Raazi

As Lieutenant General Nikhil Bakshi (played by) stands at the helm of the INS Viraat, his words paint a vivid portrait of a woman who defied convention and risked everything as an undercover agent of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Her story unfolds like a finely woven tapestry, rich with intrigue and deception. In the lead-up to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, we are introduced to Hidayat Khan, a son of an Indian freedom fighter who had dedicated his life to serving his country. As his mortality looms due to lung cancer, he sets out to fulfill his final wish: to make his 20-year-old daughter Sehmat (played by) an agent, just as her family had always been in the service of their nation.

Sehmat's transformation from a reluctant college student to a skilled operative is nothing short of remarkable. Under the tutelage of senior RAW officer Khalid Mir and his young protégé, Lieutenant General Bakshi, she learns the intricacies of martial arts, marksmanship, and Morse code transmission. Her training is accelerated, as she is taught to decipher encrypted messages and establish contact with other agents in Pakistan.

As part of her cover, Sehmat is married off to Iqbal Syed, a Pakistani military officer, through the good offices of her father's friend, Brigadier Syed. The newlyweds settle into their new life in Pakistan, and Sehmat quickly wins over her in-laws with her charm and wit. However, as she navigates this unfamiliar terrain, she finds herself torn between her duty to India and her growing feelings for Iqbal.

Sehmat's skills are soon put to the test when she uncovers crucial information about Pakistan's plans to launch an attack on Indian soil. At great personal risk, she manages to gather vital details and transmit them back to her handlers in India. Her success is short-lived, as a servant named Abdul discovers her true identity and makes a beeline to expose her cover. Sehmat is forced to take drastic action, using a jeep to eliminate the threat and protect her secret.

The weight of her actions takes its toll on Sehmat, leaving her emotionally drained. Yet, her bravery ultimately pays off when her information proves instrumental in warning India about the impending attack on the INS Vikrant, which was then stationed in the Bay of Bengal.

As Sehmat navigates the treacherous landscape of espionage, she is forced to eliminate Mehboob Syed (Iqbal's brother and a high-ranking army officer) after he begins to unravel her cover and discovers her connection to Abdul's untimely death. The psychological toll of this violent act takes its toll on Sehmat, yet she manages to regain her composure, fueled by a steely determination. However, her duplicity is eventually exposed when Iqbal (character A) confronts her with the authorities, his heart heavy with the realization that the woman he loved was a spy.

In a desperate bid to avoid capture and certain death, Sehmat swaps places with another agent clad in a burqa, leaving behind a trail of devastation and heartbreak. The gravity of her actions slowly dawns on her, as she comes to terms with the brutal reality that relationships and humanity are mere casualties in the game of espionage. Shattered by the destruction she has wrought upon an innocent family and haunted by the memories of the atrocities she has committed, Sehmat requests permission from Khalid Mir (character B) to return to India, seeking solace in a newfound sense of isolation.

The revelation that Sehmat is pregnant with Iqbal's child serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of war and the devastating consequences of her actions. Despite this, she resolves to raise their son, Samar Saeed (character C), alone, acknowledging the futility of seeking comfort in the midst of chaos.

Sehmat's findings ultimately lead to the sinking of the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi off the coast of Visakhapatnam, marking the beginning of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. As the war rages on, Sehmat's son grows up amidst the tumultuous backdrop, his future forever linked to the historic events that shaped his family's fate. In the aftermath of the conflict, Bakshi delivers a stirring speech to a gathering of officers, with Samar Saeed standing among them, a symbol of the indelible mark left by the war on generations to come.