‘Ground Zero’ review: Emraan Hashmi’s gritty thriller honours real sacrifice without chest-thumping

‘Ground Zero’, starring Emraan Hashmi in a career-defining role, arrives at a time when the nation is reeling from the tragic terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 innocent lives — the deadliest in Jammu & Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370. This gripping action-thriller delves into the real-life story of BSF officer Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey and his daring 2003 operation in the valley that eliminated Jaish-e-Mohammed’s top commander, terrorist Rana Tahir Nadeem, also known as Ghazi Baba - the mastermind behind the 2001 Parliament Attack and several other terrorist attacks in India. As emotions run high across the country, ‘Ground Zero’ doesn't just entertain — it serves as a stark reminder of the relentless sacrifices made by India's unsung heroes in the shadows of war and terror. But does it live up to the weight of this real-life story — and your time? Let’s find out.

The film wastes no time and starts with the brutal killings of men in uniform by a militant group called Pistol Gang, which aims to kill only soldiers, one at a time. As Narendra (played by Emraan) and his try to decode the codes of the militant group, they find out that the mastermind behind this is Ghazi Baba. At least 70 jawans have been killed in these killings, but Ghazi and his men are always ahead of the BSF.

As the film moves forward, the Parliament Attack and the Akshardham Temple Attack in Delhi and Gandhinagar (Gujarat) hit India. In between, Narendra’s teenage informer and a close aide, Hussain, gets killed in a terror attack, following which a heated argument breaks out between Narendra and his superior (Mukesh Tiwari). Blaming himself for Hussain’s death and the attack, Narendra decides to take a transfer to Indore, Madhya Pradesh, away from the Valley, while the Prime Minister is scheduled for a visit in Kashmir. Whether he stays back to eliminate Ghazi and his gang forms the rest of the story.

Directed by Tejas Prabhas Vijay Deoskar, ‘Ground Zero’ is a no-nonsense film that wastes no time in jingoism, and isn’t an over-the-top patriotic film like many others that have been released in the past. It doesn’t have any superpatriotic dialogue, yet it delivers the true sentiments of every security personnel and armed forces man who is at the border to safeguard the nation.

The first half of the action-thriller has been tightly edited and well-written. However, the second half falters a little with certain scenes that show conflicting opinions between Narendra and his seniors at BSF and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) over leads that the former gets regarding Ghazi. Here, the filmmaker has tried to take a creative liberty, but it doesn’t fit right.

Moving to performances, Emraan has delivered a very strong performance as the officer, and can also remind you of his act in ‘Bard of Blood’. His BSF subordinates Deepak Parmesh and Abhay Dheeraj Singh have also given a fine performance, while Rockey Raina as Ghazi is good, despite limited screen space.

What’s worth mentioning is Sai Tamrekar’s role as Narendra’s wife. With her nuanced performance, Sai has shown what the wives of these officers and jawans go through. The scenes where she urges Narendra to wear a jacket as he heads out late at night—under the pretext of signing a few documents—aren’t born out of concern for the cold. Instead, they quietly reflect her unspoken awareness that he’s heading into danger, and the jacket might be the only thing standing between him and a bullet.

However, Zoya Hussain and Rahul Vohra as the IB officers, didn’t really hit the mark. Mukesh Tiwari, who is known for his brilliant performances in the past, also feels wasted in the movie.

On the technical front, the film earns praise for its cinematography and background score. While the camera angles show the beauty of Kashmir and also the tense environment, the background score helps in elevating the sleekly directed action sequences. The writing team also deserves a mention, for it has not gone too loud in showing patriotism. Writers Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivastava skillfully depict how Kashmiri youth are lured into terrorism through manipulation and money, yet also highlight how, with the right guidance, they can choose a different path — even becoming informants for the security forces. The poignant bond between Narendra and Hussain stands out as one of the film’s most compelling and commendable elements.

Overall, ‘Ground Zero’ is a compelling watch as it tells the story of unsung heroes of India who are constantly putting their lives at risk for the nation’s safety and security.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars