Zero (2018 film)

2018 comedy drama film directed by Aanand L. Rai

Zero

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Aanand L. Rai
Written by| Himanshu Sharma
Produced by| Gauri Khan
Aanand L. Rai
Starring| Shah Rukh Khan
Katrina Kaif
Anushka Sharma
Cinematography| Manu Anand
Edited by| Hemal Kothari
Music by| Ajay-Atul

Production
companies

Red Chillies Entertainment
Colour Yellow Productions[1]

Distributed by| Pen Marudhar Entertainment and PVR Pictures (India)
Eveready Pictures (Pakistan)
Zee Studios (Canada)
Yash Raj Films (International)[a]

Release date

* December 21, 2018 (2018-12-21) (India)[3]

Running time

| 164 minutes[4]
Country| India
Language| Hindi
Budget| ₹200 crore[5]
Box office| ₹191.43 crore[6]

Zero is a 2018 Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film written by Himanshu Sharma, directed by Aanand L. Rai and produced by Colour Yellow Productions in collaboration with Red Chillies Entertainment. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, and Katrina Kaif, while Anushka Sharma, Abhay Deol, R. Madhavan and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub in important supporting cast. The plot revolves around Bauua Singh, a short man from Meerut who, after having difficulty finding a marriage partner, finds a companion in Aafia Bhinder, a NSAR (a fictional space research facility) scientist with cerebral palsy. However, film superstar Babita also gets close with him, testing his first relationship, before this love triangle takes them to far-off cities, thrusting Bauua into an adventure to discover both his true love and completeness in a life lived to the fullest.

The project was conceived by Rai in 2012, before pre-production commenced in 2016. Initially under the working title Katrina Meri Jaan, it went through numerous name changes before arriving at the final title in early 2018. Principal photography began in Mumbai during May 2017 and concluded in 2018 in Orlando. The soundtrack is composed by Ajay–Atul with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil, under the label T-Series.

Zero was released on 21 December 2018, to mixed-to-negative reviews from both critics and audiences alike. The lead performances (especially Khan and Kaif) and visual effects received acclaim. However, the direction, story, plot, and inconsistent screenplay were largely criticized. Despite having widespread hype prior to release, the film was one of the biggest box-office failures in Khan's career leading him to take a five year hiatus.

At the 64th Filmfare Awards, Zero received seven nominations, including Best Actor (Khan) and Best Supporting Actress (Kaif), and won Best Special Effects.[7][8]

## Plot

[edit]

Bauua Singh, a young man from Meerut with short stature, has trouble finding a marriage partner. After using matrimonial agencies with little luck, he eventually finds his companion in Aafia Yusufzai Bhinder, a NSAR scientist (a fictionalized depiction of NASA) with cerebral palsy. In the events that followed, both fall in love with each other, but Bauua dumps her after five months. However, Aafia comes looking for him, and Bauua's parents fix their marriage. On their marriage day, Bauua's friend Guddu tells him that he is shortlisted for a dance competition where he had applied earlier, where the winner gets a chance to meet Babita Kumari, a Bollywood actress. Baua, determined to meet Babita, runs away from the marriage after a confrontation with Aafia, leaving everyone devastated.

Bauua wins and gets to meet Babita at a party, accompanied by other famous Bollywood actors. Babita offers him a job after he displays an ability to guess what goes on in people's mind by observing them. He accompanies her on film schedules and award functions, helping her patch up with her ex-boyfriend Aditya Kapoor, who had previously cheated on her. Bauua tells Babita about Aafia, who in turn falsely tells him that her parents were dwarves and her father cheated on her mother, to make Bauua realise his mistake. He realizes his wrongdoings and wishing to reconcile with Aafia, starts an argument at a party organized by Babita, following which Babita throws him out and breaks all ties with Aditya, realizing the latter is cheating on her again.

Bauua and Guddu travel to New York, where Aafia is attending a seminar. Bauaa crashes the seminar to meet her, but Aafia refuses to see him. Aafia's father tells him that Aafia was pregnant with Bauua's child, due to which she wanted him to marry her in the first place. A heartbroken Bauua decides to leave the city, but decides to try his luck one more time. After meeting with Aafia again at NSAR and getting rejected by her, Bauua enlists in a program recruiting human volunteers to be sent to Mars on a rocket. After painstaking training and getting help from one of the applicants, Bauaa gets selected, while Guddu is rejected for his vision disability. On the day of his launch, Aafia, who is supposed to marry Srinivasan, a fellow scientist and Aafia's colleague, leaves him, and she reaches NSAR seconds before Bauua's launch. Bauua assures her that he always loved her, just before the rocket takes off. The launch is witnessed by Aafia, Guddu and Srinivasan, along with Babita and Bauua's family via television broadcast. The launch is successful, and the rocket thrusts off in space.

