Film Review: Zora

Banner: Trimurti Films Pvt. Ltd.

Genre: Whodunit (UA)

Story & Screenplay

Zora revolves around Ranjit Singh (Ravinder Kuhar), a sub-inspector haunted by his father’s mysterious death. His father, a principled police officer, was murdered and framed to look like a suicide, losing all his medals posthumously. Ranjit remembers seeing the culprit, Zora, on the day of the murder, but she has vanished. Years later, he uses his police position to uncover her identity.

The story, penned by Rajiv Rai, lacks the excitement and suspense expected of a murder mystery. While the screenplay is crisp and fast-paced, it fails to engage the audience in the mental challenge of a whodunit. The presence of multiple characters, mostly portrayed by lesser-known actors, reduces emotional investment. The final revelation is tame and unthrilling. Raashid Rangrez’s dialogues are routine and do little to heighten tension.

Performances

• Ravinder Kuhar is ordinary in his debut role as Ranjit Singh.

• Karan Vir is average as Iqbal.

• Nikhil Dewan, Altaf Hussain, and Sofia Parveen fail to impress in their respective roles.

• Supporting cast, including Dilraj Kaur, Meena Vaibhav, Leena Sharma, Neetu Bhatt, Sohani Kumari, Gajendra Rathi, and others, provide serviceable but forgettable performances.

• Usha Shree as the grandmother is ordinary, and most other characters barely leave an impression.

Overall, performances are uneven and fail to elevate the thin material.

Direction & Technical Aspects

• Rajiv Rai’s direction shows command over craft but feels dated and fails to engage a contemporary audience.

• Music by Viju Shah is adequate, though the background score is underwhelming.

• Lyrics by Raashid Rangrez are passable.

• Choreography by Longinus is good.

• Cinematography by Lalit Sahoo is fair.

• Action and stunts by Kinder W. Singh are uninspiring.

• Production design by Raashid Rangrez and art direction by Shabana Khanam are average.

• Editing by Rajiv Rai is sharp but not enough to save the film.

Final Verdict

Zora lacks the suspense and thrill essential for a successful whodunit. With a tame climax, weak story, and uninvolving performances, the film will go largely unnoticed at the box office.