Zero: Dreams high, delivers averagely

Anand Rai known for his strong sentimental yet comical content through Tanu weds Manu, sequel and Ranjhaanaa gets into the bigger league with King Khan at the helm. SRK shrinks smaller with plans to make the box office bigger, he has put his heart and soul out in his most comfortable avatar – being a romantic hero with a comical twist and does the film live up to its hype. Not really. A love triangle is not something new, take away SRK’s dwarf like image and his zest for a bride, the story is all familiar; we have seen it in all kind of woods (kolly, molly, holly, bolly and what not).

SRK is Bauua Singh, a 38-year-old Dwarf who has a thing to say almost to everyone. There is no denying the fact that SRK is at his best when left to romance and comedy; he gets to do unlimitedly in Zero. His character might be inspired from Suriya in Perazhagan ; only here there is no hump but he plays a dwarf who is desperate to get married or maybe is at his wit’s end at 38 years old. So, in an attempt he looks for probable brides not leaving out his witty one liners of desperation. The whole bride searching is taken ridiculously yet it is SRK and its his performance that aids the director out. After that he finds Anuskha – a glorified scientist who has her disabilities but is on a pathbreaking verge of designing a manned mission to Mars. SRK without knowing the entire truth behind goes out to reach her, woo her, make her dance to his tunes and all that.

So having said that the journey is not all the same, its SRK show all the way. He is a part of a dance competition, wins it hands down and there is no reason whatsoever for the competition; it looks more like a platform for presenting cameos – Salman, Deepika, Madhavan and many more do the honors. But again SRK saves it, the actor’s charming screen presence in handling cameos, the romantic angle does the trick. Bauua is just like SRK in Fan, he is a big fan but this time of Katrina Kaif – one of Bollywood’s celebrated diva; but the actress has a big alcohol problem. Katrina as Babita is simply at her best, as a desperate alcoholic but as seductive she could be is a revelation altogether and much relief for the actress who has been stereotyped to item girl these days. With just a day for wedding, Bauua strikes cupid with his larger than life poster girl – Babita. The triangular love story has the hero left at the start of Robert frost’s poem “Two roads diverged….”. How the movie unveils after this makes up ZERO, not to single out the cameos, charms and what not.

As a lad from Meerut; the small-town cinematic experience is brilliant. Anand Rai did it with Dhanush by showing Varnasi; it’s the same here. SRK’s tantrums as he gets whipped by his dad is quite enjoyable; this is exactly where Anand Rai shines by capitalizing on SRK’s mass comical foray. Once the movie gets into the city, to the US and all that becomes a snooze fest. Doesn’t matter whoever it might be; its hard for a girl to say NO when SRK spreads his arm out – The film has enough of that. Visually SRK’s dwarf CGI sometimes become rather too etched, yet again SRK saves it with his energetic performances.

Zero is an ambitious project, has various sub stories etched into its 165-minute run time. Its no hidden secret that Bauua the loner in Meerut was more enjoyable. Why do Bollywood stars always need to take the train to stardom – refer to those hi-life suave stylish livelihood. Its time for SRK to go back to his good old acting days with a sense of audience connect, that’s exactly where his strength lies.