movie review of khufiya

It takes a moment, or even a while, before the Bollywood spy drama “Khufiya” gets going. The first 70 minutes of this 157-minute Hindi-language thriller, about a conspiracy to both survey and protect suspected Indian or Pakistani spies, mostly introduces who everyone is and how they relate to each other. Once established, these characters settle into their prescribed roles. Still, you might be wondering how quickly 70 minutes or so can move and if what follows necessarily warrants such a long buildup. Yes, mostly.

“Khufiya” doesn’t stray far from the stock tropes of post- Graham Greene and post-John le Carré espionage fiction, and its characters don’t have so much depth that they transcend their genre. Rather, director Vishal Bhardwaj (“ Rangoon ,” “Omkara”), who adapted Amar Bhushan ’s novel with co-writer Rohan Narula , hints at interpersonal connections and inner lives that are either conveniently repressed or unexpectedly prioritized by various Indian spies and their expansive network of informants, allies, and fellow double agents.

A plot in two halves begins after a groan-worthy pun and then a violent death by cutlery. In 2004, the enigmatic Pakistani ambassador Saqlain Mirza ( Shataf Figar ) sticks a fork in the neck of Heena Rehman (Azmeri Haque), a volunteer spy for the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) of India’s foreign intelligence agency. Heena dies right after her features are rhapsodized by an unidentified voiceover narrator, who points out a birthmark on Heena’s throat, which leads to one of the creakiest dramatic transitions you’ll hear this year: “In fact, there was another mole in our lives.” The ensuing story also seems to have been made with easily distracted dads in mind.

In 2001, Heena offered to help the narrator, workaholic RAW agent Krishna Mehra (Tabu). In 2004, Mehra leads a mission to uncover the mole that warned Mirza about Heena. Indian bureaucrat Ravi Mohan ( Ali Fazal ) is suspected of selling classified documents, and his bubbly housewife, Charu ( Wamiqa Gabbi ), is presumed to be his courier. Mehra observes the Mohans, both inside and out of their apartment. She seemingly loses a lot of time watching Charu, who doesn’t do much outside of running errands and occasionally dancing as if nobody’s watching.

Mehra takes shifts watching the Mohans, working with fellow spies like Michael ( Shashi Bhushan ) and his wife Geeta ( Priyanka Setia ). Mehra still winds up staring at Charu and her husband so often and so intently that it winds up alienating both her teenage son Vikram ( Meet Vohra ), an aspiring stage actor, and her stolid but otherwise unremarkable husband Shashank ( Atul Kulkarni ).

Time passes, but not much happens for about 70 minutes. After that, Mehra’s assignment changes focus and inevitably becomes more personal. Without revealing too much, let’s just say that Mehra and Charu’s relationship takes on greater significance during the back half of “Khufiya,” which adds retrospective weight and successive importance to her and Charu’s actions. A new surveillance operation begins, emphasizing previously incidental side characters, like Ravi’s mom, Lalita ( Navnindra Behl ), and her spiritual adviser, Yaara ji ( Rahul Ram ).

Your reaction to “Khufiya” depends largely on how much significance you put on the developments and twists that build a transition from one half of the plot to the next. This brief but crucial middle section of the movie adds greater emphasis to the character-driven nature of this drama, a shift that Bhardwaj’s fans will probably already be anticipating. We only know so much about these characters and how they relate to each other because they could break out of their routines at any time. Violence and betrayals are jarring and sudsy here because everybody acts out supporting roles on the shadowy stage of statecraft. It’s the little people who can and eventually do surprise you anyway.

Bhardwaj hints at his movie’s lightly worn intelligence in an early scene, where Vikram performs a brief soliloquy as Brutus in “ Julius Caesar .” That ostentatious flirting with symbolic meaning doesn’t happen often in “Khufiya” since key relationships, like the bond between Mehra and Heena, are carefully and deliberately elided. There are more heavy personal implications to the various characters’ alliances and betrayals during the movie’s back half, but never so many that the movie stops being exactly the kind of movie it always presented itself as.

“Khufiya” isn’t a deconstruction of the spy thriller, but it does blatantly re-orient viewers to what’s often missing or downplayed in stories about spies, many of whom are presented as solitary little wheels who work for big organizations that could stop needing them at a moment’s notice. Not taking things personally comes with the territory. Bhardwaj and his collaborators show respect for that guiding spirit of professionalism by only suggesting what various characters either aren’t saying or aren’t ready to admit to themselves.

On Netflix now.  

Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in  The New York Times ,  Vanity Fair ,  The Village Voice,  and elsewhere.

• Ashish Vidhyarthi as
• Ali Fazal as
• Wamiqa Gabbi as
• Azmeri Haque Badhon as

Writer (based on the novel by)

• Amar Bhushan

Cinematographer

• Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi
• Rohan Narula
• Vishal Bhardwaj
• Sreekar Prasad

Leave a comment

Now playing.

