abu Dhabi. Their frames are sharp and intentional, never flashy for the sake of it. Colour tones shift with emotional beats: warm during intimate scenes, cold and clinical during covert ops. Ketan Sodha’s score complements the tension subtly, while Akshara Prabhakar’s editing ensures the pacing never flattens.
The story begins with a haunting prologue about the Iran-Israel proxy war, setting the stage for the murky moral landscape ahead. A bombing in Delhi kills a flower-selling girl known to Rajeev, triggering the investigation. What could’ve been a routine case quickly morphs into a personal reckoning. The writing team — Ritesh Shah, Ashish P. Verma, and Bindni Karia — smartly avoids black-and-white portrayals, focusing instead on grey zones where alliances shift and justice wears many faces.
John Abraham's performance is a revelation. As Rajeev, he dials down the macho swagger and replaces it with simmering restraint. There’s pain in his eyes, anger in his pauses, and a sense of helplessness that feels entirely human. It’s a role that demands emotional control rather than muscle-flexing, and Abraham rises to the occasion with a maturity we haven’t seen from him in a long time.
Neeru Bajwa brings steel and poise to her role as Sheilaja, a seasoned diplomat navigating volatile international currents. Her character holds her own in tense, dialogue-heavy sequences that add political heft to the film. Meanwhile, Manushi Chhillar, playing SI Divya Rana, makes her limited screen time count. She’s instrumental to a crucial plot twist, and her understated presence fits seamlessly into the film’s gritty realism.
Then there’s Hadi Khajanpour, who plays Asraf Khan — the suspected terrorist at the heart of the narrative. He’s terrifying not because he’s loud or unhinged, but because he’s cold, focused, and disturbingly believable. The casting is spot-on, and even side characters are given arcs and motivations that feel real and relevant.
What also elevates Tehran is its refusal to spoon-feed. The screenplay trusts its audience, layering complex diplomatic situations with emotional nuance. India’s position — delicately sandwiched between two powerful adversaries — is explored with subtlety, never leaning into overt nationalism or propaganda. This is a rare thriller that informs as it entertains.
But what really makes Tehran resonate is its ending — not explosive, but evocative. There are no grand speeches or picture-perfect resolutions. Instead, the film acknowledges the harsh truth of espionage: victories are incomplete, justice is subjective, and closure is a luxury. The final scenes leave you unsettled, which, for a story like this, feels just right.
Produced by Maddock Films and Bake My Cake Films, Tehran proves you don’t need to shout to be heard. It’s sharp, stylish, and politically charged without losing its emotional pulse. For those tired of one-note actioners and looking for a thriller that respects both your brain and your heart — this is your watch. Now streaming on ZEE5.
4/5 stars
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