Emraan Hashmi steps into the boots of a relentless investigator in Ground Zero, a taut action thriller that revisits India’s darkest terror chapter. Directed by Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar, this Hindi drama unpacks the aftermath of the 2001 Parliament attack with procedural grit and patriotic fire. Released in April 2025, it arrives amid renewed interest in anti-terror narratives. Sai Tamhankar and a sharp ensemble join Hashmi in a story of shadows, secrets, and sacrifice. Though it grapples with familiar beats, its raw urgency captivates. If you’re seeking a Ground Zero movie review that probes its strengths and stumbles, read on—we sift through the suspense, spotlight the stars, and size up the stakes.
Movie Overview
Key elements captured in this table:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Movie Title | Ground Zero |
| Release Date | April 25, 2025 |
| Language and Genre | Hindi, Action Thriller |
| Director | Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar |
| Producer | Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar |
| Production House | Excel Entertainment |
| Running Time | 2 hours 14 minutes |
| Budget (Approx.) | ₹50 crore |
| Box Office Collection (Approx.) | ₹10.35 crore worldwide |
The modest returns underscore a niche pull. It connected with thriller enthusiasts but struggled for mass appeal in a crowded market.
Cast and Crew
Deoskar’s team blends Bollywood veterans with fresh faces for layered tension. Main cast:
- Emraan Hashmi as Narendra Nath Dubey: The dogged BSF officer spearheading the probe. Hashmi’s brooding depth drives the drama.
- Sai Tamhankar as Jaya Dubey: Dubey’s steadfast wife, balancing homefront strains. Tamhankar’s quiet strength resonates.
- Aeklavya Tomer as Chand Khan: A shadowy operative in the terror web. Tomer’s debut menace simmers effectively.
- Rockey Raina as Ghazi Baba: The elusive mastermind behind the attack. Raina’s chilling poise lingers.
- Zoya Hussain as key informant: Adds intrigue with her enigmatic ally role. Hussain’s subtlety shines.
- Qazi Faiz as Hakeem: A high-level handler. Faiz’s intensity adds edge.
- Lalit Prabhakar as supporting investigator: Bolsters the team with reliable grit.
- Deepak Paramesh in pivotal role: Brings emotional weight to the ensemble.
Aeklavya Tomer’s debut marks a promising entry. No big cameos, but standouts include Hashmi’s career-redefining grit and Raina’s villainous chill—they command every confrontation.
Storyline / Plot Summary (No Spoilers)
Ground Zero ignites post the 2001 Parliament siege. BSF officer Narendra Dubey dives into a grueling two-year manhunt. He traces threads from Delhi’s chaos to hidden lairs across borders. Allies emerge; betrayals lurk. The plot coils around decoding a terror blueprint that threatens the nation’s core.
At heart, it’s a meditation on duty’s toll—where vigilance clashes with vulnerability. Central conflict pulses in Dubey’s unyielding quest against a faceless foe, shadowed by personal costs. Emotional core? The fraying bonds of family amid relentless pursuit, laced with hope’s fragile spark. Deoskar hooks with high-wire interrogations and midnight raids, evoking the era’s paranoia without pandering. It’s a pulse-racer that honors real heroes, teasing triumphs earned in sweat and silence.
Direction, Screenplay, and Editing
Deoskar’s lens sharpens on the investigator’s grind, blending Uri‘s patriotism with Special 26‘s sleuth savvy. His vision carves a labyrinth of leads and dead ends, making bureaucracy a battlefield. Storytelling unfolds like a dossier—methodical montages build dread, punctuated by bursts of betrayal.
Screenplay by Priyadarshee Srivastava crafts crisp intel drops and terse takedowns; dialogues bite with urgency, though some exposition feels rote. Pacing throbs steadily, accelerating in ops but dipping in domestic detours. Editing by Sanchit Gupta clips taut, using parallel cuts to juggle timelines. Standout technique? Grainy “found footage” snippets from the attack, blurring docu-drama lines for immediacy. Deoskar helms with focus, forging tension from tedium.
Cinematography, Visuals, and Music
Amit Roy’s camera stalks shadows with precision: hazy Delhi fog masks stakeouts, while stark border vistas amplify isolation. Handheld frenzy captures raids’ raw chaos; steady pans in briefings heighten hushed horrors. VFX recreates the Parliament breach convincingly—smoke curls, debris flies—without spectacle overkill.
Amit Trivedi’s score simmers with ethnic percussion, evoking unease in alleys. No intrusive songs; instead, a haunting title track weaves folk motifs into the mix. Background swells—taut strings during tails—mirror mounting paranoia. Visuals and music fuse for a claustrophobic tone: desaturated palettes drain color from calm, pulses sync to heart-pounding hunts. They transform probes into parables of peril.
Performances
Emraan Hashmi reinvents as Dubey: his haunted gaze and coiled fury eclipse past rom-coms, nailing the toll of sleepless nights. A solitary stakeout soliloquy? Piercing. Sai Tamhankar grounds Jaya with fierce fragility—her pleas pierce the plot’s armor. Chemistry crackles in husband-wife anchors: tender tugs amid turmoil feel achingly real.
Aeklavya Tomer’s Chand slinks with sly ambiguity, a debut that demands sequels. Rockey Raina’s Ghazi exudes spectral threat—whispers more unnerving than shouts. Zoya Hussain’s informant sparks intrigue, her guarded glances layering loyalty. Lalit Prabhakar and Qazi Faiz bolster the bureau with believable banter. Deepak Paramesh adds poignant pathos. Standout scene? A midnight meet gone awry—emotions erupt in whispers and weapons. The cast’s cohesion crafts credible camaraderie.
Audience and Critics’ Response
Ground Zero garners respect for restraint but ribs for routine. Critics applaud authenticity; viewers crave more verve. Ratings table:
| Platform | Rating |
|---|---|
| IMDb | 6.7/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Critics) | 45% |
| Rotten Tomatoes (Audience) | 65% |
| Google Users | 60% liked it |
Vibe mixes measured praise: Bollywood Hungama (3/5) hails “gripping graft,” while The Hindu (2.5/5) flags “formulaic fog.” Social feeds buzz with Hashmi’s arc; Instagram clips dissect raids. According to online discussions on Movierulz and other film forums, users have been actively debating the film’s storyline intricacies and Emraan Hashmi’s nuanced lead turn. It’s a thinker’s thriller, sparking chats on terror’s legacy.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
- Hashmi’s Halo: Emraan’s immersive intensity elevates the everyman hero, blending vulnerability with valor.
- Authentic Pulse: Deoskar’s procedural precision and visuals forge a believable blast from the past.
- Subdued Score: Trivedi’s motifs murmur menace, enhancing without eclipsing the mood.
Weaknesses:
- Pacing Plateaus: Mid-probe lulls lose steam, stretching the sleuth’s stride.
- Trope Traps: Familiar terror twists tame the terror, muting fresh frights.
These dents dull its edge but don’t derail the drive.
Final Verdict
Ground Zero unearths a gritty footnote in India’s fight against fear—solid, sincere, if safely scripted. Deoskar delivers duty-bound drama that honors the unseen. Thriller aficionados and Hashmi loyalists will lock in; casual crowds, look elsewhere. My rating: 6.5/10. A worthy watch for its whispered warnings.