Across the River and Into the Trees

You Gotta Believe

The Becomers

The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat

Between the Temples

Blink Twice

Strange Darling

Latest articles

Venice Film Festival 2024: Separated, Maria, Kill the Jockey, One to One: John & Yoko

Experience the Star Trek Movies in 70mm at Out of this World L.A. Event

Home Entertainment Guide: August 2024

Netflix’s “Terminator Zero” Takes Too Long to Develop Its Own Identity

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

'Outlander' Season 7, Part 2 premiere date announced; new characters revealed for season 8

Designer Rick Roy to do a guest appearance in the show Dil Dosti Dilemma

'Loki Season 2' Fan theory on EPIC finale will leave you mind-blown; Tom Hiddleston starrer may be most important event in MCU since 'Avengers: Infinity War'

Takeshi's Castle Indian Reboot Trailer: Bhuvan Bam aka Titu Mama unleashes hilarious punches

Actress Go Ah Sung wows with her idol talents in upcoming Netflix series 'Doona!'

Neeraj Ghaywan's work is important, but this is my life: Dalit author Yashica Dutt on the OTT show that depicts her, without acknowledging it

IC 814: The Kandahar Hi...

K-Pop Idols

Follow Kar Lo Yaar

'Kalki 2898 AD' releases on OTT: Here's how and where you can watch the Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Prabhas starrer in different languages

Angry Young Men

My Perfectt Husband

Kaantaye Kaantaye

Naam Namak Nishan

Emily In Paris

Matsya Kaand - An MX Original Series

Sabka Sai - An MX Original Series

Samantar 2 - An MX Original Series

Indori Ishq - An MX Original Series

Runaway Lugaai - An MX Original Series

Ramyug - An MX Original Series

Hello Mini 3 - An MX Original Series

Bisaat - An MX Original Series

Hey Prabhu 2 - An MX Original Series

Chakravyuh - An Inspector Virkar Crime Thriller - An MX Original Series

Filmfare OTT Awards

Drive-Away Dolls

Blink Twice

In The Land Of Saints A...

Harold And The Purple C...

Alien: Romulus

Borderlands

Adharma Kadhaigal

Pogumidam Vegu Thoorami...

Kottukkaali

Demonte Colony 2

Raghu Thatha

Mr.Bachchan

Purushothamudu

Sarangadhariya

Prabuthwa Junior Kalash...

Music Shop Murthy

Bhaje Vaayu Vegam

Palum Pazhavum

Adios Amigo

Level Cross

Agathokakological

Nadanna Sambavam

Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi

Roopanthara

Family Drama

Back Bencherz

Manikbabur Megh: The Cl...

Rajnandini Paul and Ama...

Chaalchitra Ekhon

Nayan Rahasya

Teriya Meriya Hera Pher...

Kudi Haryane Val Di

Shinda Shinda No Papa

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gharat Ganpati

Ek Don Teen Chaar

Danka Hari Namacha

Aamhi Jarange

Vishay Hard

Swargandharva Sudhir Ph...

Naach Ga Ghuma

Juna Furniture

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Web Series /

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Khufiya Review : This espionage thriller is as heart-rending as intriguing

In-depth analysis.

Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.

Videos left arrow right arrow

Khufiya Trailer: Tabu, Ali Fazal And Wamiqa G...

'Khufiya' Teaser: Tabu, Ali Fazal And Wamiqa ...

'Khufiya' Teaser : Ali Fazal And Tabu starrer...

Photos left arrow right arrow

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

thakurjaya 285 days ago

Amazing way of solving the case

the way of solving the case is excellent ��

Ani will 304 days ago

Awesome music and cinematography

Ajeet Singh 323 days ago

Khufiya is much better than majority of the movies that are being made today in the Hindi Film Industry. Director Vishal Bhardwaj has presented a spy thriller that does not give a deja vu feel, which is a big plus for the movie. This is what makes this movie different. Had a little more effort given to the screenplay, thus would have been a much better movie but having said that we have to agree that the movie doesn't disappoints. It has its pluses in the right place. Ali Faizal is good. Wamiqa Gabbi delivers a fine performance while Tabu is outstanding a expected. The movie is recommended to those who like to watch a good movie.

User Ojha 325 days ago

����������������

Visual Stories

Entertainment

Nayanthara to Mrunal Thakur, best photos of the week

​Most stunning insects in the world revealed ​

8 essential lessons parents should teach their kids

​Pooja Hegde's graceful charm captivates all​

Malaika Arora radiates a desi princess vibe in a yellow blouse and full-length skirt

Isha Talwar embraces elegance in ethnic ensembles

​Exploring the timeless elegance of actress Abarnathi​

​Attractive looks of Juliana​

Kajal Aggarwal Teases Fans with Her Steal-Worthy Casual Outfits

10 Indian designer lehengas that will appeal to Pakistani brides

Latest Reviews

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

'Kalki 2898 AD' releases on OT...

