Review: Zebra – A financial crime thriller that works in parts!

Talented actor Satyadev’s latest movie, ‘Zebra’, directed by Eashvar Karthic, is a crime thriller set in the backdrop of financial crimes. Kannada actor Daali Dhananjaya also plays a lead role in this movie. The movie was released today in cinemas worldwide. Check out our review to find out if Zebra succeeds in impressing the audience.

Story:

Surya (Satyadev) is a bank employee. He is in love with his colleague Swathi (Priya Bhavani Shankar). However, Surya does not have the courage to tell his parents about Swathi. One day, Swathi lands into an unexpected issue. In a bid to save Swathi, Surya gets into a much bigger problem. He has to pay 5 crores to Aadi (Daali Dhananjaya) in four days. Can Surya, a bank employee, afford to pay such a huge amount? What did Surya do to get 5 crores? The drama that unfolds forms the main crux of the story.

Plus Points:

The main theme of Zebra is quite impressive. The way Surya’s character is established in the opening scene is good. Especially the scenes related to Surya trying to get Rs 5 crores in 4 days and the unexpected drama that takes place between the characters in this sequence will keep the audience engaged. Satyadev’s characterization and some comedy scenes are the main highlights of the movie. The scenes written by the director linking Satyadev and Daali Dhananjaya standout.

Overall, ‘Zebra’ has good drama along with fun elements that worked out well at some places. The performances of all the actors are quite impressive. Satyadev transformed well into his character with his timing, even in serious situations. Daali Dhananjaya, too, impresses with his screen presence and performance. Heroine Priya Bhavani Shankar did justice to her character.

Senior character artiste Sathyaraj is splendid as Baba. Comedian Satya’s dialogues and his hilarious gestures will leave the audience laughing out loud. Amrutha Iyengar and the other key actors also performed well in their given roles.

Minus Points:

While Eashvar Karthic’s story and the characters of Satyadev and Daali Dhananjaya are quite impressive, the narrative moves pretty slowly at some places. Certain crucial scenes are not logically connected. Especially, the villain and heroine characters should have been written more strongly along with the hero’s character. What if someone’s money is mistakenly credited to someone else’s account? The drama that unfolds in this sequence should have been written more effectively.

If an ordinary bank employee has to get Rs 5 crores in just 4 days, what will his mentality be like in such a crisis? How will his behavior change? It would have been better if issues like this had been shown more effectively. Although writer-director Eashvar Karthic succeeded in elevating the content on screen, he couldn’t make a few routine scenes entertaining.

Technical Aspects:

Eashwar Karthic impresses as a director, but he has not been fully successful as a screenplay writer. The songs provided by music director Ravi Basrur are not impressive. Similarly, even the background score is not up to the mark in a few important scenes. Had the editor trimmed the unnecessary scenes more tightly, the film would have been a far more satisfying watch. Satya Ponmar’s cinematography is good. The production values by producers SN Bala Sundaram, SN. Reddy, and Dinesh Sundaram are quite good.

Verdict:

The main theme, the drama between the main characters, and some fun elements are quite good in Zebra. Additionally, the performances by Satyadev and the rest of the actors and some thrilling elements are impressive. However, the screenplay is not engaging in certain sequences, and some boring scenes in the second half are the drawbacks of Zebra. On the whole, the crime and suspense drama revolving around money will engage the audience to an extent.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.75/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team 

Click Here For Telugu Review