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Khufiya Web Review: Tabu, Wamiqa Gabbi Deliver Remarkable Performances In This Gripping Thriller

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Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Cast: Tabu, Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi, Atul Kulkarni, Ashish Vidyarthi, Azmeri Haque, Shataf Figar

Where: Streaming on Netflix

Rating: 3.5 stars 

Based on author Amar Bhushan’s Escape To Nowhere, Khufiya, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj is a tense, suspense-filled thriller that encapsulates a RAW agent’s strive to uncover the mole in her unit, when his dangerous intentions lead to a mysterious murder of another colleague.

Tabu plays Krishna Mehra, a clever move by director Vishal Bhardwaj to flip the gender of his principal protagonist. Mehra is torn between her duty towards her country and her inexplicable, unconditional feelings towards her colleague, whom she has lost to the hands of the enemy, because a fellow agent in her own unit has been leaking out key secrets that concern national security, at large.

Her suspicions lead her to track down the movements of fellow agent Ravi Mohan (Ali Fazal), who is otherwise your average Joe living the perfect family life with wife Charu (Wamiqa Gabbi), their little son and his aged mother.

Bhardwaj’s direction masterfully ensures that the audience is engaged in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase between Mehra and her suspects. Tabu easily delivers another knockout performance in the film, which is frankly, expected by her ardent fans. Using her expressive eyes to her advantage, she walks the tightrope act between playing a shrewd officer who is watchful while also dealing with her own demons, which include a failed marriage, shaky parenting and unfulfilled love. But it’s also Wamiqa’s moment to deliver another effective performance, exactly a week after she starred in Bhardwaj’s Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley. This is clearly the young actress’ year. Wamiqa’s act as Charu could easily be reduced to a fly-on-the-wall in the hands of a lesser director. But with able guidance by the Bhardwaj, Wamiqa does a fine act between playing a woman who loves her stolen moments of embracing her sensuality but also being uninhibited when it comes to displaying hurt and vulnerability. Ali is an effective casting choice to play Ravi because his effortless charm can trick you into disbelieving that he is capable of possible harm. Atul Kulkarni and Ashish Vidyarthi offer heft to their respective roles. A word of appreciation is also reserved for Azmeri Haque who plays Mehra’s fellow agent Heena Rehman. She holds an arresting presence in her brief scenes with Tabu. Shataf Figar as Brigadier Mirza proves that he is an apt casting choice when it comes to portraying a commanding man in uniform.

Written by Bhardwaj and Rohan Narula, Khufiya benefits from a reliable source material in Bhushan’s novel. With espionage and global terror as its backdrop, the film offers a complex take on the challenging lives that intelligence agents across the world face and how it affects their personal and mental well-being.

Yet another worthwhile offering by Bhardwaj, which makes for a perfect weekend binge. The film can be viewed on Netflix.

Bollywood

Suicide Attempt To Financial Struggles: Sapna Choudhary Shares Shocking Details Of Personal Life In Biopic Teaser

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Suicide Attempt To Financial Struggles: Sapna Choudhary Shares Shocking Details Of Personal Life In Biopic Teaser

Haranyavi singer Sapna Choudhary, who shot to popularity after she participated in the reality show Bigg Boss 11. She is now hitting the headlines after she announced her biopic titled ‘Madam Sapna,’ which will be directed by Mahesh Bhatt in collaboration with Vinay Bhardwaj.

The film will depict her journey from being an orchestra dancer who overcame the harsh and challenging conditions of Haryana to gracing the glamorous red carpet at Cannes. Sharing the teaser, Sapna wrote, “Who am I? Where did I start, and where am I headed? This biopic is more than just a film—it’s a piece of my heart , my struggles, dreams, and the path I’ve walked. Your support has been my strength through every challenge. As my story comes to life, I deeply appreciate your continued love and encouragement.”

“Thank you for being a part of this journey. Stay with me as we turn this chapter together,” she added.

Check out the teaser:

Talking about Madam Sapna, Mahesh Bhatt said, “Sapna’s story is not just a tale of personal triumph but also a reflection of the changing dynamics of our society. It’s a tribute to the strength and resilience of every woman who dares to dream.”

Vinay Bhardwaj added, “We are honored to bring Sapna’s story to the big screen. Her journey from being an orchestra dancer in Haryana to becoming a national icon is nothing short of extraordinary. This film will be a celebration of Haryanvi culture, music, and the incredible spirit of its people.”