'Berlin' trailer: Aparshakti Khurana takes centre stage in this espionage thriller

'Mirzapur Season 3': Divyenndu Sharma to return as Munna Bhaiya with an exciting bonus episode?

Kim Woo Bin discreetly sends condolence wreath to tragic accident victim he never met

Varun Sood sheds light on his 'Naam Namak Nishan' character

Ji Chang Wook unleashes his fierce avatar as king from ‘Queen Woo’ episode 1

Ramsay Brothers are back with a new horror series 'Bandh Darwaze Ke Peeche'

Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman return to action in first look at 'Lioness' Season 2

‘Maria’ starring Angelina Jolie as opera legend to stream on OTT soon

Park Bo Gum injures leg during ‘Good Boy’ action scene; Filming temporarily halted

Nana, Perfect Blue, Monster: FIVE anime to watch if you liked Oshi No Ko

Promoted Stories

Home » Movies

Khufiya Review – A successful, suspenseful spy drama

The dynamic duo of Tabu and Bhardwaj strike again with this suspenseful spy drama — it is a slow burner but worth investing your time in.

Khufiya is a mystery thriller film that is based on Amar Bhushan’s espionage novel Escape to Nowhere . This film is the Netflix debut of director Vishal Bhardwaj and stars Tabu , Ali Fazal , and Wamiqa Gabbi . This article gives our spoiler-free, official review.

The story follows an operative of the Indian spy agency known as R&AW, who is assigned to track down a mole who is selling defense secrets while grappling with her dual identity as a spy and a recent sexual awakening.

Khufiya Review and Plot Summary

This is Bhardwaj’s first spy-thriller film, and I would describe it as more of a drama than a thriller as it had a strong focus on the character’s emotional conflicts and development. The film steers to focusing on the main character’s emotions rather than action.

This makes sense, as Bhardwaj is known for his Shakespeare adaptations as well as films like Kaminey and Seven Sins Forgiven ( 7 Khoon Maaf ). However, it makes a change from his intense narratives set in rural landscapes as we’re thrown into a multitude of locations.

The characters are what make this film stand out. They’re well-written and well-executed; the actors give compelling performances and have excellent chemistry on screen. 

The character of Krishna Mehra is in constant conflict with herself — including a sexual awakening and a strained relationship with her son. Her character is messy, flawed, and yet compassionate and caring.

Her inner, underlying conflict drives the narrative and is strong enough for audiences to believe in, and it does not become cheesy or over-the-top. Tabu’s ability to portray so much emotion is truly awe-inspiring and her work should be seen and studied by any aspiring actors and acting enthusiasts. 

There are some fun scenes, such as a dancing striptease whilst under surveillance (effective use of the male gaze), and calling her friend a bad singer whilst they’re on location spying. These fun moments allow our protagonist to let down her guard, and show her light-hearted and vulnerable side. 

The film does not spoon-feed you as an audience; you need to concentrate as there are no lingering close-ups or overly expressive music to let you know what to think and feel as an audience (except for the brass band chase scenes.) There are a few plot twists and developments that are confusing — sometimes I couldn’t tell if the flashback had started or ended. 

Is Khufiya Worth Watching?

My only real issue with the film is that it has a very long runtime of over two and a half hours. Espionage drama is one of the easiest genres to lure and captivate an audience, but it can be one of the hardest to execute especially with our shrinking attention spans. The film does start out strong, but it drags a lot in the middle, with the surveillance scenes becoming repetitive and not all holding the same suspense. It then builds and builds to what feels like a rushed ending — but it’s a good ending nonetheless. Krishna gets the ending she wanted, and it’s satisfying to watch. 

The film is by no means perfect, but for Tabu’s acting alone, it’s worth watching.

It’s a story of love, betrayal, loyalty, and revenge and pushes the boundaries of Indian cinema. It’s not glamorous and has little singing and dancing, but it’s captivating in its suspenseful story-telling and character conflicts.

What did you think of Khufiya ? Comment below.

Additional reading:

• Khufiya Ending Explained
• Is Khufiya based on a true story?
• Where was Khufiya filmed?

Article by Romey Norton

Romey Norton joined Ready Steady Cut in June 2021 as a Film and TV writer, and since then, she has published over 400 articles for the website. With a Master of Arts Degree from the University of Leeds in 2017 and acting experience on screen, Romey uses her Film and TV knowledge to bring informative and detailed content for online publications and podcasting.

