Director-composer Vishal Bharadwaj, who is awaiting the release of his spy film ‘Khufiyaa’, has worked with the renowned actress Tabu alongside actors Ali Fazal and Wamiqa Gabbi in the movie.
Detailing Tabu’s role in the film, the director said it is something very different from anything Tabu has done before.
As much a spy film centered around espionage as it is based on character study, Tabu plays Krishna Mehra, an operative of India’s external Intelligence agency Research & Analysis Wing (RA&W).
Grappling with her dual identity as both a spy and a lover, the actress plays the role of a conflicted woman as she is assigned to investigate a colleague who appears to have leaked information that led to the death of her girlfriend in Bangladesh.
As such, the mission is almost a personal objective for her. Speaking to 'Variety', Vishal Bharadwaj detailed Tabu’s role in the film and said: “Khufiya means secret in Urdu, so there’s this layer of meaning in that she accepts her identity, but she’s keeping it a secret from her son. It’s very different compared to the kind of roles that Tabu has played before.”
Regarding the film’s emphasis on woman power and character study he added, “I’d say it’s more of a character study of a woman than an action film, but if I had to make comparisons I’d say the closest reference is ‘The Lives Of Others’.”
Vishal also described the film as being more of a drama than a thriller, mainly due to its focus on the deep rooted emotions of its characters as well as their emotional conflicts.
Krishna Mehra does not have an issue with her sexuality. However, she’s not completely open about it either, which adds an extra layer regarding the themes of identity and the mindset that shapes the many complex decisions regarding what she likes to keep secret and what she discloses.
Set to stream worldwide from October 5, the film is based on the novel ‘Escape To Nowhere’, written by Amar Bhushan, the former Chief of Counter Espionage at RA&W.
