This week, Excel Entertainment unveiled the gripping trailer of Ground Zero, setting the tone for an emotionally charged, high-stakes story grounded in real events. Audiences have lauded Emraan Hashmi’s striking transformation into BSF Commandant Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey, while the authenticity of the film’s world — from military precision to emotional depth — has added to the buzz. The trailer has received widespread acclaim for its raw intensity and rooted storytelling.
Director Tejas Deoskar, who helms the film, shared an insightful anecdote about the process behind that authenticity — and how closely the film worked with the BSF to ensure accuracy at every level.
“Whenever we do stories and films on armed forces, we make sure that the information we put out, the protocols that we need to show on screen are accurate. So, we definitely take help of the organization. In this case, it was BSF,” he shared.
What made this journey even more unique was the direct involvement of the man whose story the film is based on — Commandant Narendranath Dhar Dubey. “Mr. Dubey was very much involved right from the beginning. And his subordinate, Binu, he was also involved. So, while constructing the entire script, we were constantly in touch with them,” Deoskar explained. “Whatever doubts we had, we used to ask them. And they used to graciously tell us the details — the nuances of things — which we could incorporate.”
While the script development drew from literature and reference material, Deoskar says the validation came from Dubey himself. “To just authenticate it, we had to always go back to Dubey. And I think we are blessed that he was always available to help us out.”
Their contribution didn’t end at scripting. “We were shooting in Srinagar, Kashmir, on actual BSF bases,” the director revealed. “During the shoot, they visited a few times. BSF had even appointed a liaisoning officer who was constantly with us — guiding us on how to correctly portray soldiers, operations, ranks, and even greetings.
Every detail, Deoskar emphasized, was treated with the utmost respect. “We made sure we do not demean BSF’s pride in any way. Their mannerisms, their protocols, their names — everything was minutely taken care of. And Dubey himself was there, which gave us peace of mind that we were getting the right validation.”
Excel Entertainment presents an Excel Entertainment Production, produced by Ritesh Sidhwani & Farhan Akhtar. Directed by Tejas Deoskar, the film is co-produced by Kassim Jagmagia, Vishal Ramchandani, Sundeep C Sidhwani, Arhan Bagati, Talisman Films, Abhishek Kumar, and Nishikant Roy. Ground Zero storms into cinemas on April 25, 2025.
