Zebra Movie Review

Satyadev, who has been out of the radar is back with his new film Zebra which also has Priya Bhavani Shankar and Dolly Dhananjaya in key roles. Directed by Eashvar Karthic, the crime thriller has music by Ravi Basrur. Zebra has been released alongside Vishwak Sen’s Mechanic Rocky and did it impress the audience or not, read our detailed review to find out.

Plot:

Surya (Satyadev) works at the Bank of Trust and is in love with Swathi(Priya Bhavani Shankar), who is yet another employee at a different bank. One fine day, Swathi commits a major mistake at her work and seeks help from Suriya. Left with no choice, Suriya uses all the baking loopholes to help her rectify the mistake. But the help he does lands him in a major trouble related to a goon Aadi(Dolly Dhananjaya). Suriya is left with no choice but to pay Aadi 5 crore to come out of this mess. Who is this Aadi? and how did Surya solve the issue and come out of the mess? That forms the story.

Performances:

Satyadev is a talented actor and delivers an decent performance. The character of Surya offers him ample scope to showcase romance, action, and tension, and Satyadev rises to the occasion, carrying the film on his shoulders. Dolly Dhananjaya is passable, but the impact his character needs is not fully realized. This is partly due to the director, who fails to develop the character effectively. The same applies to Sunil, who seems stuck between comedy and negative roles, often delivering a monotonous performance. Sathyaraj is decent in his role, though not particularly memorable. Satya provides a few good laughs in the second half. Priya Bhavani Shankar has a well-written role and perfectly portrays the character of a girl caught in a deep mess.

Technicalities:

Eashvar Karthik has written the script for Zebra, and it is quite interesting. The concept of bank fraud through the use of technology provides him with ample scope to elevate emotions and thrills in a neat manner. The dialogues are well-written, and the production design effectively highlights the bank backdrop. However, the screenplay is underwhelming and overly complex, primarily due to the inclusion of too many subplots.

Ravi Basrur’s songs are boring, but his background score is decent, making an impact only in the second half of the film. The camera work is commendable, particularly the slow-motion shots, and the banking setup is portrayed well. However, the film urgently needs editing, as approximately 15 minutes could be cut. There are several unnecessary scenes in the first half, especially the villain’s introductory build-up shots, which add no value to the narrative.

Thumbs Up

Satyadev’s performance
Showcase of banking fraud
A few thrills

Thumbs Down

Runtime
Lack of gripping screenplay
Logical errors

Analysis:

Eashvar Karthic has directed Zebra, choosing a contemporary subject of bank fraud and setting it up nicely amidst the lives of two sincere bank employees. The basic premise revolves around how these innocent employees commit fraud and end up in major trouble with a goon. Eashvar starts the film on a strong note, engagingly presenting the banking fraud. The connection between the fraud, the goon, and the hero’s subsequent troubles including his need to pay off a large sum to the don is well established.

The interval twist is also effectively executed. However, the film suffers from numerous filler scenes between these high points, which slow down the pace and bore the audience. Once the main conflict is introduced, there is an expectation of solid thrills in the second half, but that does not happen. The director falters with a lengthy runtime and several logical errors.

So much fraud is showcased and one gets a feeling that whether it is so easy for banks the way they act. Eashvar takes too many cinematic liberties, which weakens the narrative. Additionally, Dhananjaya’s character track feels underdeveloped as the menace he is supposed to bring to the story lacks impact. The slow pacing of the second half is another major issue. While a few comedy scenes provide some relief, the overall narration feels jaded and uneven in many areas.

The director attempts to engage the audience with a complex screenplay by adding multiple subplots, but this ultimately backfires, making the story feel convoluted and dull. The robbery scenes are decent, and the climax is handled well. However, to appreciate these moments, the audience must sit through the dull filler scenes, which spoil the overall experience a bit.

If Eashvar had opted for a crisper runtime and a simpler narrative, the film’s potential could have been realized more effectively. Finally, Zebra has a solid story, an impressive cast, and promising thrills, but they are executed in a complex manner making this film just a passable watch, and that too only for a few thrills.

Bottom Line: Zebra With Scattered Lines

Rating: 2/5