In a voice-over by Aafia, it is revealed that Bauua eventually reaches Mars, and sends a video recording of himself from there. His rocket gets lost somewhere in space on the return journey, and Aafia waits for him. Fifteen years later, a Chinese space station receives the signal of Bauua's escape pod, which crash lands in the Pacific Ocean, revealing Bauua is still alive.

## Cast

[edit]

* Shah Rukh Khan[9] as Bauua Singh, a young man with dwarfism[10]
* Katrina Kaif[11] as Babita Kumari, an alcoholic actress[12]
* Anushka Sharma[13] as Aafia Yusufzai Bhinder, a NSAR scientist with cerebral palsy[14]
* Abhay Deol[15] as Aditya Kapoor, Babita's love interest[16]
* R. Madhavan[17] as Kartik Srinivasan, a fellow scientist and Aafia's colleague
* Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub[18] as Guddu Mukhi, Bauua's friend
* Tigmanshu Dhulia[19] as Ashok Singh, Bauua's wealthy and successful businessman father
* Sheeba Chaddha[20] as Beena Singh, Ashok's wife and Bauua's mother
* Brijendra Kala[21] as Dikshit Pandey, an agent[22]
* Preeti Singh as Bauua's sister-in-law
* Mallika Dua as NSAR Volunteer Applicant
* Nataša Stanković as Sonali
* Sushrii Shreya Mishraa[23] as Gunjan

### Cameo appearances

[edit]

* Salman Khan[24] as himself judging a dance show
* Rani Mukerji[25] as herself at a party
* Karisma Kapoor[26] as herself at a party
* Kajol[26] as herself at a party
* Sridevi[26] as herself at a party
* Juhi Chawla[27] as herself at a party
* Deepika Padukone[26] as herself at a party
* Alia Bhatt[26] as herself at a party
* Ganesh Acharya[28] as himself in a dance show
* Remo D'Souza[28] as himself in a dance show
* Arjun Kapoor as himself at an award show
* Jaya Bachchan as herself at an award show
* Javed Jaffrey (voice-over at a dance competition)[29]
* Ditya Bhande in the song "Mere Naam Tu"
* Rajat Sharma as himself
* Anshul Chauhan as herself

## Production

[edit]

### Development

[edit]

> "Like the way we say that perfect is boring, imperfection is much interesting... Our film is also celebrating the same. The story of the film is celebrating a perfect love story of two imperfect people. Though the protagonist of the film is a dwarf but more than the physical disability of an individual, the story talks about the space of emotional incompleteness of our life."

Aanand L. Rai on the decision to name the film Zero and its implications[30]

Director Aanand L. Rai conceived the film in 2012 after watching Krrish (2006) and drawing parallels of the titular character with that of American superheroes such as Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. He appreciated the achievement of Indians having their own superhero film but felt wary of the outreach, saying, "I loved seeing Hrithik Roshan fly off a 250-feet building, it was brilliantly done, but deep down I felt this wasn't us. Apart from our mythological demigods, Indians aren't ready for superheroes" and "That's what made me want to live life from the perspective of a dwarf [sic]."[31]

The film was initially titled Katrina Meri Jaan. However, this was later scrapped because the producers thought the title would be too misleading to people and make them presume the film is about Kaif.[32] In between productions, the film underwent numerous working titles such as Bauaa, Bauna, Butka, Bandhua and Batla. Red Chillies Entertainment registered three names for use as the film's title.[33] In the end, a unanimous decision was made to call the film Zero, revealed in January 2018.[34][35][36]

Bollywood Hungama reported the budget of the film to be around ₹150 crore.[37] Rai refuted these reports and stated that the film did have a big budget at that time, but less than the reported amount, and that the amount might change.[38] In October 2018, after post-production work was completed, the film's budget was revealed to be ₹2 billion, making it the most expensive film starring Khan.[5] Himanshu Sharma, who wrote the script, confirmed the story to be a romantic drama.[39] He stated that while the story does feature a little person as a character, the plot does not revolve only around that character.[39]

### Casting

[edit]

Initially, Salman Khan was approached for the role in 2012.[40] The role then went to Shah Rukh Khan. His casting was confirmed in March 2016.[41] He plays a man with dwarfism.[42][43] Rai cast Khan to play the lead role because he needed a big star for the story to penetrate globally. He needed "an intelligent actor, who also can carry that happy-go-lucky attitude," and he felt Khan possessed those qualities.[30][44] Rai realised the difference between a six-foot tall person saying "I love you" and a four-foot tall person; hence he hired Khan.[31] Khan is the fifth actor of normal stature in Indian cinema to play a little person after Kamal Haasan in Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989),[45] Johnny Lever in Aashiq (2001), Jagathy Sreekumar in Athbhutha Dweepu (2005) and Anupam Kher in Jaan-E-Mann (2006).[46]