Bill Burr: Paper Tiger Review: Sex Robots Will Rule Us All

Review - Snatched

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

• FBI Offers 25,000$ Reward On Woman Wanted For Son's Murder
• What Kamala Harris Was Doing When Joe Biden Quit US Presidential Race
• "Down To Last Few Thousands": Ankur Warikoo Shares Poignant Story Of Father's Job Loss And Stolen Savings
• Americans "Ready To Turn The Page" On Donald Trump, Says Kamala Harris
• OpenAI Says ChatGPT's Weekly Users Have Grown To 200 Million
• Change Font Size A A
• Change Language हिंदी | Hindi বাঙালি | Bengali தமிழ் | Tamil
• Focus on Story
• Dark Theme Light Theme

Khufiya Review: Vishal Bhardwaj Keeps Gripping Spy Thriller Simple And Direct

Khufiya review: with the ever-reliable tabu leading the way, the performances are right out of the top drawer..

There isn't much that is particularly and consciously abstruse in Khufiya , but the gripping Netflix spy thriller written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj hinges on secret, intimate facets of the lives of three beguiling women and a wily man in the vortex of post-Kargil War geopolitics.

Loosely based on retired R&AW man Amar Bhushan's novel, Escape to Nowhere, Bhardwaj and Rohan Narula's screenplay turns the material into an intriguing, riveting drama that abides by the rules of the genre without letting itself be totally hamstrung by the limitations that trid-and tested devices often impose.

Khufiya  (which comes in the wake of Bhardwaj's Agatha Christie murder mystery series, Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley) is probably, at least on the face of it, one of the very few straightforward genre films that he has made. Even his misfires - in fact, especially his misfires - have been marked by the sort of fearlessness that Mumbai filmmakers working within mainstream parameters aren't usually known for.

Be it a Shakespearean adaptation ( Maqbool , Omkara, Haider ), a crime drama ( Kaminey ), a pitch-dark comedy (7 Khoon Maaf ), a politico-romantic period saga (Rangoon ), an acutely tangential allegory ( Matru ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, Pataakha ), or even a children's film ( Makdee , his directorial debut), Bhardwaj has never been a slave to narrative-form constrictions.

So, if  Khufiya employs established storytelling conventions to craft a film that is as interested in studying character traits as in juggling plot details to engender tension and suspense, it is only to be expected. Directed with a commendable lightness of touch and magnificently well-acted, the sure-handed film delivers on all fronts without calling attention to its exceptional technical attributes.

Do we know any Mumbai espionage thriller that starts with a reference to something as insignificant and yet as evocative as a mole on a woman's jugular notch, that delicate curve in middle of the collarbone, a conceit and an image that instantly evokes both mystery and sensuality?

The very next thing that  Khufiya does is go for the jugular and spring a 'mole' upon us - both of which are delivered matter-of-factly. An undercover agent is murdered - an act committed with absolute impunity and fuelled by a leak from within India's intelligence network - at a Bangladeshi brigadier's birthday bash.

The identity of the prime suspect is revealed early on and the rest of the film focuses on R&AW's mission to bring the absconding traitor to book. The operation - codenamed Brutus, a byword for betrayal in the universe of William Shakespeare's great tragedies - is led by Krishna Mehra (Tabu), KM to agency insiders and assets.

KM's life is shrouded in as much mystery as the motives of the treacherous Ravi Mohan (Ali Fazal), a modestly paid Indian secret service operative who has a lifestyle that does not match his known sources of income. Nothing about the steely lady charged with unmasking the puppeteer behind the puppet is spelled out in black and white.

Greys - not outlined in simplistic moral terms - dominate her existence. The seasoned spy is divorced from her husband Shashank (Atul Kulkarni in a cameo), has an uneasy relationship with her 19-year-old son Vikram (Meet Vohra), an actor and musician who feels that his mother hides too much from him and possesses the temerity to cross the line when a situation demands.

Around the turn of the millennium, a couple of years after the Kargil conflict, KM, during a stint in the Indian high commission in Dhaka, recruits a walk-in applicant, Heena Rehman (Azmeri Haque Badhon), and develops a special bond with her, a fact that drives her subsequent actions that see her travel from Delhi to wintry South Dakota (a Canadian location stands in for the American Midwest).

Ravi Mohan's life is apparently far less remarkable. He has a desk job in R&AW's headquarters in Delhi, lives with his mother Lalita (Navnindra Behl), wife Charu (Wamiqa Gabbi) and primary school student-son Kunal (Swastik Tiwari) and drives a nondescript hatchback. But it is revealed early in the film that there is more to the man than meets the eye.

Ravi and his mother are followers of Yaar Jogiya (Indian Ocean's Rahul Ram, who lends his voice and performative energy to the film), a new-age spiritualist who croons Kabir-inspired songs to communicate with his flock.

Khufiya, however, is not so much about the men that we encounter on th screen - besides Ravi, Yaar Jogiya and Shashank, there is Jeev (Ashish Vidyarthi), KM's boss - as it is about the women. And that includes Ravi's ageing and assertive mother, a matron capable of shocking acts.

