Zero KMS Review

'Zero Kms' flirts with the dark, dangerous world of human trafficking. Brave would be a grossly underwhelming word to describe the channel’s foray into an issue which is largely ignored in the realm of popular conscience. Human trafficking exists, we all know that, but have we really bothered to understand the murky machinations of this shadowy industry that thrives in almost all countries of the world, but especially in our country? No, because this issue is almost always swept under the carpet, or spoken about in hushed tones at best.

Each episode of the series opens with a disturbing piece of statistic flashed on the screen, regarding human trafficking. Next to come, at the start of each episode, are immensely more disturbing visuals– the very first episode shows a young girl’s tongue being surgically cut off. Other episodes show a bevy of girls, blood-stained bandages covering their mouths, being subjected to scrutiny; nubile young girls displayed as provocative sex objects and many more of the same ilk. The disconcerting opening sets the tone of the events to follow, and we spend the better part of the 18-22 minutes of run time, with gooseflesh, hand to the mouth and heart in the throat. Arjun, played by Tanmay Dhanania, is the protagonist. He’s just been released from jail, after ten years of incarceration for murdering a police officer. The truth is something else, and far more evil. Arjun had been framed by DCP John Pinto (Satyadeep Mishra, in his most menacing avatar yet), to blackmail Arjun’s brother, police officer Shyam (Mukul Chadda), into toeing his line. Pinto is the face of an international human trafficking ring that does the most despicable things one can contemplate. While in jail, Arjun is mentored by a martial arts maven called Guru. Guru, if you haven’t guessed by now, is played by none other than the prodigious Naseeruddin Shah. Guru is something of an enigma. The lessons he gives Arjun are deeply sublime and inscrutably brilliant. His training and teachings transform the lanky Arjun into a lean, mean, fighting machine. At his best, Arjun can kill the most vicious of men with his bare hands. Once out of jail, Arjun realizes that Shyam is in deep trouble. And before he knows it, Shyam is murdered and Arjun becomes the prime suspect. Shyam has left a series of clues for Arjun to decipher, which will lead him to crucial evidence against Pinto and his goings-on.

Zero Kms doesn’t waste time on niceties, cutting to the chase straightaway. Throats are slit with alarming regularity– every episode features at least one– and there are copious amounts of blood and gore. A ruthless hit-man called Julius goes on a killing spree with such nonchalant viciousness that it makes one’s hair stand on end.

There are also several really exasperating aspects to the show that are hard to warm up to the constant dialogue Arjun keeps up with himself, the quick camera cuts, swinging between past and present, the innumerable flashback scenes; the lack of urgency in Arjun’s actions– Zero Kms would have been infinitely sharper and tauter without these, in our opinion.

The haunting visuals will linger in your mind’s eye till late in the night; the pulsating music will continue to ring in your ears, until you will it to go away and a good night’s sleep will have gone for a toss. But if you still insist on watching it in the darkness of night, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you!