The amazing actress Tabu, just like in any of her other films, has nailed the character of Krishna Mehra (KM) in Khufiya. We have seen her flourish in other strong roles in films such as Drishyam, Andhadhun, and Haider, among others. Vishal Bhardwaj has been successful in being able to depict the character of KM in the film Khufiya, which is an adaptation of real-life incidents from the book ‘Escape to Nowhere’ by Amar Bhushan. Some sources suggest that the character of Tabu in Khufiya is even inspired by the real-life person, Amar Bhushan. In the book, there was only one character, Jeevan, who conducted a thorough investigation for the search for the mole, but the film has split the character into two parts for dramatic purposes. Being a part of the Indian R&AW, KM has been depicted as extremely patriotic, seeking to find out the mole in their system and the real motive of Brigadier Mirza’s operation in Bangladesh to expose his wrongdoings. After she loses her lover, she embarks on a mission to avenge her loss and unfolds many mysteries in the process. Will she be successful in her mission? Let’s find out!
Spoilers Ahead
What Was KM’s Real Identity?
Krishna Mehra was working for the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Delhi for the Counter-Espionage Unit. Working for one of the top secret agencies in the world, she has always maintained the facade of having a regular job. She had not even revealed her real identity to her son and, in the process, damaged her relationship with him. As we progress through the film, we also get to know more about her sexual orientation, and the basis of her separation from her husband becomes clearer to us. On a secret mission to Bangladesh, KM recruited Heena to get all the confidential information on Brigadier Mirza, who was working for the ISI. Over the course of Khufiya, she developed feelings for Heena, which is quite evident. On losing her partner, KM embarked on a mission to find out the mole present in the system who was leaking all the internal defense information to a third party. She was torn between being a secret spy and a lover. On one hand lies her responsibility towards her country and, on the other, her determination to avenge Heena’s murder. When the two coincide, she embarks on a mission to find the snitch threatening the safety of her country and the murderer of her lover.
What Relationship Did KM Have With Heena?
The unconventional love story of two women has been portrayed in the film Khufiya, adding multiple layers of charm to it. The slow development of the bond of understanding and love between the two women is subtle and quite appealing. We see Heena developing feelings for KM in the beginning. which turns mutual later. The glances that she exchanges with KM are sensual and keep the audience wondering about their sexualities, but finally, when she kisses her, that resolves all the doubts in our minds. We see the duo in a sensual scene, depicting the extent of their closeness and the bond that has developed over time. However, there was not much of an emphasis on the romantic relationship between KM and Heena, as that would have delayed the progress of the story further.
The intensity of their love can be understood when Heena’s act of joining the ISI devastates KM and she comes back to India. Heena follows her back to India and says that she had become a part of ISI just to help Krishna. In order to prove her loyalty, Heena embarks on a suicide mission to eliminate Mirza and gets killed in the process. As a love-lorn woman and spy, KM decides to find out the snitch in the system who was responsible for Heena’s death.
How Did KM Help Charu Get Her Child Back?
When KM is approached by Charu to get her child back from the US, she is initially disappointed but later gets all the help that she wanted. The R&AW promise her all the help and recruit her as a secret agent working for them. Even though we may think that KM was using people like Charu as mere bait to win her battle, she was selfless in helping her reunite with her son. When Charu arrives at her husband’s place in another country, they are shocked upon seeing her and are quite suspicious of her, but finally accept her arrival. She works as per the advice of KM and sets up cameras in their house to snitch on her husband and spill all his secrets to them. KM’s unstable relationship with her own son helped her understand the pain of a mother, and she decided to help Charu out. KM protects Charu several times in an unknown country when she runs her neighbor over as he becomes suspicious of her activities. KM also ensures that the new identity of Charu as their secret agent is concealed so that she can reunite with her son again. KM also tries saving Charu when Mirza wants to murder her in the final sequence of Khufiya. Later, KM takes Charu’s advice and wishes her son a happy birthday to mend their bond. She does it because she looks up to Charu as a better mother than herself, with her undaunting spirit to find her child in an unknown country.
Was KM Successful In Avenging The Loss Of Her Love?
She had almost given up on her hope to punish Rajiv Mohan when Charu appeared and offered to help her in exchange for her son. Through months of keeping tabs on the family, KM was finally able to reach out to Rajiv. She had then utilized Rajiv and his mother as a ladder to reach out to Mirza. She made Rajiv invite him to a dinner, which later turned out to be bloody. They try to poison Mirza, and on getting suspicious, he kills Rajiv’s mother, which infuriates him, and he kills Mirza almost instantly. The R&AW cover up the murder of Mirza as a mere accident in the hotel room and take Rajiv back to India as one of their agents again. With the immense help from her department and her determination to avenge her loss, she eventually succeeds in her mission.
Final Thoughts
As we get lesser insights into KM’s personal and love lives, we wish that there was a better exploration of these elements as well. KM is extremely devoted to her work and prioritizes her country over anything else. She seems to have found a true purpose by being able to work for R&AW as a secret agent, as her world revolves around work. In contrast to Charu, whose child meant everything to her, KM is more focused on her career and feels the urge to prioritize her nation. She is, however, a well-rounded character who is full of determination to achieve what she has aimed for. In Khufiya, her initial goal was to eliminate Mirza, but after Heena’s death, she takes on a dual mission to find out the secret informant and kill Mirza. There were a lot of storms that she had to undergo, making her character even stronger over the course of the film.