Ravi's wife, dutiful and aware of her multiple roles as mother, wife and daughter-in-law, has a side to her that makes it possible for the spies tailing her husband that she is not only in the know of the man's betrayal of his nation but also a willing accomplice.

The Bangladeshi agent working for India's spy agency, Heena Rehman, is seemingly the least important of the three women at the heart of Khufiya but she is just as alluring and mystifying as the other two. Her presence - and absence - make this a love story and a tale of revenge.

The sprightly Charu has a fixation with songs from Jawani Diwani, a Hindi film from half a century ago, and lets her hair down in more ways than one when nobody is watching and sways with gay abandon to the numbers, one peppy, the other steamy.  

And, by a fair distance, the pivotal figure in Khufiya is KM, an enigmatic secret agent whose secrets transcend the professional sphere and embrace her personal life. She is both a sleuth - in one stray scene, we see her sitting on a park bench reading an Agatha Christie book - and a key player in the story that she is out to get to the bottom of.

With the ever-reliable Tabu leading the way, the performances are right out of the top drawer. Khufiya is another fluttering feather in Wamiqa Gabbi's cap. She is consistently on top of her character, which undergoes a dramatic tonal shift halfway through the film. She aces it.

Azmeri Haque Badhon (lead actress of the Cannes entry Rehana Maryam Noor), who fleshes out an intrepid, seductive undercover agent in a strikingly nuanced way and plays the character's indomitability off against her fragility to great effect, is a treat to watch.

Ali Fazal, essaying the role of a man who allows himself to be manipulated fully mindful of what he is letting himself into, delivers a measured performance.

Director Vishal Bhardwaj does not appear to be at full tilt in Khufiya . The way he treats the intricacies of espionage and its human dimensions - he keeps it simple and direct, eschewing the gratuitously flashy - lends the film sustained solidity. Not to be missed.   

• Cast Tabu, Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi, Azmeri Haque Badhon
• Director Vishal Bhardwaj

Entertainment I Read Latest News on NDTV Entertainment. Click NDTV Entertainment For The Latest In, bollywood , regional , hollywood , tv , web series , photos , videos and More.

• Notifications
• Web Stories
• TV Schedule
• मध्य प्रदेश

• Entertainment
• Life & Style

To enjoy additional benefits

CONNECT WITH US

‘Khufiya’ movie review: Vishal Bhardwaj conjures up a soulful human drama in the guise of a spy thriller

Powered by the poetic charm of his female leads, the writer-composer-director paints a haunting character study of three emotionally conflicted women caught in the crosshairs of espionage.

October 05, 2023 04:49 pm | Updated 05:09 pm IST

Tabu in ‘Khufiya’

One of the few Indian filmmakers who are not letting art be reduced to content, Vishal Bhardwaj once again employs his command over multiple art forms to generate an immersive experience that turns out to be less than the sum of its parts. In his bid to capture the soul of spooks, Vishal loses grip on the body of the film. He beguiles with the mood and melody but fails to sustain the spell till the end.

Spy novels usually read well on page but on screen, they always run the risk of the audience complaining that nothing is happening. Those who have read Amar Bhushan’s Escape To Nowhere , the literary source of Khufiya , would agree that the fictional account of the real story of an Indian intelligence agent who, despite being under surveillance, disappeared into thin air possibly with the help of American support, is hard to cinematise. The novel has no third act that would trace the Indian response to the embarrassment. Vishal and co-writer Rohan Narula have flipped the gender of characters, invented new players, and spiced up dry portions to suit the Indian palate that seeks to romanticise its spooks and bring the offenders home, at least in films.

Set at a time when some extremist forces in Bangladesh were allegedly falling to the designs of Pakistan’s ISI to create a terror network on India’s eastern border — it is dealt with in detail in Bhushan’s other racy read The Zero Cost Mission — the film follows how a team of Indian intelligence agents led by Krishna Mehra (Tabu) seeks to work with democratic forces in Dhaka to destabilise the then-hardline Bangladeshi government with the help of a local agent (Bangladeshi actor Azmeri Haque Badhon).

The operation is allegedly compromised by an Indian intelligence officer Ravi (Ali Fazal), ostensibly working for the Americans who need to mollycoddle Pakistan to win the great game in Afghanistan. Ravi is already under the scanner but Krishna’s boss Jeevnathan (Ashish Vidyarthi) is not interested in just the puppet. He wants to catch the puppeteer as well. Will the political leadership take on a superpower that seems eager to forge a strategic partnership with India?

Coming at a time when India is locked into a diplomatic row in Canada with the role of American intelligence agencies once again under the scanner, there are passages in Khufiya that will give those interested in geopolitics goosebumps.

