WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The way in which we carry ourselves will become a reflection of not only who we are, but who we might wish to be, now and always. Therefore, what is it to exude a manner filled with ultimately self-serving ends? Will it bring us to a place of total, absolute happiness? Or, will it instead lead us to realize that sometimes, a change in behavior is no injustice, but rather a catalyst to a much better life? Take, for example, a man named Bauua Singh (SRK). Already possessing what many call a disadvantage in his dwarfism, but born to an affluent family, Bauua more than makes up for his vertically challenged state by being a charming, witty cad with a seemingly innocent arrogance to accompany it all.
Despite being somewhat considered a local hero is the city of Meerut, Bauua longs for something more–aka: meeting a woman. Initially, and through dogged perseverance, Bauua establishes a relationship with NSAR space agency scientist with cerebral palsy Aafia (Anushka Sharma), whom he sees as a kindred spirit in their mutual sharing of physical disadvantages and astute intellects, even if Aafia is more than evidently the true smarter one. But, Bauua’s real focus has always been to pursue and have a chance at wooing his favorite movie star, the emotionally flawed but stunning Babita Kumari (Katrina Kaif). However, the journey Bauua ends up in becomes a sobering reality check that shines a revealing light on his own faults, areas that need adjustment, and which soon illustrates that even reaching for the stars may not be enough to save the connection he needs most.
Next, my Mind:
It brings all the expected goods to the table–three hugely favored leads, grounded drama, affecting romance, whimsical laughs, stirring pathos, moving music, excellently choreographed, artistic dance sequences, plus cameos galore. Yet, for this critic, the new, 164-minute Bollywood effort from director Aanand L. Rai and writer Himanshu Sharma didn’t end up firing on all rockets thanks to the film’s final act, where the resolution/reconciliation facet of the narrative’s love story ventured a little too far beyond belief for me and hence lost some of its momentum and ultimate emotional punch because of it. Now don’t get me wrong, we come to these movies to be swept away in the grand scope of it all, but the best ones still manage to maintain a solid semblance of credibility, within the respective style and/or genre the film represents, in how the primary romantic protagonists solve the anticipated rift that tears them apart in order to come back around and find real happiness. Here, I just felt that concept wasn’t executed in a way that felt even a little feasible, almost too far-fetched to really sell me on it being that sought after solution necessary to wrap things up in a nice, neat bow. This aside, though, the film was the overall style and triumph I to this day adore about Indian/South Asian cinema, in that it was so adept at pulling on my heartstrings with an effectiveness and tangible sense of engagement through the plights of its characters.
The major themes of how we see and treat ourselves, the impact it has on others we aim to connect with, knowing what’s most important, making mistakes and learning from them, finding a new purpose, and realizing how big of a difference there is between humble but strong confidence vs. vain conceit all have their time in the spotlight here, which brings the human element to the proceedings that we as the audience, in some form, can relate to. Being able to be entertained fully while still taking away that sense of relatability is key to stories like this succeeding, and here it was done at least up to the final 30 minutes or so, where things just get too much out of this world for what I would have expected and then preferred. Visually, as is so often the case, the film is a crisply shot, optical wonder as we follow the exploits of SRK’s digitally-shrunk Bauua and his quest to woo the women in his life and how they end up so drastically altering his sense of self. The dance sequences are mesmerizing consistently for me, pure artistry beautifully designed to fit each reflective or emotional moment the accompanying song aims to evoke, while sometimes creating a straightforward bit of fun that you won’t be able to help but move in your seat to. Plus, the sheer colors brought to bear in these segments aids in bringing a smile to your face with the visual poignancy, raucous or subdued, delivered.