After much speculation, Rai confirmed Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif as the female lead actors in the film in June 2017; this would be the second collaboration between the two actresses and Khan after their 2012 film Jab Tak Hai Jaan. While Kaif was the first choice for the first lead, Sharma's role was initially offered to Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt who play cameos in the film, they dropped out due to date issues.[47] Sharma was reported to play a differently-abled person,[32] whereas Kaif confirmed that she will portray the role of an actress.[34] Both Sharma and Kaif were offered the role not because of their stardom but because they fit the role according to Rai.[44] According to Kaif, she was offered the film before Khan was cast.[48][49] She later confirmed that the script and story of Zero had changed over two years, hinting that Khan recommended this.[50]

Tigmanshu Dhulia portrayed the father of Khan's character. He showed interest in the project after hearing about its heavy technical involvements.[32] Abhay Deol was cast as a love interest,[15] and Madhavan, who had previously worked with Rai in both Tanu Weds Manu films, announced his casting by sharing a selfie with Rai on the film's set in late May 2018.[17] Khan refrained from signing any other film during Zero's production.[51] The film features guest appearances by Salman Khan, Sridevi, Juhi Chawla, Kajol, Rani Mukerji, Karisma Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt who will portray themselves.[52] This marked Sridevi’s posthumous appearance in a film, as she died before the film's release shortly after filming.[32][53]

### Principal photography

[edit]

In August 2016, it was said that filming would begin in December 2016.[54] This was later postponed to 2017.[55] Principal photography of the film eventually began in May 2017 in Mumbai.[56][57] In May, an accident occurred on the set, in which crew members were injured.[58] In June 2017, Khan revealed that only 10 minutes of footage had been completed.[59] Kaif joined the team on 22 September 2017.[60] Sharma started shooting in September.[61] On 8 January, she resumed her shooting after taking a break for a couple of weeks for her wedding.[62] Two days later, Khan was photographed on the sets of the film in suburban Mumbai.[63] The crew took a break during the Makara Sankranti festival.[64] The shoot was also extended to Bandra, Mumbai.[65] Around January 2018, Kajol completed filming for her cameo.[66] Parts of the film were also shot in Dubai.[67] Overall, the film took 200 days to shoot, instead of the originally allotted 140 days.[68]

For the scenes in the film taking place in Meerut, preparations were undertaken by the producers to ensure an authentic setting. A large-scale replica of the city was reproduced in Mumbai's Film City, where special attention was given to recreating the streets (and even buildings like the famed clock-tower) accurately. Director Rai also flew 300 actors from Meerut onto the sets to simulate the "feel" of the town; actors familiar with the Meerut area, like Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, also helped Shah Rukh Khan understand and integrate local mannerisms into Bauua's character.[69]

Visual effects were heavily used to make Khan's character three feet tall.[42] According to Khan, this was done as "I would have a problem if I have to do it on my knees. I am trying to avoid that part because that looks unreal also, and in today's time and age, you don't want to do that."[70] The makers took inspiration from the technology used in The Lord of the Rings. Khan noted that he had to be careful about the "little things" in enacting Bauua, such as not making his strides too long, and using a ramp instead of stairs; for many scenes, he would be made to stand in a pit (which would be edited out in post-production), so the other actors would be looking at him from a slightly higher vantage point and hence creating a sense of realism for his short stature.[68] The character was also shot using Forced Perspective, which according to NDTV, is "a technique that employs optical illusion to make an object appear farther away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. It will make SRK look shorter."[71] According to Rai, the film will use the most visual effects for an Indian film.[72]

To better prepare for playing a wheelchair user, Sharma met with an occupational therapist and an audiologist, who taught her how to create an involuntary spasm-like action during her dialogue scenes; the occupational therapist was always on set to monitor Sharma's performance.[20] In an interview with The Telegraph, Sharma noted that in the beginning stages of the shoot, shaping the physicality of the character was difficult for her and that she would ask for many more takes than usual because her movements didn't feel correct. During the first schedule, she asked Khan to be more patient with her during their scenes while she got used to the character, which he obliged. She observed that because the character performed involuntary movements, they were very difficult to do and required "heavy breathing, which would get me very tired and my body would go into spasms because I had tightened it so much."[73] She eventually got more comfortable in her performance later on. In between takes, instead of returning to her normal physicality as most actors would, she would stay in the wheelchair, then "go to another mark on my wheelchair and sit there alone. I would rarely leave the wheelchair on set, and ended up staying away from everybody as well."[73]

