Emraan Hashmi Back in Action With 'Ground Zero': Release Date & Teaser Buzz
Set your calendars for April 25, 2025—Emraan Hashmi returns to the big screen with his latest action drama, Ground Zero. Excel Entertainment has just locked the release date, sending fans into a frenzy. But there’s more: the film’s first official teaser will drop exclusively in theaters with Salman Khan’s massive Eid comeback, Sikandar, guaranteeing it will grab eyeballs across the country.
Hashmi, who’s taken on all types of roles over his career, steps into the boots of BSF Deputy Commandant Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey in this thriller inspired by gritty real events almost forgotten in mainstream Bollywood. The story is built around Dubey’s tense investigation into a hidden terror cell with roots in the notorious 2001 Indian Parliament attack. As pressure mounts and bullets fly, the film takes you straight into the heart of Kashmir’s conflict zones—no filters, no gloss. Joining Hashmi are Sai Tamhankar and Zoya Hussain, both tackling significant parts that promise plenty of drama, action, and emotional turmoil.
The True Story Behind the Thriller
Director Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar has drawn on the true accounts of one of the most dangerous periods in recent Indian history. The focus here isn’t just the chase—it’s the psychological weight thrust upon officers like Dubey, juggling duty with doubt, courage with fear. The climax features the infamous 2003 operation that led to the elimination of Rana Tahir Nadeem, also known as Ghazi Baba, the mind behind the terror attack in Delhi two years prior.
Hashmi is front and center, but the film doesn’t shy away from showing the complexity and risks faced by everyone on the ground: fellow officers, family members, and the innocent people caught in the crossfire. It’s a story built for the big screen, but there’s a raw, intimate edge that director Deoskar insists was non-negotiable.
While action movies about the armed forces aren’t new, Ground Zero carves out space for honest emotion. Expect to see scenes of tension inside command rooms, shaky phone calls home, and the exhaustion that official reports leave out. Sai Tamhankar and Zoya Hussain bring their own depth to these quieter moments, balancing out the chaos unfolding in the field.
The film’s production team, led by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, wanted a runtime that doesn’t drag—at a lean 2 hours and 14 minutes, they’re aiming for maximum punch with just enough breathing room for the story to stick. For those who can’t make it to a theater, the movie will roll out globally on Prime Video starting June 20, 2025—perfect timing for anyone who likes their thrillers with a side of realism.
Director Tejas Deoskar, still affected by recent tragic incidents like the Pahalgam terror attack, says that while making a film based on real-life operations can be tough, it’s also a responsibility. For him, the release is more than a career milestone; it’s a chance to spotlight the unseen struggles of everyday heroes without letting the audience look away from what’s at stake.
