With the King of Bollywood in an avatar never seen before, Zero has the potential to become a hero

On his birthday, Shah Rukh Khan released the trailer of his much anticipated film, Zero. The wait was certainly worth it.  Ever since the release of the trailer, fans have gone wild with excitement.

Directed and written by Aanand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma respectively, the three-minute long trailer shows the journey of Bauua Singh (Khan), a vertically challenged man looking for a bride. Then there is Anushka Sharma who is essaying the role of a scientist with cerebral palsy while Katrina Kaif plays the role of an actress struggling with alcoholism.

Bauua lives with his abusive father. His one dream in life is to get married at the age of 38 and because of that he is consulting a marriage bureau. Khan has played his role with such poignancy and precision that his role of a dwarf seems real and ironically capacious. His effervescence is truly contagious and shows why he is called King Khan.



The trailer further shows that the desperate Bauua finds a picture of Sharma without realising that she is a wheelchair-bound scientist. Despite the unusual love story, the heartwarming and innocent chemistry of Khan and Sharma comes out as natural and plausible. This role of Sharma is her most difficult role to date and according to many, gives the vibe of Stephen Hawking. Sharma justifies her role incredibly.



As the trailer progresses, Bauua grows profound affection for the popular actress played by Kaif. The actress radiates the power of her boldness, glamour and beauty on the one hand and simultaneously portrays an intoxicated star on the other hand with fervour. The entire country, including Bauua, is smitten by her.



Zero movingly celebrates the ‘incompleteness in people’. The trailer highlights that everyone is struggling with some ‘flaw’ or weakness but they still find happiness and the strength to go on. The movie promises to be a visual spectacle not only in terms of the star cast but also due to the captivating grandeur of the film. There is a certain sense of happiness, celebration, optimism and positivity as the trailer exudes these vibes strongly yet eloquently.



The ease with which the trailer unravels the different layers of the story with no incoherence or unintended vagueness is commendable. The apparent seamlessness truly transcends the barriers of predictability.

Another striking yet puzzling feature is the genre of science-fiction shown at the very end of the trailer that surely suspends one in disbelief but at the same time evokes questions.



Despite the amazing response that the trailer has received, there is a segment of people who are finding it difficult to digest Khan playing someone with dwarfism. They feel that an actual man who is vertically challenged should have been cast to bring in a real and natural aura.

However, in the past, there have been actors like Anupam Kher, Johnny Lever and Kamal Haasan who have played the role of dwarfs and received a lot of appreciation from the audience. So this is where the challenge lies, for Khan to prove his mettle and for the filmmakers to astutely work around the special effects to give the film the required realism. Besides, having Khan on board has given the film more hype, curiosity and commercial and mainstream ethos that would not have been the case if the actual person with dwarfism would have been cast.



All in all, the trailer reveals that the film is a blend of love, hope, revenge and betrayal, all dealt in a light-hearted manner. The editing, direction and special effects look superb from the trailer. Furthermore, the humour, vibrancy, the magical moments woven by the three lead actors and a lot of questions that lead to the conclusion of the trailer leaves the viewers wanting more.



From what it seems from the trailer, Zero has the potential to become a hero on the celluloid and box office for the times to come, if only it surpasses the expectations of the people as the trailer has.

Zero will hit the theatres on December 21, 2018.

All photos: Screenshots