But Khufiya is not just a game of cat and mouse played out in South Block and the lanes of Delhi and Dhaka as Vishal loves to transcend from external to internal probe. The title that means secret in Urdu doesn’t stand only for the labour intelligence agencies put in keeping a watch on their targets. It is about the secrets we carry in the crevices of our hearts and the lids we put on our true identity.

Khufiya (Hindi)

Known for writing strong female characters in a man’s world, after Omkara , Vishal ensures that the three female characters take our breath away and the fourth one leaves us choked. By now we know how Tabu can tease our senses under Vishal’s direction but now he has a new muse in Wamiqa Gabbi. A perceptive actor who marries ethereal grace with steely resolve, it is hard to take our eyes off Wamiqa’s Charulata even when Tabu is around. As the conscientious wife of Ravi, she is the moral centre of the film who questions the cold-blooded work ethic of the intelligence apparatus and takes a stand. Equally enchanting is the performance and character arc of Badhon, the enterprising agent torn between the personal and the professional.

Once again, Vishal collaborates with Gulzar to create melancholy in what seems like a harsh, pragmatic space. Only Gulzar could express deep thoughts through a whimsical line like ‘Kachchi neend jagana ho to mat aana’ . Only Vishal could describe a woman as shrouded like a sin, conspicuous like a requital, and unreasonable like fate. Like many things in the film, the word ‘mole’ also has a double meaning.

Also Read | ‘Kuttey’ movie review: Aasmaan Bhardwaj’s crime caper is electric in parts, but lacks bite

A master of the slow burn even before the phrase became routine, Vishal uses the painstaking work of surveillance to reveal the complex identity of his characters. Sometimes, it is as boring as watching paint dry, and at others, it threatens to turn the agents into a voyeur as Krishna discovers when she watches Charu’s striptease to Nahin Nahin Abhi Nahi, the classic teasing-to-please song from Jawani Deewani (1972). The song is not just an interesting device to capture the transformation of Charu but it also projects the upheaval inside Krishna who seems to have struggled to come to terms with her sexuality and when she does, she is not in a position to tell the truth to her teenaged son who asks his father (Atul Kulkarni) what made him let go of such a ‘beauty’.

Similarly, on the surface, Ravi appears to be a shrewd double agent but deep inside he is grappling with the curse of being a mama’s boy. The mother essayed by seasoned theatre actor Navnindra Behl is the surprise package in the spy universe of Khufiya . Perhaps the only fully realised character in the film, she makes you chuckle and fill with dread as well as most of us have lived with old women who are products of centuries of patriarchy and skewed spirituality.

With code names like Brutus and Ghalib, Vishal’s literary influences are sprinkled all over the spy tale. The use of the whistling effect, sarangi, and the everyday sounds in the background score adds a lyrical heft to the thriller. At the same time, he uses the verses of Kabir and Rahim to make a sharp comment on the state of affairs.

On the flip side, there are passages where the plot feels disjointed which gives the feeling of watching a match on a two-paced pitch. In his effort to showcase women with self-belief, the film reduces Ravi to a cliché. And as always Vishal struggles to close out the match. The narrative meanders in its final leg and the final outcome is underwhelming but for a change here is a film that doesn’t feel like running on an algorithm.

Khufiya is currently streaming on Netflix

Related Topics

Indian cinema / Hindi cinema

Top News Today

• Access 10 free stories every month
• Save stories to read later
• Access to comment on every story
• Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
• Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products

Terms & conditions   |   Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Krishna Mehra is an operative at Indian spy agency known as R&AW. She is assigned to track down the mole selling India's defense secrets, while all along grappling with her dual identity as ... Read all Krishna Mehra is an operative at Indian spy agency known as R&AW. She is assigned to track down the mole selling India's defense secrets, while all along grappling with her dual identity as a spy and a lover. Krishna Mehra is an operative at Indian spy agency known as R&AW. She is assigned to track down the mole selling India's defense secrets, while all along grappling with her dual identity as a spy and a lover.

• Vishal Bhardwaj
• Amar Bhushan
• Rohan Narula
• Wamiqa Gabbi
• 92 User reviews
• 27 Critic reviews
• 3 wins & 14 nominations

Top cast 49

• Krishna Mehra

• Charu Mohan

• Heena Rehman
• (as Azmeri Haque)
• Lalita Mohan

• Shashank Mehra

• Dr. David White

• Brig. Saqlain Mirza

• Home Secretary

• Paa'ji
• Yaara Jogiya

• Rachel McClane
• Kunal Mohan

• Vikram Mehra
• (as Meet Vohra)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia There was a shelved movie,Triguna Pictures shelved film "Khufiya"(1975). Starring Jeetendra,Vidya Sinha,Alka,Ajit,Bindu,Music by Kalyanji Anandji,Produced by R.K. Fims sound recordist Allaudddin.Directed by Jyoti Swaroop.

