Underplayed Gems

Khufiya (2023)

Khufiya poster
Original title
ख़ुफ़िया
Directed by
Vishal Bhardwaj
Genre
thriller film
Country
India
Runtime
2h 38m
Rated
R
Rating
6.3 of 10 from 50 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A spy for the Indian intelligence agency chases a traitor who is selling secrets. She also struggles with the conflicts between her career as a covert operative and her personal life.

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What happens

Khufiya (transl. Secret) is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language spy thriller film written, produced, scored and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, based on Amar Bhushan's espionage novel Escape to Nowhere. The film stars Tabu, Ali Fazal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Azmeri Haque Badhon (in her Hindi film debut). The film revolves around a Research and Analysis Wing operative who is assigned to track down a mole, who is selling defense secrets, while also grappling with her dual identity as a spy and lover. Bhardwaj bought the rights for the novel in 2016 and wrote the script with Irrfan Khan in mind. However, with Khan's death in 2020, and other male actors rejecting the script, he rewrote it with a female protagonist and narrated it to Tabu, who accepted the role. The film was announced in September 2021 and principal photography commenced the following month and continued till April 2022, where it was shot predominantly in Delhi and Canada. It was filmed by Farhad Ahmed Delhvi and edited by A. Sreekar Prasad. Khufiya was released on 5 October 2023 on Netflix to positive reviews from critics, praising the performances of the lead cast, screenplay and direction. At the 2024 Filmfare OTT Awards, Khufiya received 3 nominations, including Best Actress in a Web Original Film (for Tabu) and Best Supporting Actor in a Web Original Film (for Fazal), and won Best Supporting Actress in a Web Original Film for Gabbi. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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