Film: Ground Zero

Director: Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Sai Tamhankar, Zoya Hussain, Aeklavya Tomer, Lalit Prabhakar, Mukesh Tiwari

Rating: 2. 5 Moons

Story

‘Ground Zero’ is based on a true incident. About BSF officer Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey and the terrorist attack on Parliament in 2001 that shook the country. It is set in an era in Kashmir when fear lurked at every corner and the lives of the soldiers were in danger every moment. Narendra (Emraan Hashmi) is posted in Srinagar, where soldiers are being brutally ambushed. Behind these killings is a dangerous 'pistol gang' led by Ghazi Baba aka Rana Tahir Nadeem – the head of Jaish-e-Mohammed. More than 70 soldiers have lost their lives, and now Narendra and his team have the responsibility to destroy this network. Will Narendra be able to stop Ghazi Baba or will Ghazi Baba escape once again?

Acting

Emraan Hashmi has done a decent job and fits the bill as a strict but sensitive BSF officer. Sai Tamhankar, who plays his wife, makes an impact as always even in limited screen time. Actors like Zoya Hussain, Mukesh Tiwari, Deepak Parmesh, Lalit Prabhakar, Rocky Raina and Rahul Vora have also played their roles well. However, the acting feels a bit dramatic and over the top in some scenes.

Direction

The film is directed by Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar and written by Sachin Gupta and Priyadarshi Srivastava. The direction is strong in places, especially when it comes to the encounter scenes with terrorists — those parts are very real and tight. But there is a mismatch of tone and emotion in some scenes, which makes the film feel a bit unbalanced. The screenplay is good, but the direction seems tired and flat at times.

Music

The music is a mixed bag. The songs filled with patriotic fervour are good to listen to, but there is no track that will last for a long time. Vishal Mishra's songs are well done, but despite the presence of a veteran like Sonu Nigam, his song does not leave much impact. This is a bit disappointing, especially when you expect a different level from music.

Overall

If you are an Emraan Hashmi fan then you may watch, otherwise you can definitely skip this film.