John Abraham’s The Diplomat Fails the Women It Claims to Empower

John Abraham stars in a new film called The Diplomat, a film that promises high-stakes diplomacy and female empowerment but ultimately delivers a disappointingly hollow tribute to male savior fantasies. The movie (directed by Shivam Nair) is based on the real-life story of Uzma Ahmed, an Indian woman who was tricked into traveling to Pakistan by a man pretending to love her, only to be trapped in a dangerous situation. She was eventually rescued through diplomatic efforts.

However, the film is getting heavy criticism — particularly from critics like Rohan Naahar — because it focuses more on John Abraham’s male character, Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh, than on Uzma Ahmed herself.

Set against the tense backdrop of India-Pakistan relations, The Diplomat tells the true story of Uzma Ahmed (played by Sadia Khateeb), an Indian woman who was lured into Pakistan by a man she believed she loved. What follows is a harrowing ordeal involving deception, entrapment, and a desperate fight for freedom. While Uzma’s real-life story is one of remarkable courage, the film chooses to tell it primarily through the actions and perspective of JP Singh, India’s Deputy High Commissioner, played by Abraham.

A Film That Talks Feminism, But Walks Machismo

Despite its subject matter, The Diplomat curiously sidelines its heroine. Uzma is painted as a victim-in-waiting, her agency constantly overshadowed by the overbearing presence of Abraham’s character, who swoops in to “save” her. In any other story, JP Singh would be a supporting figure — the man who steps in during the climax to tie up loose ends. But here, he becomes the central figure, robbing the film of any real emotional weight or narrative complexity.

The film presents itself as a feminist story, but its execution suggests otherwise. It’s yet another example of Bollywood’s habit of mistaking surface-level sensitivity for genuine storytelling depth. By centering the male diplomat’s emotional arc instead of Uzma’s, the movie ends up reinforcing the very power imbalance it seems to critique.

A Career at Crossroads

For John Abraham, The Diplomat is another attempt to pivot into serious, issue-based cinema after years of action-heavy roles. But if he truly wants to reinvent his career, critics argue, he needs to stop picking roles where he plays the lone savior of vulnerable women. The era of the macho messiah is fading, and The Diplomat serves as a reminder of just how outdated that archetype has become.