Tehran (2025) ‘Zee5 Global’ Review: Mildly Engaging, with Questionable Geopolitical Overtones

Directed by Arun Gopalan, “Tehran” quickly establishes its stoic lead character Rajeev Kumar, played by John Abraham, as someone who does not play it safe. Rajeev’s penchant for playing with fire is a recurring theme, from parkouring over dingy Delhi alleys to entering enemy territories without your government’s backup.

Ironically, however, the film does not share the enthusiasm of its lead character. “Tehran” does play it safe. When it comes to crafting a taut espionage thriller, the Zee5 original takes the convenient route. And it does the same, with its non-commital political commentary, when forced to reflect on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which serves as the backdrop for the film’s story.

“Tehran” starts with a literal ‘bang.’ Rajeev, a purposeful officer of the Delhi Police, is called in to investigate the bombing attempt on the Israeli ambassador’s wife. Inspiration comes from the 2012 attacks on Israeli diplomats. In the film, this attack is shown to cause the death of a young local girl. The innocent girl’s mangled body, along with her little brother’s pained face, provides Rajeev the necessary motivation and justification to hunt the bomber down. He is accompanied by his trusted team, which includes Sub Inspector Divya (Manushi Chillar) and Indian diplomat Shailaja (Neeru Bajwa).

Written by Ritesh Shah and Ashish P. Verma, the story neatly checks off the items from the playbook of constructing a terrorism-laced espionage thriller set in the Middle East. The likes of which we used to see in the 2000s, like your “Body of Lies” or “Zero Dark Thirty.” Using CCTV footage, Rajeev’s team tracks the bomber’s local contact. Using that contact, they start to uncover the links.

Eventually, they find the name Afsar (Hadi Khanjanpour), an Iranian terrorist, with ties to the Iranian Army. Call it a call of duty or a personal vendetta, it becomes imperative for Rajeev to kill Afsar. However, the Indian government is not particularly keen on it, as they are soon to have an important oil deal with the Iranian government.

Understandably and unsurprisingly, Rajeev ignores those orders. He and his team of three, which includes Divya, embark on a perilous journey from Abu Dhabi to infiltrate Tehran, without the approval of their superiors. Shailaja’s shrewd diplomacy, however, ensures Rajeev gets a little bit of help. Her liaison with the Israeli Ambassador ensures the presence of two Mossad operatives, who will help Rajeev and his team get inside Iran. To the film’s credit, it tries to sway towards revenge rather than an organized ill-feeling towards a country, when it comes to its protagonist’s intention. Rajeev’s refusal to accept any loss of life as collateral is commendable.

However, noble though its intentions are, “Tehran” could not help but charter into questionable political territory. The film tries to stay neutral. “You kill them. They kill you. I do not judge.” This is what Rajeev says when the Mossad operative describes Afsar’s brutality. Noticeable efforts are made not to let the film reflect a pro-Israel sentiment.

But “Tehran,” knowingly or unknowingly, makes tacit choices that put it right in the middle of murky political waters. It chooses the villain to have a ‘Free Palestine’ graffiti right next to him, while he hammers an innocent Rabbi to death. It chooses to never mention the genocide that is being committed in Gaza. The merit of a film (or any piece of artistic work) does not necessarily change with its political leanings. However, it does warrant questioning.

Arun Gopalan’s direction does not show the same deftness with which Israel’s part in the war is circumvented in the script. Like any engaging thriller, the film has plenty of action pieces. Some of them are good, with pleasant camerawork. John Abraham, as the leading man, does well. There is an earnestness in his seemingly unperturbable demeanor that mollifies the film’s aforementioned questionable choices.

Manushi Chillar, the supposed female lead, is largely wasted. “Tehran,” however, is blessed with a fine ensemble of foreign cast. Something we do not always encounter in Indian cinema. Hadi Khanjanpour, as the villainous Afsar, delivers the best performance in the film. He manages to reflect the righteous zeal, as well as the grotesquely maniacal passion for violence of Afsar with relative ease. Allon Sylvain, who plays Afsar’s compadre Syed, deserves a mention too.

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Tehran (2025) Movie Links: IMDb, Wikipedia, Letterboxd
Tehran (2025) Movie Cast: John Abraham, Manushi Chhillar, Neeru Bajwa, Madhurima Tuli, Elnaaz Norouzi, Alyy Khan, Dinker Sharma

Where to watch Tehran