Ground Zero Movie Review: Pahalgam attack imparts urgency to an otherwise templated Kashmir story

Context changes everything. In the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, an unexpected gravitas attaches itself to Ground Zero, an otherwise generic army-actioner set in Kashmir. I found myself being extra-vigilant while watching the film, trying to decipher where it stands. Is it incendiary or inclusive? On any other day, this would have been a film I would have dismissed in the opening scene itself. A done-to-death visual of a shikara cutting through freezing, green waters. But now the mist over Dal Lake held an expansive, still sadness.

Director: Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar

Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Sai Tamhankar and Zoya Hussain

A local gang in Kashmir is shooting soldiers point-blank in public spaces. BSF commander Narendra Nath Dubey (Emraan Hashmi) is leading the investigation. While intercepting a call, a code unveils that the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Ghazi Baba, who masterminded the 2001 Parliament attack, might also be at the helm of the pistol gang. Narendra spearheads the manhunt amidst bureaucratic pressures, while also maintaining a human lens on the Kashmir question.

For most part, Ground Zero operates as an investigative. We see Narendra decrypting codes, planting bugs and running after suspects in narrow lanes of Kashmir. In its structure, it’s mostly straightforward, predictable, not offering many surprises. An amalgamation of scenes from all other Kashmir military-actioners. Where it stands out, is in its politics. In such divisive times, it doesn’t take an opportunistic approach, rather it’s sensitive and humane. For instance, Narendra doesn’t jail but befriends Hussain (Mir Mehrooz), a young Kashmiri who tries to kill him. As Narendra visits Hussain’s house, we witness that he is just another youth, trying to earn for his mother and his little sister. “We have to change their minds,” Narendra tells a fellow officer.

The balancing-act, however, at times felt too underlined, almost corny. A Kashmiri refuses money from an Army officer after serving him tea. The latter proceeds to put the money in an Eid donation box. In its urgent bid to be sympathetic, Ground Zero becomes simplistic. Currently when emotions are soaring high over Kashmir, Narendra’s sensitivity can feel quixotic. However, it’s admirable to see the film stick to its guns and not resort to clarion calls for revenge. When Emraan’s Narendra raises a war cry: “Ab pehredaari nahi, prahaar hoga (Defence days are over, time for offence)” it didn’t hit home. The jingoism felt unconvincing, put on. One for the masses.

Emraan Hashmi, known for playing characters which operate in grey areas, portrays Narendra with competence if not enough conviction. His BSF officer doesn’t give in to base instincts and admirably holds on to a moral restraint. The film makes you check your bias, it makes you think and ponder at a time when all you might be seeking is a quick, final solution. Narendra’s daughter wishes to go to school one day with Santa Claus and not an Army man guarding her. It’s a dream that might feel distant, even more so now, but it’s a dream worth fighting for.