The explosive Kashmir terrain is once again at the forefront in “Ground Zero”, a gripping action thriller that was telecast on April 25th, 2025. What the team at TheNewsNamaste saw, Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar weaves a story out of real events, that is, following terror attacker Ghazi Baba after the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. Directed by Emraan Hashmi off his stereotypical acts, “Ground Zero” tries to present a real and harshly realistic view of counter-terrorist operations. Here’s our review in depth.
The Story Revealed (as witnessed by TheNewsNamaste):
“Ground Zero” transports the audience to the early 2000s in Kashmir, an affected state. The plot, as noted by TheNewsNamaste, is about BSF officer Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey (Emraan Hashmi), a no-nonsense commandant who is on a mission to catch hold of cunning Ghazi Baba, the architect of several fatal attacks. The movie, as our authors pointed out, intertwines the personal and professional lives of the front-line officers seamlessly, emphasizing the colossal risks they run every day. The Parliament attack and what followed in 2001 phase, as observed from our study, offers a circumscribed and pertinent background for Dubey’s stubborn drive.
Key Players and Acts (from TheNewsNamaste’s discerning viewpoint):
- Emraan Hashmi as Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey: In what TheNewsNamaste feels is one of his most understated performances, Emraan Hashmi shuns his romantic hero image to portray a firm and unflinching BSF officer. Our reviewers felt that his act was genuine and natural, conveying the inner conflict and subdued strength of his character.
- Sai Tamhankar as Jaya Dubey: Sai Tamhankar features in Dubey’s wife, and TheNewsNamaste praises her powerful depiction of the emotional burden such a tense career places upon the families of security personnel.
- Zoya Hussain as Aadila: Zoya Hussain, as an intelligence officer, lends the maximum support to Hashmi’s part. We were impressed by her steady performance and how it integrated well with the flow of narration.
- Mukesh Tiwari comes out of the comic man avatar to portray a commanding officer. TheNewsNamaste noted his believable portrayal of no-nonsense commanding officer. Current Earnings (as monitored by TheNewsNamaste’s box office trackers):
Just released, on the 25th of April, 2025, “Ground Zero” is in its early days at the box office. Opening reports monitored by TheNewsNamaste show a good opening. As of April 26th, 2025, exact figures are still being counted, although preliminary estimates indicate a Day 1 collection of ₹30-₹50 lakh net in India. Its box office journey in the coming days will have to be ascertained in order to gauge its box office performance. TheNewsNamaste will track its box office performance.
Strengths (emphasized by the critics of TheNewsNamaste):
- Realistic Portrayal: TheNewsNamaste appreciates the film for trying to avoid excessive jingoism and presenting a more realistic and authentic portrayal of the incidents and the life of security personnel in Kashmir.
- Emraan Hashmi’s Performance: As discussed above, Hashmi’s natural and subtle performance of the lead character is a major plus point, as per our team.
- Relevant Story: With the controversial context of Kashmir and focus on an actual counter-terror operation, TheNewsNamaste believes that the subject of the film is timely and relevant.
- Atmospheric Cinematography: The cinematography, depicting the beauty of Kashmir as much as the suspense, is befitting to the overall atmosphere of the film, something which our technical judges also pointed out.
Negative Points (as observed by TheNewsNamaste critics):
- Pacing Issues: A few of our reviewers believed that the pacing of the film could have been improved, especially the latter half of the film, which sometimes seemed slow.
- Formulaic Material: In a bid to be realistic, TheNewsNamaste opined that sometimes the story veers into formulaic thriller fare.
- Underdeveloped Supporting Characters: Although the lead performances are good, some supporting characters could have been given more agency and depth, our analysis suggests.
- Emotional Impact: Although the film attempts to show the human cost of war, some of our team members felt that the emotional scenes did not always ring true with the intended impact.
Total Cost of Movie Making (as estimated by industry calculations examined by TheNewsNamaste):
Official estimates regarding the actual budget of “Ground Zero” have not come out yet. But going by production scale, Kashmir shooting, and the cast, TheNewsNamaste estimates the film’s budget to be around ₹30-₹40 crore. This is a rough estimate working from comparable projects and will be revised if formal releases are made.
Overall (TheNewsNamaste’s Verdict):
“Ground Zero,” reviewed by TheNewsNamaste, is a well-meaning thriller that tries to unravel the intricacies of the Kashmir dispute in the guise of a real-life counter-terrorism mission. Emraan Hashmi’s grown-up performance is one sheer plus point, and efforts on the part of the movie to stay grounded in reality are to be appreciated. Pacing and too much dependency on certain obvious cliches, however, hold it back from becoming a nearly great cinematic experience. TheNewsNamaste recommends watching it for its contemporary theme and Hashmi’s acting, but warns audiences to keep in mind the film’s sometimes uneven rhythm.