Satyadev is an actor with talent but hasn't had the luck to find the right opportunities. He is now ready with his new film Zebra which also has Dolly Dhananjaya, popular for his character Jali Reddy in Pushpa. SatyaDev himself promoted Zebra as the biggest film of his career. So, did this film give SatyaDev the break he was looking for? Did it take him to the next level? What is the story of Zebra?
Story
Surya (SatyaDev) is a relationship Manager at a bank called Bot. His dream is to save up and buy a house for himself and marry Swathi (Priya Bhavani Shankar), who also works at a bank. One day, due to a small mistake by Swathi, a check gets accidentally deposited into the wrong account. The person who deposited the check comes to the bank, demanding his money back immediately. Surya steps in, using some loopholes to resolve the issue. However, five crores are accidentally deposited into an account in Surya's name, and the account gets frozen. Surya is clueless as to how this money ended up in a fake account under his name. Meanwhile, a gangster named Aadi (Dolly Dhananjaya) claims that the five crores belong to him and sets a deadline of four days to transfer the money into his account. What happens next? Who opened the fake account in Surya’s name? Why was the account frozen? Can Surya retrieve the money? The rest is the story.
Analysis
The filmmakers released a sneak peek of five minutes of footage based on the bank’s loopholes, and it genuinely created interest. The main point of Zebra is around this issue, but the film also adds layers of money laundering and gangster drama. Unfortunately, these two layers don't blend as effectively as expected in this financial crime. The film starts with Surya, the bank Relationship Manager, offering an intriguing perspective, especially as he uses the bank’s loopholes to fix the mess.
However, once the gangster Aadi and the money laundering angle come into play, the story loses its momentum. The conflict around five crores doesn't feel convincing, and the audience doesn’t fully engage with the character of Gupta (Sunil), who is supposed to be a villain but doesn’t create much impact. Satyadev has carved out his style as an actor, and he plays Surya in a cool, fun way that stands out among his previous roles. Dolly Dhananjaya adds swag to his gangster role, though there are some flaws in how it was written.
Satya’s comedy relief in the money heist episode provides some lighter moments, but again, there is an adult scene that could have been removed. Priya Bhavani Shankar looks graceful as always, and Jennifer North’s touch is evident in her character, Sheela. Sunil’s character is a mix of serious and comedic, and his dialogue delivery entertains at times. Sathyaraj plays a pivotal role in the stock market scene.
Surya's character is key to the story and should have been more solidly designed. Unfortunately, the way his character is developed doesn’t make the tension feel real, and after a couple of scenes, it feels like nothing significant happens because of him. The audience struggles to feel the tension Surya is supposed to be under. Technically, the scenes in the banking environment are a bit complicated.
The second half of the film has an exciting bank heist episode, which is done well, even though there are questions about whether it could actually happen in real life. The game plan for the heist is engaging, and the twists keep things interesting. SatyaDev's comedy shines in this episode, although there’s one adult scene that should have been edited out. The director has done a good job with the bank loopholes but if the loopholes had been handled better, the thriller aspect of Zebra would have been much more exciting.
Verdict
Overall, Zebra has a great backdrop and story but is narrated only in a half-baked manner. While a few thrills impress, the confusing screenplay bores the audience at times. Those with an eye for heist thrillers can give this film a shot and the rest can take it easy.
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