"Katrina [Kaif] was ok with her act however I don't think that she was required."
It was a film that has been highly anticipated for months but Shahrukh Khan’s ZERO is finally out in theatres and has been met with mixed reviews.
The film had tremendous hype surrounding it especially because Shahrukh would be playing a three-foot-tall man. It was a portrayal which required heavy use of visual effects.
ZERO also starred Katrina Kaif portraying an alcoholic Bollywood actress and Anushka Sharma playing a NASA scientist with cerebral palsy.
It is a trio which would be bound to create an awesome film, but for some, it was not enjoyable. According to one film-goer, the film was not funny even though it intended to be a comedy.
Raj Vithlani said: “First half was entertaining especially by Tigmanshu Dhulia (Bahuua’s father) and Zeeshaan Ayub (Bahuua’s friend). Second half was completely wasted with a duration of 80 minutes.
“Katrina [Kaif] was ok with her act however I don’t think that she was required.”
While Raj’s highlighted Katrina’s performance as mediocre, it could be argued that her portrayal, especially during the song ‘Heer Badnaam’ was one of her best.
The song illustrated the downsides within the glamorous life of a popular heroine and seemed to have played an important role in the film.
She perfectly highlights a not-so-glamorous life that some Bollywood stars go through.
Another person pointed out the positives of the film, namely the performances by the leading actors.
All three play roles which are quite unconventional and all manage to pull them off. SRK executes romantic moments with charm and intensity in a role which relies on special effects.
Despite only having 25 minutes of screen time, Katrina impresses as a conflicted Bollywood actress, who is also heartbroken.
Anushka does well to employ the mannerisms of someone with cerebral palsy, though they are inconsistent at times.
While the love triangle concept between Khan, Kaif and Sharma’s characters is a great concept, the screenplay does not do the film justice as many critics have called certain elements “outlandish”.
This Meerut-to-Mars romance combines regular themes such as unrequited and undying love. It also includes ideas of science and interplanetary travel.
It could be argued that the film puts forward too many ideas which make the narrative a confused one. However, not everyone thinks the ideas make it unique.
Sunny Fernandes was a big fan of the film, he said:
“This movie is different in its making and narration and it touches the core of emotion and love as a feeling with the kind of storytelling.”
One negative aspect of ZERO which was pointed out by audiences and critics was the second half of the film. Many said it was very audacious and starts to feel too long drawn.
Taran Adarsh a major Bollywood critic and industry analyist labelled the film as a ‘FIASCO’ giving it 1.5 stars with a tweet on Twitter which summed up his “EPIC DISAPPOINTEMT” of the SRK offering for the festive season.
#OneWordReview…#Zero: FIASCO
Rating: ?? ½
Expected so much from this collaboration [SRK and director Aanand L Rai]… Sadly, the flawed writing – especially the second hour – takes the film downhill… EPIC DISAPPOINTMENT… #ZeroReview pic.twitter.com/Hzo1oepata— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) December 21, 2018
The second half sees Bauua travel to Mumbai in an attempt to crack Bollywood. It is here where many of the cameos happen, including Salman Khan’s in the song ‘Issaqbaazi‘.
Critics highlighted that the writing of the second half of ZERO becomes too convoluted and inconsistent.
This is shown when the film dazzles with moments of colour and vibrancy, but then it follows up with dull scenes that fail to portray the drama that it is supposed to show.
Shahrukh gives 100% to liven up ZERO and that has been noted by critics and audiences. However, the congested narrative, especially during the second half of the film, is the biggest negative according to those who have seen it.
It does not give the film justice, especially as it had such an interesting concept.
ZERO is still in its early days since being released in cinemas, more reviews will emerge. Who knows, maybe more people will take to Bauua Singh’s story.
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