‘Shikara’ actress Sadia Khateeb to feature in John Abraham-starrer ‘The Diplomat’

Mumbai, Feb 7 (IANS) Actress Sadia Kateeb, who made her acting debut in 2020 with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “Shikara”, will be seen playing the female lead in the political action thriller “The Diplomat” starring John Abraham. 

Expressing her excitement about the project, Sadia shared that being part of ‘The Diplomat’ is an incredible opportunity.

She added: “Working alongside John Abraham and such a talented team has been a wonderful experience. My director Shivam was a dream to work with. The role challenged me in ways I never expected, and I can’t wait for the audience to see it.”

Directed by Shivam Nair and written by Ritesh Shah, the film is inspired by real events that shaped India’s global diplomacy.

Sadia made her debut with Shikara, which narrates a love story at the peak of Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and the subsequent genocide of Kashmiri Pandits.She portrayed the role of Shanti Dhar, a Kashmiri Brahmin woman forced to flee her land with her husband during the 1990 insurgency in Kashmir.

She was then seen in the film “Raksha Bandhan”, where she played a sister to Akshay Kumar.

The teaser of the film was unveiled on Friday, which showcased John in a completely new role. The teaser introduces Abraham in the role of the real-life Indian diplomat, J.P. Singh, alongside Sadia Khatib, who portrays Uzma Ahmed.

The actor took to his Instagram handle to share the teaser and wrote in the caption, “Kayi yuddh apni senaa ke saath jeetey jaate hain, aur kuchh yuddh sirf neeti se! Witness the power of persuasion & strategy in #TheDiplomat #TheDiplomatTeaser out now. Releasing worldwide on 7 March.”

Based on a true story, "The Diplomat" is directed by Shivam Nair and written by Ritesh Shah. The action thriller also stars Revathy, and Kumud Mishra.

The film is produced by T-Series’ Bhushan Kumar & Krishan Kumar, John Abraham (JA Entertainment), and Vipul D. Shah, Ashwin Varde, and Rajesh Bahl, among others.

"The Diplomat" is slated for release on March 7.

On January 16, the 52-year-old actor revealed the first look of "The Diplomat" on Instagram. The poster featured John in a sleek suit, sporting his iconic chevron mustache.

He captioned the post, “Honored to bring this story of courage and diplomacy to life.”

John Abraham was last seen in "Vedaa," directed by Nikkhil Advani. The movie marked John's first on-screen collaboration with actress Sharvari Wagh.