Ground Zero

In Ground Zero, director Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar attempts to blend fact-based realism with cinematic intensity, setting his sights on one of India's most volatile Kashmir conflict issues. Anchored in the backdrop of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the subsequent manhunt for the elusive terrorist Ghazi Baba, the film sets out to be a gripping military-political thriller. The film unfolds through the eyes of a BSF officer.

Tejas Deoskar's direction is sincere and grounded, opting for a restrained, fact-based approach. His choice to present the conflict through a soldier's moral compass is commendable. The engagement dips at crucial junctures, and the screenplay though ambitious, stagnates in parts. The climax feels slightly rushed and abrupt. It leaves the audience feeling affected, but not entirely fulfilled.

Ground Zero is a well-intentioned & moderately effective film. If there's one consistently strong pillar in the film, it's Emraan Hashmi's sincere performance. Sai Tamhankar and Zoya Hussain offer commendable support. Mukesh Tiwari was decent. Deepak Parmesh, Lalit Prabhakar, and the rest of the supporting cast contributed well to the film's overall texture.

For viewers interested in real-event-inspired cinema and a mature take on the Kashmir issue, Ground Zero is definitely worth a watch, even if it leaves you wanting a bit more in terms of depth and emotional payoff. The cinematography captures the starkness of Kashmir's landscape well. The action sequences are executed with restraint and authenticity rather than Bollywood-style spectacle. Its commitment to realism over propaganda is one of its strengths, even if the storytelling occasionally falters.

Direction 3/5 Acting 3.5/5 Music 2.5/5 Story 3/5 Screenplay 3/5.

Based on true events, Ground Zero salutes our hero for their sacrifice and courage to keep our country safe.

While it was a tough ask, Emraan Hashmi did play his part with everything he had but the storytelling was a letdown. The film moves at an inconsistent pace and nothing leaves a major impact to your eyes. Although the cinematography and background music were decent, no scene felt hard hitting. There are a good number of intense sequences that provide thrills, yet there are also several dragged-out portions where the film's energy dips.

Overall, a decent attempt, I would say and it does work at some levels.

My Rating : 6/10.

I really liked the restraint of the movie... It's rare to find a Bollywood movie based on a BSF soldier's daring, sans melodrama. The restraint in storytelling, especially in patriotic or armed forces-based films, is rare but refreshing. I found Emraan's performance compelling. Sai Tamhankar as Jaya Dube is convincing. The music also does justice to the theme. One can imagine how difficult it must have been to crush terrorists when almost the entire ecosystem of Kashmir was either overtly or covertly supporting 'jihad'. The probe uncovers the mastermind Ghazi Baba, facilitating India's largest anti-terror operation. A quasi-real portrayal... Indian movies are coming of age!

It seemed like the film was being shot keeping Zero Dark Thirty in mind. The story was pretty good and writing was to praise for. The only area that can steal the show is the cast and their performance. Emraan, though underrated, is a versatile actor and Sai is as usual perfect for the role. Other characters were also well casted. The movie was a bit fast paced and this left viewers to think more as they watched. Crux of the film was the climax and to arrive at that point, the surrounding story was well knitted and connected. Shootout to the actor who played the character of Hussian (Mehroos Mir). RT's tip: Make sure you watch the movie in a silent environment to experience it's true sound.

There has been a steady rise in action military thrillers set in Kashmir in the last few years and at first glance Ground Zero appears to be just another run of the mill entry in the sub-genre. However Ground Zero which is based on the real life operation Ghazi Baba is a pretty gripping thriller closer in style and quality to the real life based political thriller Article 370 than a stylish and over the top big budget action flick like Fighter.

The story is solid, the screenplay is crisp and the acting is pretty good especially Eemran Hashmi who is not a well chiseled indestructible superhero who is dancing and romancing in his free time but a realistic, flawed and hard working BSF commandant focused on hunting down Ghazi Baba, the mastermind of the Indian Parliament Attack. The movie stays focused on the hunt with no distractions....no unnecessary songs and item numbers or side stories or romantic angles etc.

The final sequence has some shades of Zero Dark Thirty which is actually pretty well executed but right at the end, the action goes a bit over the top when Eemran's character finally faces off with Ghazi. Overall it was a pretty good watch and a well deserving tribute to the BSF soldiers who sacrificed themselves for the country. I liked it a lot. 7.5/10.