John Abraham rides a subdued, biting thriller

The man-on-duty, is a sub-genre in Hindi films. Over the years, it has come in varied forms, like the layered, nuanced army officer John Abraham plays in Shoojit Sircar's Madras Cafe (2013) or as the hyperbolic, masala action star in Satyamev Jayate (2018), delivering dialogues that elevate his sturdy machismo.

- SHREYAS PANDE

With Tehran, Abraham goes to completely unexplored geographies, playing neither a larger-than-life savior nor a traditional, chest-thumping patriot. He doesn't overpower the story but stays a worthy catalyst.

Abraham plays Rajeev Kumar, a dedicated, empathetic officer of the special cell, who is called in to investigate the bombing of Israeli diplomats in the capital. The year is 2012, when Iran and Israel were at loggerheads with each other, looking for ways to attack and counterattack, as we are swiftly told through a crisp voiceover. The film is based on real events but fictionalized many things. Like the mention of a homeless girl being killed due to the bombing, while in reality the attack resulted in no casualties.

It is what sprawls Kumar in action as he feels strongly for the innocent girl who paid the price in a spat between two countries.