Ground Zero Movie Review: Emraan Hashmi’s Paramilitary Story and Pahalgam’s Connection

Ground Zero is a film with immense power and impact, especially given the devastating situations unfolding in Pahalgam. At times, there will be a film that takes on a greater significance because of real-life events, and Ground Zero is one of those films.

Story of NND Dubey Ground Zero

The film records the life of NND Dubey, a Border Security Force (BSF) officer who spearhead a successful mission in Srinagar, where he and his team eliminated Ghazi Baba, a wanted Pakistani terrorist linked to several significant acts of terrorism, including the Parliament attack of 2001. Ghazi Baba, who was trained in Afghanistan, was a senior Jaish-e-Muhammad operational commander in the Jammu & Kashmir region.

In today’s film industry, compelling stories like this often risk being political or one-sided. Nevertheless, Ground Zero strikes a balance to represent a truthful account of the complicated transition Kashmir is going through, especially in places like Pahalgam.

A Film That Stands Strong

Ground Zero does not just glorify success. Rather, it shows the human emotions behind the uniform – pride, pain, and sacrifice. Dubey and his team have feelings (too many to name) towards the local people of Kashmir, as do Kashmiris towards the army.

All of this, against the backdrop of beautiful yet sensitive sites of Pahalgam, the film attempts to create a bridge of understanding between security forces and civilians, a narrative of understanding, trust, and hope.

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Politics Handled Carefully

The film doesn’t shy away from difficult topics like custodial pain, the race for medals, religious intolerance and radicalism, and civilians’ distrust of everything. Some scenes and dialogues felt a bit contrived, but Emraan Hashmi gives a calm, subdued performance that anchors the film. The supporting cast does well, with a few cliché moments.

Most importantly, the film’s politics feel authentic and fair. Sure, there are a couple of dialogues between Emraan Hashmi and Sai Tamhankar (his wife) that come off as dramatic. Overall, the film has the right tone, leaving a very strong message about peace and being human.

Ground Zero  Cast, Review, and Release Date

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Pahalgam and the Beauty of Kashmir

Set mainly amid the lovely landscapes of Kashmir, like the beautiful walnut forests around Pahalgam — Ground Zero wanted to create a sense of Kashmir’s beauty, and remind audiences of its potential for film. Kashmir, and specifically Pahalgam, was once one of the biggest film locations for Bollywood films before conflict changed that.

Producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani spoke highly about the support from people while they were filming. Executive producer Arhan Bagati, who is a Kashmiri, wanted to show a different portrayal of Srinagar, Downtown, Lal Chowk — a portrayal of Kashmir with life, not conflict.

But after the unfortunate killings in Pahalgam in April 2025, normalizing the image of Kashmir is a significant challenge. Nevertheless, Ground Zero continues to stand as a beacon of hope.

A Message of Hope

Ground Zero fundamentally asks viewers to question their preconceptions about Kashmir. A striking line before the climax of the film.

“Kashmir ki zameen bhi apni hai, aur Kashmir ke log bhi apne hain”
(“Kashmir’s land is ours, and so are its people”) — stays with the audience.

In an age of easy hate, films like Ground Zero are the courageous signpost of peace, of humanity, of understanding. The meaning of “ground zero” in this case exceeds just disaster – it stands for possibility.