PremiumBerlin review: Aparshakti Khurana and Ishwak Singh keep you hooked in a nuanced spy thriller
Berlin thrives on slow-burn suspense, delivering an espionage thriller without the need for explosions.
Last Updated: 08.42 AM, Sep 13, 2024
A tense espionage thriller, "Berlin" takes place in New Delhi during the cold winter of 1993 and follows the arrest of Ashok Kumar (Ishwak Singh), a young man who is deaf and mute, by the police who suspect him of being an international spy. With the addition of Pushkin Verma (Aparshakti Khurana), a skilled sign language expert to translate, the case takes a twist, and he becomes entangled in a web of intrigue. An intelligence officer, Jagdish Sondhi (Rahul Bose), races against the clock to establish the truth when charges of supporting a notorious spy (Anupriya Gonenka) become more elusive. However, a shocking discovery flips the script on the case as competing agencies and invisible forces work together: might the true spy be someone who is hiding in plain sight?
Simply being precise and getting to the point where you can't blink your eyes, even in quiet moments, makes a slow-burn story watchable. Berlin has everything it takes to make it an intriguing watch, thanks to the narrative it establishes, which will leave you eagerly anticipating how the film ultimately unfolds. The suspense espionage thriller has quite a straightforward storyline, which takes no time to take charge on screen.
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The film begins with Aparshakti Khurana as a professor, Pushkin Verma, signing at a deaf-mute government school, while in the background we hear All India Radio giving out the flash news of the Russian President visiting the country. Soon, he receives a request from government officials to visit a specific location. At the intelligence agency, Pushkin meets up with Jagdish Sondhi (Rahul Bose), an intelligence officer who asked him to become a translator to an arrested alleged spy, Ashok Kumar (Ishwak Singh), who is deaf and mute.
Sondhi gives Pushkin a line of questioning to begin with Ashok, but he has no idea what he has signed up for. He engages in an intriguing mind game in the interrogation room, where, despite using sign language for communication, he speaks for both Ashok and himself, all under the watchful eye of intelligence officers who meticulously intimidate both parties.
Berlin contains all the potential for failure, even if a single moment falters due to the narrative the film chooses to portray. However, once you immerse yourself in Berlin's world, you will find yourself empathising with all the characters, even for a fleeting moment. Ultimately, the story revolves around Pushkin and Ashok, who seem trapped in a chamber with their voices resounding outside, and no one chooses to intervene to save them. As they spend more time together, it seems like they're in danger and can't escape.
The general public is unaware of intelligence officers' operations, despite their recognition as government secret agents. In the film, there's a scene where Pushkin questions one of the officials, saying that it's their job to protect the common people from any outside danger. In the meantime, corruption has crept in, making national security less important.
Berlin is not a film that leaves you waiting for a massive suspense reveal. We see three prime locations in the film, mainly the interrogation room, Cafe Berlin, and Pushkin's whereabouts, especially his home. However, the film is replete with flashback sequences, and despite our limited understanding of Pushkin, Ashok's "honest" life story vividly unfolds, leaving us perplexed as to whether these subplots were genuine or mere filler.
Atul Sabharwal wrote and directed Berlin, and his treatment of the story is where the film truly excels. Not only that, Shreedutta Namjoshi's cinematography creates a gloomy atmosphere and captures every raw emotion that takes charge in every sequence. Even Irene Dhar Malik's editing is top-notch, making Berlin so compact and precise that there's hardly space for any scene that seemed to be unwanted per se.
However, the main credit goes to the performers who bring these characters to life without carrying the baggage of their previous outings. Khurana is fresh off Stree 2 right now, but Berlin is from the Jubilee era, where he blew people away with his incredible performance. It is no surprise that Sabharwal selected the actor during his audition for the Prime Video series. Khurana shows the character's arc responsibly, making every moment count and leaving you feeling awful for him throughout. In several espionage thrillers, spies use the help of common people to solve their cases, creating bait. However, we have observed that the treatment is not entirely justified. But that's not the case in Berlin, where we know this is a trap for a sign language expert who just believes in leading a normal daily life. This is Khurana's transformation, which unfolds throughout the film and is sure to surprise you.
On the other hand, Ishwak Singh, a deaf-mute person whose eyes do the talking throughout, is equally amazing. The menacing laugh and the shrewd moments he shows are too enjoyable to miss. Equally, there are emotional moments and a sense of chemistry he creates with Khurana that enhances his character as well as the performance to the next level.
Last but certainly not least, Rahul Bose portrays an intelligence officer who initially leaves you perplexed but quickly reveals the mission's genius. The actor performs this role so convincingly that it comes as no surprise given his calibre, which we have seen for over two decades. So does Anupriya Goenka, who hardly has any dialogue and is the only female character trapped in the middle. Despite having little to offer as a character, the actor manages to make an impact given the constraints placed upon her.
Berlin may not be the typical espionage thriller popularised in Bollywood. But that's where the film wins in its entirety of showing some what of reality of how spies work in real life and their job has no major distraction and if so, they have gone rogue and how!
Berlin is a thriller that speaks volumes even in silence, weaving a web of tension where words are few. While the film doesn’t rely on explosive twists, its quiet intensity keeps you hooked, making it a spy game where the real story hides in plain sight.