Zora Review: Rajiv  Rai’s Signature is Missing…

By Shantiswaroop Tripathi

• Rating: 1 Star
• Producers: Rajiv Rai and Rashid Rangrez
• Writer: Rajiv Rai
• Director: Rajiv Rai
• Cast: Ravindra Kuhar, Karan Veer, Nikhil Diwan, Sofia Praveen, Dilraj Kaur, Meena Vaibhav, Leena Sharma, Neetu Bhati
• Duration: 2 hours 5 minutes

The creator of memorable films like Yudh, Tridev, Vishwatma, and Gupt, Rajiv Rai, returns after a full 20 years with Zora. Before the film’s release, Rajiv Rai gave several interviews, raising expectations — expectations he ultimately failed to meet. Rajiv Rai’s films used to be synonymous with tight action, engaging stories, and foot-tapping music, many of which became cult classics. Sadly, Zora, which hit theatres on August 8, is quite a disappointment. There’s no trace of Rajiv Rai’s trademark style in this film.

Story

In 2003, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, an honest and diligent police inspector, Virat Singh, is murdered inside his father-in-law’s mansion. Witnessing this murder is Virat’s 13-year-old son, Ranjit Singh, but he can’t see the killer’s face as they are fully masked from head to toe. However, from certain voices, he gathers that the killer is a woman named  Zora. Virat’s murder is officially declared a suicide. Despite no suspicion from the police about foul play, Virat is accused of being involved in a multi-billion rupee counterfeit stamp paper scam, and the court strips him of all his medals, honours, and reputation, declaring him a traitor to the nation.

Determined to get justice for his father, Ranjit grows up, joins the police force, and becomes a sub-inspector in the crime branch. Twenty years later, Ranjit (played by Ravindra Kuhar) continues his efforts to track down the mysterious and immoral Zora. He has his own unconventional ways of punishing criminals. Gradually, suspicion falls on four women: Ranjit’s loving mother, a clever forensic expert, a kind-hearted doctor aunt, and Froda Lobo, a veterinarian from Goa.

Ranjit’s working style doesn’t please his senior, Iqbal, but Iqbal too is a fierce inspector from whom criminals cannot escape. After several fast-paced events, when the secret of Virat’s killer is finally revealed, the audience might be surprised — although a sharp viewer would likely guess the culprit within the first 20 minutes.

Review

There is nothing fresh in the story or screenplay. In one sentence — this film has no trace of Rajiv Rai’s signature style. WatchingZora, it’s hard to believe that this is the same Rajiv Rai who wrote and directed Tridev, Mohra, and Vishwatma. While creating Iqbal’s character, the writer-director seems to have completely lost direction.

Moreover, though the killer Zora remains hidden behind a mask, her physique gives some hints, suggesting she is overweight. Among the female characters placed under suspicion, two are visibly on the heavier side, making this aspect unintentionally obvious.

In his interviews, Rajiv Rai spoke extensively about the importance of editing, claiming that a film can fail due to an editor’s mistakes. Ironically, Zora has been edited by Rajiv Rai himself — yet the scenes are poorly assembled, disrupting the flow and failing to create the intended tension.

Acting

Rajiv Rai has cast all newcomers in the film. Unfortunately, the performances amount to nothing more than crudeness. The blame lies more with the writing and direction than the actors themselves. It’s the director’s responsibility to select the right actors and draw strong performances from them. And without strong dialogues and a solid script, even a good actor can’t do justice to a role.

All the actors are newcomers, making it hard to remember who’s who. Ravindra Kuhar plays Ranjit Singh, but instead of focusing on acting, he seems more concerned with showing off his physique. Even in emotional scenes, his face remains expressionless. Most of the time, it feels like he is participating in a bodybuilding competition rather than acting in a film.

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