If you have nothing else to watch, you can anytime watch Khufiya on Netflix but there are better shows and movies out there. This can be the last option on your list because honestly, there is nothing new in the show. I always say that shows like Special Ops and The Family Man have set high standards for shows based on intelligence and spies.
So, I won’t get into the detailed storyline because again, nothing new but here’s a glimpse of what to expect in Khufiya:
The movie begins with Heena’s murder who was Krishna Mehra’s (Tabu) colleague and love interest. The murder acts as a confirmation that an insider is betraying the team and the nation. Then the hunt for the betrayer begins. From the very beginning, the team is sure that this guy is none other than Ravi (Ali Fazal). Intelligence now needs proof against this family guy who lives with his mother, wife, and a son. The task is handed over to Krishna.
Her investigation begins with placing cameras in Ravi’s house to keep a close watch on all his movements. But what they see instead is the sexy and most of the time, seducing dance moves of his wife, Charu – performed exclusively for the cameras set up in the house. This track was truly annoying. At first, I was sure that the entire family was involved in terrorist activities and hence, to distract the agency guys, this female was exposing herself on the camera. But no! She was exposed for no reason. The focus was on her for no reason. Maybe, the makers wanted to establish the character as someone who is lovable and innocent, someone who is enjoying her own life and then suddenly finds herself trapped.Â
Yes, trapped! Because she is the only person in the family who isn’t involved in the activities her husband and mother-in-law are carrying out. Honestly, this was the plot that could have taken Khufiya to another level. But Wamiqa Gabbi and her non-convincing and ice-cold portrayal of Charu made the makers lose the game.
Charu’s character gets a 360° make-over, physical and emotional after her husband’s true profession is revealed to her. That is when her mother-in-law shoots her and the mother-son duo (Ravi and her mother) flee away with Charu’s son to an unknown destination.
This was a golden opportunity for Wamiqa Gabbi – that transformation from a happy-go-lucky woman to a distressed mother who can go to any extent to find her son needed complete devotion to that character. Unfortunately, Wamiqa failed to bring that devotion here.
Gehriyaan was a meaningless movie but Deepika’s performance kept the audience hooked. Alisha’s depression starts growing on you. That is what Charu needed here – conviction!
Since everything has failed to impress, Khufiya isn’t an impressive movie, despite Tabu’s presence.
P.S: Since Khufiya is based on a book, ‘Escape to Nowhere’ and also inspired by real events, I wonder if the real writer, Amar Bhushan, has mentioned the suspect’s wife’s striptease in the book.