Khufiya

Khufiya

Year: 2023

Runtime: 158 mins

Language: Hindi

Director: Vishal Bhardwaj

Echo Score: 54
CrimeMysteryThriller

When a mole in an intelligence unit leads to the murder of an undercover spy, a hardened agent relentlessly pursues him to avenge the death.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Khufiya (2023) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

Read the complete plot breakdown of Khufiya (2023), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

During the post-Kargil War period, Heena Rehman, Azmeri Haque Badhon, a Bangladeshi woman rumored to be working for ISI, is killed by Bangladeshi defence minister Mirza at a party held at his house, after Mirza receives some information over the phone.

In India, Krishna “KM” Mehra, Tabu, an operative at the [RAW] is devastated to learn of Heena’s death because she used to be KM’s lover for a brief time, and Heena was in fact working for RAW and she attempted to kill Mirza for RAW. KM’s boss Jeev, Ashish Vidhyarthi, informs her that there is a mole in RAW who leaked the information leading to Heena’s death. KM is assigned to track down this mole selling India’s defense secrets. KM establishes that RAW employee Ravi, Ali Fazal, whose lavish lifestyle does not match his income, must be the mole and suspects his wife Charu, Wamiqa Gabbi, to be his partner in delivering secrets. KM and Jeev obtain permission to have Ravi’s house electronically bugged. After surveillance, they discover that Ravi is working for the CIA at his money-hungry mother’s insistence, and that Charu is innocent.

In the meantime, Jeev discovers that Heena’s death was caused not just by Ravi leaking information to the CIA (who in turn leaked it to Mirza), but because the Minister of Home Affairs had to reveal that information to CIA to prevent the USA from cancelling its nuclear deal with India. Despite being appalled that his boss let one of his assets die for keeping the nuclear deal, Jeev decides to keep this a secret to avoid further complications.

Meanwhile Ravi discovers the cameras in his house and tries to flee along with his family. Charu is appalled to discover that Ravi is a double agent and refuses to accompany him and refuses to let him take away her son. Ravi’s mother shoots Charu in the process, but Charu survives as KM’s team reaches there on time and gets her to the hospital. When Charu recovers, she learns that Ravi has taken their son with him and, along with his mother, has sought refuge in the US. Charu begs KM to get her son back for her. KM trains Charu and sends her to the US. Charu discovers Ravi, his mother, and her son, and starts to blend back into the family and make Ravi and his mother believe that she just wants to be with them.

In the past, KM finds himself getting drawn to Heena but distances himself after discovering her true identity as a double agent, working for ISI while working for RAW. When confronted by KM, Heena says she joined with ISI only to extract information for RAW. KM doesn’t believe her and feels she betrayed KM’s love and trust. To prove her love, Heena accepts a suicide mission from Jeev to kill Brigadier Mirza, the Bangladeshi defence minister. But Ravi reveals it to the CIA and CIA reveals it to Mirza. Heena gets killed by Mirza after he finds out there was poison in the perfume bottle she gifted him.

Ravi and his family, who are now living poor as refugees in the U.S. state of South Dakota, are given the opportunity by KM to return to India as heroes if they kill Brigadier Mirza. While Mirza is on a friendly visit to Ravi’s home, Ravi, Charu, and Ravi’s mother attempt to poison and kill him. But he senses a ploy and kills Ravi’s mother. An angry Ravi hits Mirza’s head against the wall and renders him unconscious. KM coerces the CIA’s undercover psychiatric doctor who was acting as Ravi’s handler, and Mirza’s death is staged as an accidental death from a head injury caused by slipping in the bathtub of his hotel. Ravi and family are deported to India and begin anew. At Charu’s advice, KM calls her estranged teenage son to reveal the reason for her divorce from his father – because she is a lesbian.

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:22

Ending Explained – What Happens at the End of Khufiya?

Still wondering what the ending of Khufiya (2023) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.

The film’s climax converges the personal betrayals with the geopolitical chessboard that has driven the story from the start. After months of surveillance, Krishna Mehra finally discovers that the informer known as Octopus was killed to protect a mole inside RAW – Ravi Mohan, a seemingly ordinary family man who has been passing classified files to the CIA. Ravi’s clandestine deliveries are revealed to be part of a secret deal: the CIA wants the Pakistani ISI to trust them, so they allow the murder of Octopus and the manipulation of Bangladeshi defence minister Brig Mirza.

When Krishna’s team sets a trap in a U.S. safe‑house, Ravi’s mother, a fervent devotee of a guru called Yaaraji, shoots his wife Charu to stop her from jeopardising their escape. Charu survives, though badly wounded, and is later rescued by RAW agents who train her to become a covert operative. She is sent to the United States, where she watches Ravi’s mother worship the guru and discovers that Ravi has been living in exile with his son.

The final showdown unfolds at a dinner arranged by a CIA psychiatrist, Dr David White, to honor Mirza’s gratitude toward Ravi. Krishna, acting without her superior’s approval, confronts Ravi and his mother with footage of their betrayal and demands that Mirza be eliminated – the only way to expose the CIA’s role and avenge Octopus. During the meal, a poisoned dish is served; Mirza senses the danger, leaves the table, and is soon taken hostage by Ravi’s mother. In the chaos, Charu grabs Mirza, and Krishna storms in, subduing the situation. When Dr White proposes a cover‑up, Krishna refuses, insisting that the United States cannot walk away unpunished. The next morning, the official story is that Mirza died in a shower accident, masking the covert assassination.

With the mission complete, Ravi agrees to return to India in exchange for a dignified repatriation; he boards a shipping container that brings him back home. Krishna, having finally avenged her lover’s death, makes a quiet phone call to her own son. In this intimate moment she reveals the hidden truth about her sexuality and her life as an intelligence officer, finally offering him the honesty she has denied for years.

Thus the ending ties together the personal cost of espionage – love, loss, and identity – with the larger political stakes, showing that even the most secretive operations leave undeniable human footprints.

Last Updated: September 15, 2025 at 18:26

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Narratives in this thread often follow a protagonist propelled by a personal loss—such as the death of a colleague or loved one—within the intelligence community. The investigative pursuit is steady and methodical, intercut with reflections on grief, leading to a resolution that is often bittersweet, acknowledging the victory but highlighting the personal price paid.

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Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the melancholic, human side of espionage. They blend a tense, paranoid tone with a heavy emotional weight, creating a viewing experience where the suspense is emotionally charged and the characters' personal journeys are central to the plot.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a central investigator or team working within a closed system (like an intelligence agency) to identify a leak. The plot unfolds through surveillance, interrogation, and piecing together clues, creating a cat-and-mouse game where the enemy is potentially a colleague. The journey is defined by a rising sense of dread and the psychological weight of deception.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their core premise of internal betrayal and the specific mood it creates: suspenseful, gripping, and deeply paranoid. They share a steady, methodical pacing that allows the tension to build gradually, resulting in a high-intensity experience focused on psychological intrigue over action.

Unlock the Full Story of Khufiya

Don't stop at just watching — explore Khufiya in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Khufiya is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Khufiya Timeline

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Khufiya Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Khufiya

Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Khufiya. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.

Characters, Settings & Themes in Khufiya

Khufiya Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of Khufiya? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

Khufiya Ending Explained

Khufiya Spoiler-Free Summary

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Khufiya Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Khufiya

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