In London Confidential, India is under threat from a “Chinese virus”. Whether the Zee5 original film means the canker that originated in bats and pangolins or a metaphorical threat along the country’s border is left to the imagination. Anyway, a Research and Analysis Wing agent has been killed trying to convey this information to his side. He manages to send a vital clue to his boss Uma (Mouni Roy), but she sits on it until some minutes before the end credits.
Why? Uma moves in mysterious ways. She is equally absorbed in finding a mole in the Indian ranks who is leaking information to the Chinese. Uma and her colleague Arjun (Purab Kohli) begin a hunt across London. They have a week before a virology conference will be held in the British capital.
Backing the pregnant Uma’s efforts is the Indian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Nirupama (Kulraj Randhawa). Among the scanty list of characters in the very crisp thriller – it clocks 71 minutes – is Nirupama’s husband Sharad (Sagar Arya), a couple of suspicious embassy employees, and a few Chinese spies.
The film is based on a concept by tireless conspiracy thriller churner S Hussain Zaidi. Written by Akshay Singh and Prateek Payodhi and directed by Kanwal Sethi, London Confidential doesn’t indulge in much Chinese-bashing. The focus is on sending Uma and Arjun on a wild-goose chase before they stumble upon the truth that is staring them in the face.
It doesn’t always go well. Suspects conduct their business in full view, or in houses with huge and uncovered glass windows. People die, needlessly. This is an unmitigated disaster, hollers Uma’s boss (Mohan Kapoor). How did I not see this coming, Uma wonders. Correct and correct.
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