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 37 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 74% Blink Twice Link to Blink Twice
• 96% Strange Darling Link to Strange Darling
• 85% Between the Temples Link to Between the Temples

New TV Tonight

• 96% Only Murders in the Building: Season 4
• 100% Terminator Zero: Season 1
• 92% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 83% City of God: The Fight Rages On: Season 1
• 78% Kaos: Season 1
• -- Here Come the Irish: Season 1
• -- K-Pop Idols: Season 1
• -- Horror's Greatest: Season 1
• -- After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 92% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 78% Star Wars: The Acolyte: Season 1
• 100% Pachinko: Season 2
• 33% The Accident: Season 1
• 96% Industry: Season 3
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 92% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2 Link to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

The Best Shows on Amazon Prime Video to Watch Right Now (August 2024)

100 Best Netflix Series To Watch Right Now (August 2024)

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

TV Premiere Dates 2024

Your Full List of All Upcoming Marvel Movies — With Key Details!

• Trending on RT
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Rings of Power S2 First Reviews
• Venice Film Festival
• Fall Horror Movie Preview

Khufiya Reviews

A commendable attempt in the genre of espionage with a gripping hook and fierce female leads that carry the entire film on their shoulders. But Khufiya struggles to maintain interest due to its lengthy runtime and overall waywardness.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 3, 2024

“Khufiya” isn’t a deconstruction of the spy thriller, but it does blatantly re-orient viewers to what’s often missing or downplayed in stories about spies.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 10, 2023

On paper, Khufiya has nearly everything going for it but onscreen, the clunky screenplay leaves the lacking on several fronts. Over its bloated 158 runtime, the film never manages to match the promise.

Full Review | Oct 6, 2023

The show stopper of the film is Azmeri Haque Badhon. Her performance is brilliant and with her effortless charm, she lights up the film to such an extent that she overshadows the performance of Tabu, when both the actors are on the same screen.

Even in the silliest of scenes, Tabu is always poised for something better.

That’s the Bhardwaj paradox. Khufiya doesn’t need to be even. But it stops short of embracing its oddity.

Powered by the poetic charm of his female leads, the writer-composer-director paints a haunting character study of three emotionally conflicted women caught in the crosshairs of espionage.

In Khufiya, a mother's journey, a lover's vendetta and a country's mission, skewed patriotism and moral disengagement coalesce and highlight the nature of the spying busines.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 6, 2023

Despite an ever-watchable Tabu, Vishal Bhardwaj's latest espionage thriller fails to keep you invested.

With the ever-reliable Tabu leading the way, the performances are right out of the top drawer.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 6, 2023

The fictional take on a novel said to be inspired by true events tells an engaging spy story. But it’s also the heartbreaking portrayal of personal loss that will strike a chord with the viewer.

We needed more Tabu in this film. We needed more of the older Vishal Bhardwaj who used to make things sing.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 6, 2023

The film is by no means perfect, but for Tabu’s acting alone, it’s worth watching.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 5, 2023

Khufiya is that rare Bharadwaj film where the personal and social collapse into one another, leaving behind a limp political crisis.

Full Review | Oct 5, 2023

Vishal Bhardwaj maintains control on a complex, sprawling story of men, women and nations pitted against each other and themselves.

Khufiya is a good-looking film where gorgeous people go in circles about spywork, international diplomatic relations, and the ethics of murdering someone for personal or nationalistic reasons.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 5, 2023

Khufiya’s bigger, unforgivable crime is that it’s a slog to sit through. The chief component of a thriller movie is that it needs to be engaging […] [Vishal] Bhardwaj seems to have no idea how to sustain that—and he repeatedly undercuts himself.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 0 Reviews
• Kids Say 0 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Violent spy thriller has drinking, smoking, sex, language.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Khufiya is an Indian espionage thriller that follows the spy Krishna Mehra (Tabu) as she sets out to investigate the mole, Ravi (Ali Fazal), who caused her partner's death. Expect elaborate chase sequences, guns, significant violence, and gore. A character is ruthlessly stabbed in…

Why Age 16+?

Someone is stabbed in the neck with a fork; blood and gore. People are ruthlessl

A character dances sensually while dressed in lingerie. In one scene, sex is imp

"Hell," "liar," "bulls--t," "shut up," "bloody," "scoundrel," "hag," "idiot," "s

Throughout the film, characters drink and smoke. In one scene, an individual is

A screening of the film Main Hoon Na takes place.

Any Positive Content?

Central characters are Indian; the film pans across India, Bangladesh, and the U

Krishna goes to great lengths to avenge the murder of her lover. Charu is determ

Trust and loyalty are important in personal relationships and patriotic service.

