The Wedding Guest 2019

Jay, portrayed by Dev Patel, is a young British man with a hidden agenda as he embarks on a journey to Pakistan. Carrying a stash of passports, he arrives in Lahore and adopts a false identity to hire a car. Equipped with two guns he purchases from an arms dealer, Jay sets out to Faisalabad, where he also acquires duct tape, a suitcase, and other necessary items for his elaborate plan.

Despite facing a language barrier — speaking only English — Jay manages to infiltrate a home that is bustling with wedding preparations. He introduces himself as a friend of the bride’s brother, Hasan, with whom he supposedly shared university days. This guise allows him to thoroughly scope out the security measures in place at the wedding venue and the surrounding neighborhood.

Under the cover of night, while the household is asleep, Jay executes his plan by kidnapping the bride, Samira, played by Radhika Apte. However, while making his escape, he encounters a guard who threatens to take action. In a desperate moment, Jay shoots the guard, ultimately placing Samira in the trunk of his vehicle and fleeing before an alarm can be raised. As he drives through the darkened streets, he returns to Faisalabad, switching to a different car while keeping Samira hidden.

Faced with a choice, Samira must decide whether to go back to her family and the arranged marriage awaiting her, or to join her boyfriend, Deepesh, portrayed by Jim Sarbh, who had hired Jay for her rescue. Choosing to escape her fate, she opts to accompany Jay, who has orchestrated a story where he plays Faisal, her brother named Mariam Zaman. They claim to be siblings visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar, having been born in London but with little command of Urdu. This ruse is intended to help them navigate their way across borders, as they plan to continue to Delhi and Rajasthan before heading to Goa to reunite with friends from London.

To enhance their disguise, Jay encourages Samira to change clothing at a highway hotel. They take a taxi from the airport to the Wagah border, where they successfully cross into India using their counterfeit passports. Once they reach Amritsar, disappointment ensues when Deepesh does not meet them at the planned hotel. In need of communication, Jay buys five phones along with ten international SIM cards to contact Deepesh, who promises to join them in Delhi the next day.

As Samira expresses her trust in Deepesh, the duo boards a train for Delhi, where Jay confronts Deepesh about payment for the kidnapping. However, the situation shifts drastically as media coverage surrounding the kidnapping and the guard’s death complicates things for Deepesh. He tries to negotiate, offering Jay a substantial sum to abandon Samira back in Pakistan. Relaying this interaction to Samira, Jay plays her the recorded conversation, revealing Deepesh’s ulterior motives which include his plan to use stolen diamonds for their future.

At this point, Jay decides to arrange a meeting with Deepesh in Jaipur, despite the complications. Tensions rise as they gather for this exchange. After a tumultuous confrontation where Deepesh offers half the agreed payment while refusing to allow Samira a moment to speak privately, things take a lethal turn. Jay draws his weapon, demanding the remaining money, and an explosive fight breaks out, culminating in Jay killing Deepesh after a brutal encounter.

With suspicion still lingering, both Jay and Samira tentatively agree to share the diamonds discovered hidden in Deepesh’s shoe. Jay burns Deepesh’s body in an attempt to cover their tracks, leading to them checking into a hotel using the deceased’s passport. The ensuing plan involves misleading everyone into believing that Deepesh and Samira are heading to Nepal while plotting their real escape to Goa.

In a final twist of fate, Samira sews the precious diamonds into her clothing, and despite initial setbacks in selling them, they finally find a jeweler who values the stones exceedingly high. As they settle into their new life in Goa, a romantic bond unfolds between Jay and Samira. However, when Samira learns Jay has been deceitful about his identity, she seizes the opportunity to depart with her documents and a significant amount of money.

In a bittersweet farewell, she calls him to apologize, stating that while he can return home, her past will always keep her from doing the same. Jay, realizing the truth of her situation, offers his support should she ever need him, while she boards a bus, her future uncertain but determined in her new life.