However, the film’s true secret weapon is its deep bench of veteran character actors. Naseeruddin Shah, as the retired, wheelchair-bound intelligence mastermind Tariq Ali, provides the film with its moral and strategic anchor. In just a few scenes, Shah infuses the narrative with gravitas and a weary wisdom that spans decades of Indian political history. His quiet, almost playful delivery of sharp truths serves as the counterpoint to Bajpayee’s rigid discipline, suggesting that true aiyaary (deception) is an art of the patient and the old. Similarly, the late Om Puri, in one of his final film appearances, delivers a poignant performance as the principled Colonel Mukesh Kapoor. Puri’s naturalism and pathos lend weight to the film’s critique of a corrupt system, and his scenes are imbued with a bittersweet sense of an era ending.
A dedicated officer within Abhay Singh's elite unit. Supporting Ensemble cast of aiyaary
| Actor | Character | Role Significance | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Major Jai Bakshi | The protagonist; a renegade intelligence officer who turns whistleblower. | | Manoj Bajpayee | Colonel Abhay Singh | The antagonist/anti-hero; Jai's mentor tasked with hunting him down. | | Rakul Preet Singh | Sonia | The female lead; a cyber-expert and love interest of Jai Bakshi. | | Pooja Chopra | Captain Maya Semwal | An army officer assisting Colonel Abhay Singh. | | Adil Hussain | Mukesh Kapoor | A high-profile defense broker and the film's primary villain. | | Kumud Mishra | Col. Gurinder Singh | A military officer caught in the crossfire of the conflict. | | Anupam Kher | Jay Gupta | A covert asset and hacker aiding the protagonist. | | Naseeruddin Shah | Babloo Saini | A corrupt politician involved in the arms scam. | | Vikram Gokhale | General Pratap Malik | The highest-ranking official overseeing the operation. | However, the film’s true secret weapon is its