Cast: Satyadev, Daali Dhanunjaya, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Harsha Chemudu, Satyaraj, Jennifer Piccinato, Sunil, Satya

Crew: 
Written by Meeraqh, Eashvar Karthic, Yuva
Cinematography by Sathya Ponmar
Music by Ravi Basrur
Produced by Bala Sundaram, S. N. Reddy, Dinesh Sundaram
Directed by Eashvar Karthic

Satyadev, one of the dependable performers of Telugu Cinema, has been looking to excel in leading roles and establish himself at the box office. But the actor has been marred by his script selection as the films he selected have been getting critical acclaim for his performances but failing at the BO. Now, he is taking a huge leap of faith with Zebra, a high budget multi-starrer in the direction of Eashvar Karthic. The movie released on 22nd November and let's discuss about it in detail. 

Plot: 

Surya (Satya), a skilled problem-solver, knows the ins and outs of the banking system and is adept at handling the most challenging customers at the Bank of Trust. He is in love with Swathi (Priya Bhavani Shankar) and considers Bob (Harsha) and his mother to be his family. When a minor issue arises in Swathi's bank, Surya takes charge and resolves it within minutes. However, he is unaware of the larger problems that will arise from his actions. 

Enter Aadhi (Daali Dhananjaya), a ruthless assassin turned business mastermind, who needs to complete his most prestigious project to meet the most powerful figure in his life. Surya's intervention leads to unforeseen trouble, and Aadhi finds himself needing Surya to clear the issue. The question arises: What is Aadhi's issue with Surya? How does a small-time bank employee get embroiled in such a dangerous situation? Can Surya clear the stain on Aadhi's reputation, or will he have to face him in a battle? The rest of the story unfolds as we discover the answers to these questions

Analysis :

For a film that deals with banking system, one needs to be clear and detail-oriented in screenplay. Lucky Baskhar gets this right while Zebra goes round in circles. It tries to include dark comedy elements, thriller elements and they threw everything at the wall trying to figure out if something does stick. The problem with such approach is that the movie falters in carrying audiences along with it. The intent in few scenes is clear that the makers want to be true to their story. But they leave those ideas half baked at script level itself. 

Even a committed performance by Satydev doesn't really enhance the script. He once again gave everything to the character. He is able to convey emotions brilliantly yet it is hard to travel through just based on his character. The things he is pulling off needed much more explanation and detailing for us to connect with or even understand. Emotionally, comically and action wise he is able to do his best to salvage the script. 

Daali Dhanunjaya has a charismatic screen presence. In his scenes, it is hard to notice another actor. But even his character has been limited to generic and regular tropes leaving us wondering "why". Satyaraj, Sunil, Satya and Harsha tried their best to evoke laughs but their characters aren't supported by consistent writing. Priya Bhavani Shankar looked beautiful but she did not have much scope to perform. 

Production values are brilliant and huge for such a medium budget movie. Cinematography is top notch but Ravi Basrur disappoints with his songs. His Background score is fine but upto the standards we anticipate from him. Eashvar Karthic, the director repeated some of the mistakes he committed with his previous films like V1 and Penguin. His penchant to take a good idea is great but then he is not concentrating on detailing and character arcs that really help his films stand out. Zebra with good intentions could have been an enjoyable thriller but fizzles after an impressive beginning. 

TeluguOne Perspective :

Movie starts off well but fizzles off towards the end.