John Abraham returns with yet another political action drama, The Diplomat, which has opened in theaters today, coinciding with the festival of Holi. In spite of the festival boost, the film is likely to post a slow opening at the box office. Early predictions indicate the movie will gross in the range of Rs 1.27 and 2 crore on its first day, reflecting a subdued response from the public.
A Gripping Political Thriller with Real-Life Inspiration
Directed by Shivam Nair and written by Ritesh Shah, The Diplomat is a classic John Abraham action thriller, inspired by real-life events. The story revolves around J.P. Singh, played by John Abraham, an Indian diplomat based in Islamabad, Pakistan, who gets caught up in an international case of high stakes. The narrative revolves around Uzma Ahmed, played by Sadia Khateeb, an Indian woman who takes shelter at the Indian embassy after being reportedly abducted and coerced into marriage. While Singh overcomes the legal and diplomatic challenges, the narrative unfolds into a gripping political thriller.
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The supporting cast comprises Kumud Mishra as an older diplomat, Sharib Hashmi as a reporter who is investigating the case, and Revanthy as an older government advisor, a role reportedly based on the late Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj. The movie explores the intricate political tensions between India and Pakistan, presenting a story about human rights in the face of diplomatic challenges.
Slow Start Despite Strong Premise
Largely because of a captivating concept, the film is likely to take off slow, with an ostensibly low first-day box office prediction. Professionals believe that the slow start to the film might be because the film has a repetitive storyline, which may seem too somber for a festive holiday like Holi. Most people also believe that the film would have fared better if it had been released on a national holiday like Republic Day or Independence Day, or even on a day of remembering events in the past like Kargil Vijay Diwas.
But The Diplomat can still gather steam with good word of mouth, given John Abraham’s previous success with patriotic films such as Parmanu and Batla House. The fate of the film at the box office will mostly be determined by its performance over the weekend and the public’s acceptability over the next few days.
An interesting conversation with @TheJohnAbraham on his new movie The Diplomat. As also on football, the North East and our respective worlds. pic.twitter.com/BGQbzgcmb1
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 13, 2025