Madam Sapna is set to be an ode to Haryana and its rich cultural heritage. The release date is yet to be announced.

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Nawazuddin Siddiqui On Sacred Games Season 2 Failure: ‘People Won’t Accept If…’

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Nawazuddin Siddiqui On Sacred Games Season 2 Failure: 'People Won't Accept If...'

Nawazuddin Siddiqui needs no introduction. The actor can transform himself into any character and has earned a special place in the audience’s hearts with his work. Nawazuddin’s character Ganesh Gaitonde from ‘Sacred Games’ became extremely popular, and who can forget his iconic dialogue in the series, ‘Kabhi Kabhi lagta hai ki apun hi Bhagwan hai’.

Nawazuddin was part of both seasons of Sacred Games, but for him, season 1 will always hold a special place.

In a conversation , he shared his preference for season 1 and why he thinks season 2 was not as successful as the previous one and didn’t connect with the audience.

He shared which season he preferred more and said, “Of course season 1”, adding what didn’t work in season 2, saying, “There were new characters, so it didn’t work. There were 3-4 new characters, so it didn’t work at all. Because what happens is that, the character that people loved at first, if you make them weak, people won’t accept it.”

‘Sacred Games’ is an Indian neo-noir crime drama based on Vikram Chandra’s 2006 novel of the same name. It revolves around Sartaj (Saif Ali Khan), a cop, and his run-in with Gaitonde (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), the most wanted criminal, and what transpires after they come in contact with each other.

Apart from Saif and Nawazuddin, the other cast includes Radhika Apte, Girish Kulkarni, Neeraj Kabi, Jeetendra Joshi, Rajshri Deshpande, Karan Wahi, Sukhmani Sadana, Aamir Bashir, Jatin Sarna, Elnaaz Norouzi, Pankaj Tripathi, Kubbra Sait, Surveen Chawla, Kalki Koechlin, Ranvir Shorey and Amruta Subhash.

The actor added that the audience is connected with certain characters and if they are missing or portrayed weakly, people often lose interest.

Giving an example of his favourite American crime drama series , ‘Narcos’, which was based on the story of a Colombian narcoterrorist Pablo Escobar, portrayed by Wagner Moura, he said, “When I saw the gangster series ‘Narcos’, and Pablo Escobar’s character, I just went crazy after watching the first season. However, in the second season, his character was made weak. Then, why should I watch it? I had a connection with him. I was emotionally connected to him. Same happened with ‘Sacred of Games 2’.”

Talking about his iconic character of Ganesh Gaitonde and the famous dialogue ‘Kabhi Kabhi lagta hai ki apun hi Bhagwan hai’, on which number of memes were made, he shared, “I used to wonder about this dialogue. I found it to be strange. Never knew at that time it would turned out to be like this (popular).”

He added that it is difficult to recreate the charm of the original. “There is a kind of energy of the director and actors and a magical atmosphere which cannot be recreated.” Nawazuddin is known for his roles in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘The Lunchbox’, ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’, and ‘Manto’, among others. He has won numerous awards, including a National Film Award and a Filmfare Award.

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MP High Court Asks Centre To Clarify If Kangana Ranaut’s Controversial Film ‘Emergency’ Has Received CBFC Certificate Amid Sikh Allegations

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MP High Court Asks Centre To Clarify If Kangana Ranaut's Controversial Film 'Emergency' Has Received CBFC Certificate Amid Sikh Allegations

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on Monday, asked the Central government to clarify whether Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut’s upcoming film “Emergency” has received a certification by the Central Board of Film Certification.

The release of the movie, set against the backdrop of a 1984 emergency during then PM Indira Gandhi’s tenure, has been postponed from earlier date, September 6, following controversies.

The High Court issued the notice following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Jabalpur Sikh Sangat, which alleges that the film portrays the Sikh community in a negative light.

The Sikh group’s plea, which was set to be heard on Monday, seeks to halt the film’s release, claiming that the movie is not in the public interest. According to senior advocate NS Ruprah, who represents the Sikh body, the film could harm societal sentiments.

Ranaut, an actor-politician and BJP MP from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, stars as former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the film, which is scheduled for release on September 6.

The court’s intervention highlights concerns raised by the Sikh community, and it has asked the Centre to respond promptly on the film’s certification status.

The release of Kangana Ranaut’s film “Emergency” was postponed amid a major controversy over its portrayal of the Sikh community. The film was initially scheduled to release on September 6, but the release date was pushed back.

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