Violence & Scariness

Someone is stabbed in the neck with a fork; blood and gore. People are ruthlessly beaten in aggressive brawls, their heads are smashed, and throats are slit. News reports of blasts are shown on a TV. Mentions of suicide. On multiple occasions, characters are seriously injured by vehicles that hit them. People are armed with rifles and guns; multiple characters are shot. A character slips on the stairs and is rushed to the hospital, covered in blood. Someone slaps themselves. A poisonous substance is added to food. There are mentions of cancer and diabetes. A corpse is shown submerged in a tub filled with bloody water.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A character dances sensually while dressed in lingerie. In one scene, sex is implied and in another one, characters are seen having sex.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"Hell," "liar," "bulls--t," "shut up," "bloody," "scoundrel," "hag," "idiot," "stupid," and "damn." Repeated use of "f--k" and "f---ing." "God" is used as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Throughout the film, characters drink and smoke. In one scene, an individual is seen rolling and smoking a cannabis joint.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Diverse representations.

Central characters are Indian; the film pans across India, Bangladesh, and the United States. The film is female-led with the main character, Krishna, proving to be a highly-skilled spy. Some characters are members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Positive Role Models

Krishna goes to great lengths to avenge the murder of her lover. Charu is determined to be a part of her son's life despite the dangers facing her husband, Ravi, who is a mole leaking the country's secrets.

Positive Messages

Trust and loyalty are important in personal relationships and patriotic service. But deception and betrayal are prominent, as is revenge.

Parents need to know that Khufiya is an Indian espionage thriller that follows the spy Krishna Mehra ( Tabu ) as she sets out to investigate the mole, Ravi ( Ali Fazal ), who caused her partner's death. Expect elaborate chase sequences, guns, significant violence, and gore. A character is ruthlessly stabbed in the neck with a fork. People are kicked, smacked, and beaten on multiple occasions. Characters are brutally murdered by throat slitting, gun shot wounds, and being run over by cars. There are news reports of blasts that play on a TV. There are mentions of diabetes, lung cancer, and suicide. A character falls while walking down steps and is severely injured. Someone's food is spiked with poison. A character slaps themselves. In one scene, a dead body is shown drowned in a tub that is filled with water and blood. On multiple occasions, a character is shown dancing while wearing lingerie. There is one elaborate sequence where people are seen having sex and another where sex is implied. Characters drink a lot of alcohol throughout and are continually seen smoking cigarettes. In one scene, someone rolls and then smokes a cannabis joint. Language includes "bulls--t" and repeated use of "f--k" and "f---ing." The film is in Hindi and Bengali with English subtitles. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

KHUFIYA follows Krishna Mehra ( Tabu ), an Indian spy working for R&AW, who leads a mission to find a mole, Ravi ( Ali Fazal ), in the organization that was responsible for her partner's violent death.

Is It Any Good?

This intense spy thriller is a commendable attempt in the genre of espionage with a gripping hook and fierce female leads that carry the entire film on their shoulders. However, Khufiya struggles to maintain interest due to its lengthy runtime and overall waywardness. Director Vishal Bhardwaj has layered the film with a rich blend of Shakespeare references that works stylistically but falters in the pace and consistency of the storytelling. Slow and awkward at intervals, Khufiya fails to live up to the potential it initially promises. Nevertheless, Tabu and Gabbi shine throughout with their performances exposing an interplay of surveillance and voyeurism in between their gazes.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Khufiya . Did you find it over the top? Do some types of media violence have different impact than others ?

How was drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted in the film? Were they glamorized? Why does that matter?

Discuss the film's portrayal of sex . Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

Discuss the language used in the movie. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?

Movie Details

• On DVD or streaming : October 5, 2023
• Cast : Tabu , Ali Fazal , Wamiqa Gabbi
• Director : Vishal Bhardwaj
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Indian/South Asian actors
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Thriller
• Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
• Run time : 157 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : October 9, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Spy Movies for Kids

Thriller movies, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• TN Navbharat
• Times Drive
• Health and Me
• ET Now Swadesh

Khufiya Movie Review: Tabu’s Kohled Eyes And Witty Smile Do Much More Than Spying

Updated Oct 5, 2023, 12:54 IST

Share this Article

Critic's Ratings

About Khufiya

Khufiya movie review : storyline, khufiya movie review: performances, khufiya movie review: critique.

entertainment

Latest Movie Reviews

TMKOC's Shailesh Lodha Mourns The Loss Of His Father

Laughing Buddha Movie Review: A Sensible Police Story Which Is Fit, Fat And Fun To Watch

Shabana Azmi Talks About Bond With Bun Tikki Co-Star Zeenat Aman: Not Been Very Close But...

Anupamaa Actor Madalsa Sharma DENIES Rumours Surrounding Her Exit: 'Maine Show Nahi Choda Hai...' - Exclusive

Shah Rukh Khan, Saif, Sonam Bajwa To Collaborate? Casting Rumours Fly As Trio Get Spotted Outside Siddharth Anand Office