Our Bureau
Mumbai
The much-anticipated movie of the year with Emraan Hashmi portraying the role of an Indian security force officer, Ground Zero has finally been released in theatres today. The film had already a buzz around movie-goers given its theme of uncovering India’s counter-terrorism history. Based on true events, the film chronicles the mission led by BSF officer Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey to track down and eliminate terrorist mastermind Ghazi Baba, the key figure behind the 2001 attacks on the Indian Parliament and Akshardham Temple.
The netizens are full of praise for the action-packed blockbuster and are calling it an ‘impactful film’ with a ‘proud and heroic portrayal of patriotism’. Citing the movie as ‘relevant’ in the aftermath of Pahalgam attack, a user on X wrote, “#GroundZero is an impactful film about the war against terrorism. So relevant in these testing times. The execution is devoid of any cinematic liberties @emraanhashmi is outstanding in the lead role.”
Another wrote, “Films like #GroundZero aren’t just stories with loud rhetoric; they bring to the screen the very real sacrifices of our soldiers and civilians. These films carry a painful truth we can’t afford to ignore. We all hope justice follows, swiftly and surely. Hope it works big time…”
A tweet read, “watched Ground Zero today at a special screening in Delhi. The movie, co-produced by our Abhishek Kumar Ji, is set to release on April 25th. It’s a proud and heroic portrayal of patriotism, based on the true story of Kirti Chakra winner N N D Dubey. This is a must-watch movie.”
Helmed by director Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar, the film has been set in early 2000s highlighting complexity of the region and the time. “Dubey ji spent eight years in Kashmir, and during that time Ghazi Baba was a name that instilled fear. He was the mastermind behind the 2001 Parliament attack and became a very dangerous figure in the terrorist network,” Deoskar explained.
Hashmi in an interview, explained the subtle patriotic undertone of the movie and said that ‘The whole idea was not to go overboard with the jingoistic angle.” That can feel forced and disconnected from the truth. We wanted to stay as honest as possible to the story,” he added.
The role of Hashmi’s wife in the film has been portrayed by Sai Tamhankar, thus adding emotional depth to the personal side of the officer’s journey.
Ground Zero also made headlines recently for being the first Bollywood film in 38 years to premiere in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Hashmi described the event as a “symbolic moment” that reflects a renewed cinematic presence in the Valley.
