Zero review and box office report: There was huge anticipation from Shah Rukh Khan’s latest flick Zero but the Anand L Rai directed film Zero has not been able to garner either unanimous critical praise, which we are used to for SRK films, or audiences’ love. After failing to meet expectations on day one, December 21st, with just Rs 20.14 crore opening, the film’s collections fell to 18.22 crore on Saturday and then recovering slightly to collect Rs 20.71 crore on Sunday garnering a total weekend net of Rs. 59.07 crore.

Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh Tweeted: “#Zero has clearly underperformed… Remained on similar levels over the weekend… No turnaround / big jump in biz… #Christmas holiday [tomorrow] should boost biz… Real test on Wed and Thu… Fri 20.14 cr, Sat 18.22 cr, Sun 20.71 cr. Total: ₹ 59.07 cr. India biz.”

Meanwhile Sumit Kadel, film trade analyst and critic, who in his review called the film “a mammoth let down”, tweeted that the film is “all set to be lowest grosser Christmas release of all time. Disaster.”

Kadel also added that on Monday Zero has witnessed a “humongous drop registering mere 10-15% occupancy across India.”

Zero Review: Shah Rukh Khan’s film a ‘fiasco’ and an ‘epic disappointment’; Tweeple give thumbs down to Anand L Rai’s movie

Released with great fanfare and promotional blitzkrieg on social media and TV, etc., one of the biggest releases of 2018, Zero did not match to its hype. What have been the reasons behind the film’s failure. We deep dive into some of the reasons behind Zero’s zero gravity with audiences:

1. Rahul, Naam Toh Suna Hoga

Yes, Shah Rukh Khan is again playing the romantic, ‘prince charming’ Rahul which is done-to-death by him in its various avatars spanning three decades. In Meerut, Rahul is called Bauua Singh. But what’s in the name as the Bard said. Talking to Financial Express Online Sumit Sadel said, “People went to see SRK as never seen before. They had high expectations from SRK playing Bauaa – a dwarf but they witnessed typical Shah Rukh Khan act which he is doing over the years. Instead of playing a character he ended up being himself, typical romantic Shah Rukh Khan.”

We agree Sumit.

2. Science is so overrated…eh?

Zero film’s second half is as bizarre as it gets. SRK’s Bauua Singh takes part in a “competition” or a selection process to shortlist humans who can reach Mars, who in-turn are competing with a Chimp for the same. Bizarre? Wait! We have just started. Even though SRK’s character has only finished high school, he is selected because education, apparently, does not matter! Film critic Sumit Kadel was not impressed with it. “Things went crazy in the second half which was over dragged, extremely stretched and boring. The bizzare Mars mission angle was unrealistic and out of the plot,” Kadel said.

“Audience was not expecting this from Aanand L Rai who is known to make desi, Earthy films. Audience couldn’t digest the film ending on a Sci-Fi note. Mars angle came out of nowhere,” Sumit adds. And it reached no where.

3. No ‘Aanand’ at all!

Not only the film’s plot bizarre, its writing, by Himanshu Sharma, makes it even weird. Talking to Financial Express Online about the film, Sumit Kadel said, “Film’s writing was mediocre and had minimal entertaining moments unlike Rai’s previous outings.”

Rai and Sharma’s other films such as the Tanu Weds Manu series made an instant connect with the viewers which kept them glued throughout the runtime but Zero film wanders from one subplot to another without finishing them or etching them out clearly.

Audience does not want to be treated like a Gold Fish as they clearly have a better attention span. Zero, which opens with a dream sequence, moves from Meerut to Mars via Mumbai and leaves a trail to cinematic mess.

Also Read | Zero vs KGF box office collection: Yash starrer inches away from beating SRK’s mega outing

4. Shoddy and inconsistent VFX

Shah Rukh Khan’s character Rahul, err Bauua Singh plays a 4’2″ high or 4’6″ or 4″4″ dwarf. You’ll never get to know because in the film itself it is mentioned as 4’2″ once and at another point as 4’6″. Bauua’s height looks different in different scenes. While the lift-off scene for the Martian rocket is great, VFX in the rest of the movie is below par to say the least. The vessel through which SRK makes an splashdown looks so gross, it should be left somewhere in the depths on Pacific, never to be found.

5. No logic only magic

Remember this tag line from Rohit Shetty’s latest Golmaal? But sadly Rai is not Shetty and SRK is not Ajay Devgn. Things that look OK in ‘Shetty-verse’ can not be replicated elsewhere. It needs a different cast and crew altogether. Rai was Earthy and connected till he decided to throw the caution out of wind and made Shah Rukh Khan trigger meteor showers. Yes! He counts ten to zero and with a pinch makes stars fall. Pretty dangerous. What’s more, he has a never ending supply of currency notes. From Rupees to Dollars, wherever he goes, SRK literally showers notes. Hailing from a middle class Meerut family and with no apparent source of income, his ‘expensive’ love for currency shower is baffling. Another Note Ban anyone?

Watch Katrina Kaif’s “Heer Badnam” from Zero:

Seems like Zero makers spent more money on it and did less of brainstorming while making the movie. Other ‘worthy’ mention is that of Anushka’s not-so-impressive act as Afia, a space scientist suffering from Cerebral Palsy. But Sharma has had her share of trolling, so we only advise you to see Kalki Koechlin’s performance in Margarita With A Straw. Any movie lover will instantly know the difference.

Katrina Kaif, though, was surprisingly outstanding as a heartbroken Bollywood star Babita Kumari. She infuses life into a character who is taken up alcoholism for self-destruction. Her portrayal of a messy cynical person stands out in this wreck of a film.