It won’t be wrong to accept that nothing like this has ever been made for a Hindi movie. The war setting, conspiracy angle, political turbulence, references to real life tales, intelligence operations - just about everything is put together in a perfectly balanced proportion, resulting in an intriguing affair that starts off as a documentary, turns thrilling, adds drama, brings suspense and towards the end, turns into a full blown nail biting entertainer.

Not that Madras Café is not spicy, or should I say, aromatic enough. One can smell the movie’s pace from the very beginning as a dozen odd characters start getting introduced in (very) quick succession. Government officials, RAW agents, politicians from India and Sri Lanka, unknown conspirators, known enemies, media professionals, patriots, back stabbers - everyone has a story to tell and a part to play which makes the first half of Madras Café a water-tight affair. Shoojit Sircar smartly weaves the narrative in such a manner, it seems that the first half is an entire movie in itself.

However, it is the second half of the movie which takes an absolutely different turn as it reveals how the hour gone by was only setting the tone for what was soon about to follow. If one half of the film is spent in covering Sri Lankan war in general and explaining to audience the very genesis of affairs as well as the ground reality, the second half has a global conspiracy being unraveled right before your eyes.

As you get used to the cutting edge treatment of Madras Café, there are 15-20 minutes after the interval when the narrative becomes a little uneven. While tragedy in John’s life holds back the pace, the Bangkok episode that follows is a little too on-the-face and at times, a little preachy for my liking. Moreover, there is a visible attempt of spoon-feeding the audience at this time, which is akin to reading a newspaper, than watching a film.

However, these are very minor pointers in a film that is overall so water tight that you feel like clapping as the end credits start rolling. Whether it is the theme of the film, Shoojit’s direction or John Abraham’s performance, they are all truly award worthy. In fact, if the makers play their cards well, Madras Café could well be a contender for the National Awards for Best Film, Best Director and yes, Best Actor. After missing out on that chance with Vicky Donor last year, Shoojit could well be a little more passionate this time around, and he deserves it.

What one eventually takes home are numerous episodes that play in the film and end up reminding you of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination that shook the world a few decades ago. The film also succeeds in making the audience further aware of the threat that had engulfed India due to the Sri Lankan issue. Very importantly, it showcases John as the man who has truly arrived and made his mark amongst actors who can deliver both hardcore mass as well as class affairs with finesse.