Zebra

Weeks after Lucky Bhaskar, a tale of a bank employee whose greed nearly leads to his downfall, another film centred on financial fraud in the banking sector, Zebra, is out in theatres. Incidentally, Zebra also begins with a bank official instructing his subordinates, “We don’t want another Harshad Mehta.” However, the similarities between the films more or less end there.

What is it with Telugu cinema and banking fraud? Within the past three weeks, we’ve had Lucky Baskhar, Matka, and now Zebra, which deals with banks, scams, heists, boyish charm, ticking clocks, tension-filled banks, middle class aspirations, and of course, references to Harshad Mehta. But, in a very weird way, all three films are as different as chalk and cheese thanks to the era the films are set in, the stars headlining the films, and the unique treatment. Zebra differs from both these movies despite having banking and scams at the centre of it because director Eashvar Karthic designs a protagonist who does what he does for others and not for individual gains, and most importantly, the adversary isn’t the system, but an individual.

Zebra, the film’s title, could denote the game the characters play with black and white money (they call it sugar) throughout the film. It could also mean the colour grey you get when the two stripes of the animal are mixed–which would be the moral tone of almost all the characters in the movie. Incidentally, that’s how you feel about the film as well. It is neither a smooth entertainer nor a problematic drag. In essence, Zebra is an over-the-top heist thriller that is more about entertainment and less about logic and other rational thoughts. As it gets the entertaining part right, it overshadows even its worst flaw.