While this certainly isn’t the best overall film I’ve seen the incomparable SRK execute, it is still undeniably evident his constant, steady, charismatic manner will draw you in watching him bring his larger-than-life persona to Bauua, a man stricken with dwarfism, yet part of a highly affluent family which affords him his “local hero” status. While some may “worship” him, others do not, and Bauua knows he needs to find a way to expand his scope of influence. Finding the means to locate and then pursue a relationship with Aafia, the couple seem so ideally suited to one another, even if it takes much convincing and fervent tenacity on Bauua’s part to see it come together. But, when things end up being taken to the next level, it becomes apparent Bauua’s true nature to run from what is uncomfortable comes forth, and his choices become erratic, driving him to then seek out his pipe dream, Babita, with whom he truly has nothing in common with other than being a pair of damaged souls. Once Bauua realizes who’s truly the best, it takes an extraordinary leap of faith to try and makes things right. Throughout, SRK mixes the comedic and dramatic with his usual flare, perhaps more entertaining due to him being hobbit-sized, amusingly reminding us why he’s the superstar he is, even if this, in general, might not totally encompass what he’s shown capable of in prior performances.
Anushka Sharma, honestly, very much proceeds to steal the show as the cerebral palsy-afflicted, wheelchair-bound NSAR scientist Aafia, a woman of acute intelligence on the cusp of offering potentially game-changing improvements to the area of space travel when it comes to reaching Mars. Her initial ability to overcome the odds both as a woman and a professional meets a new obstacle in the form of Bauua, whom she at first regards as an annoyance before realizing she might actually be able to see attraction and mutual love between them. The development of their odd yet totally compatibility is a heartwarming, funny, and uniquely inspirational journey, beset by others who cannot fathom the two together. Yet, her willingness to make it work ends up also aiding to expose Bauua’s own insecurities and lack of real commitment, putting the two at odds, maybe for good, and inevitable heartbreak suddenly seems to be the path before them. However, even as Aafia must make the choice to move forward, her angered state of mind towards Bauua might still bear within it a depth of love for him still that may prove enough to alleviate her disappointment and find, reluctantly, forgiveness and renewal of a heart for him. Sharma is so overtly endearing and believable that this critic fell in love with Aafia as well and makes one realize what’s beyond the surface can be so much greater to cherish.
I will freely admit from the start that for my money, Kaif is one of the sexiest women alive, and normally that is the perspective emphasized in many of the roles she plays. Here, though, while that indisputable aura of allure is showcased during certain moments, it isn’t the focus in her enacting the character of Babita, an alcohol-loving movie star very much in pain and adamant denial of a recently broken relationship that totally has her on the emotional ropes, driving her to truly hate everyone around her all for the sake of pining for that which she’s lost. Yet, when she encounters Bauua via some extreme circumstances initially and then under slightly more normal ones later on, the caustic and conflicting yet strangely similar nature of their demeanors and status ends up creating an unanticipated bond between them that still goes to show that some things are only single layered, with immediate needs met without any real sense of viable romance, despite that being what Bauua would desire. How it ends up between the two is a harsh and impactful sequence that strikes them both inside and out, though whether for good or ill specifically for Babita remains in question. Watching Kaif navigate these volatile nuances is quite visceral, and continues to prove for me that she’s still a highly underrated actress that is at minimum striving to show more and more depth and ability as she goes.
Primary supporting roles are found here from Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Bauua’s hilariously sight-challenged best friend and confidant Guddu, Brijendra Kala as a Delhi matrimonial agent Pandey whom through Bauua finds out about Aafia, Tigmanshu Dhulia as Bauua’s overbearing and frustrated father Ashok, Sheeba Chaddha as Bauua’s more understanding mother Beena, R. Madhavan as Aafia’s new fiancé Srinivasan, and Abhay Deol as Babita’s ex, Aditya Kapoor. Additional turns comes via a fantastic run of cameos, in two particular scenes, from Kajol, Rani Mukerji, the late Sridevi (you are MISSED!), Alia Bhatt, Karisma Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan, Ganesh Acharya, Remo D’Souza, and Sushrii Shreya Mishraa. In total, while “Zero” is a film aiming to soar into the far reaches of the heavens and beyond, it ends up not quite breaching the atmosphere in delivering a entertainingly satisfying but not universe moving effort that could have been such with a tweak to an ending that leaves you feeling just a little cheated.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