Kaif was initially relucatant to play Babita; to her the character "seemed like just another film star going through pain," with Kaif herself having recently reached a personal point of equilibrium after coming out a challenging phase in her life.[74] Director Rai eventually convinced her of the role and the internal transformation the character would undertake, with Kaif noting that it was "an intense journey we went on together." Babita's vulnerability, and her continuous struggle to hide her true feelings from the world, appealed to Kaif and she eventually found the character intriguing. She noted that in real life, most people eventually hide their feelings from the real world in some way or another, and that they would find Babita relatable as she was dealing with her own issues and personal insecurities; she would often react defensively or aggressively, and yet the fact that she was "fighting for herself" gave her respectability and makes her interesting to watch.[74]

In the behind-the-scenes video of the making of the song "Mere Naam Tu,"[75] Anushka Sharma details the video in a voice-over, and she mentions several aspects of the song's making. She noted that choreographer Remo D'Souza directed the video and brought his trademark creativity, including the inclusion of children, into the song's dance sequence. The sequence was filmed over the course of 14 days, with Sharma mostly wearing pajamas and using a wheelchair for its duration. It was filmed in the corridor of a hotel, yet was transformed into a "fantasy land," with the addition of on-set rain and Holi colors. While on set, wheelchair user Sharma can be seen on an elevated platform while interacting with Shah Rukh Khan's character Bauua, to create the illusion of his short stature.

Most of the film was filmed entirely in Film City.[76] In February 2018, it was reported that the post-production work of a second teaser was being carried out.[77] From 4–8 April 2018, Khan shot the film's schedule in Vasai, Mumbai, flying in a helicopter to avoid the traffic.[78] In middle April, the film's shooting was reported to shift to the United States for a sequence.[52] Some sequences were also filmed in Huntsville, Alabama.[79] Khan finished filming for Zero, and wrapped the film's principal photography in Orlando, during the month of June 2018.[80][81]

## Music

[edit]

Main article: Zero (soundtrack)

The film's score and soundtrack were composed and produced by Ajay–Atul collaborating with Khan for the first time, while Tanishk Bagchi worked as a guest composer.[82] Lyrics are written by Irshad Kamil and Kumaar. The first single, "Mere Naam Tu" was released on 23 November 2018.[83] It was sung by Abhay Jodhpurkar (who made Bollywood debut) and arranged by Ustad K. Shayan-Hussaini (who also played its piano pieces); other instrumentals include the Indian flute by Varad Kathapurkar and the Nylon guitar by Pawan Rasayli. On 4 December, "Issaqbaazi," the film's second song, was released; a fast-paced, rustic dance number picturized on a jubilant Bauua dancing with Salman Khan after being kissed by Babita, it was sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Divya Kumar, and was composed by Ajay–Atul, with lyrics by Irshad Kamil.[84] The third single track "Husn Parcham" was released on 1 December 2018.[85] The song was sung by Bhoomi Trivedi and Raja Kumari. On 20 December 2018, a fourth song was released, titled "Heer Badnaam."[86] Revealing the stardom and personal issues of Babita Kumari, and depicting Bauua as her long-standing fan, the song is reminiscent of the Punjabi song "Daru Badnaam" by Kamal Kahlon and Param Singh; it is composed by Tanishk Bagchi, lyricized by Kumaar, and sung by Romy.[87] The album was released by T-Series on 7 December 2018.[88]

## Marketing

[edit]

The title of the film was announced by Khan and Rai on 1 January 2018 in a minute long teaser trailer posted on Twitter due to robust demand from fans. The video showed Khan in his dwarf avatar singing and dancing to Mohammed Rafi's "Hum Ko Tum Pe Pyar Aaya".[89][90] Although neither Kaif nor Sharma appeared in the teaser video, in one of the scenes, Khan wore a jacket with a collage of Kaif's pictures imprinted on it.[91] In less than 24 hours, the video garnered over 3 million views on YouTube alone, and Khan's announcement tweet had over 30,000 likes.[92] Red Chillies Entertainment later announced that Zero-related posts had reached over 10 million views, likes and mentions across various social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.[93] The following day, the first teaser poster with the tagline "21st December 2018 se aapke piche" was unveiled by Red Chillies Entertainment, revealing that the film would release on 21 December 2018.[30][94]

Anushka Sharma promoting Zero

According to Rai, Zero was chosen to be released in December since it is "a month when we celebrate life and what better time for a boy who celebrates that he is physically incomplete and in his incompleteness completes others as he travels from Meerut to New York. There is a beauty in incompleteness we are celebrating."[44] During the Islamic festival of Eid, a promotional teaser[95] was released on 13 June 2018, featuring Shah Rukh and Salman, the latter in the attire sported by him in the film Tiger Zinda Hai (2017).[96] In late August 2018, Rai confirmed to news agency Bollywood Hungama that the trailer for Zero would release on 2 November, Khan's birthday.[97] In late October 2018, as part of the promotional campaign, a verified Twitter account emerged in the name of Bauua, Khan's character from the film, featuring the cartoon version of Bauua Singh's first look and posting humorous tweets.[98][99]

On 1 November, the day before the release of the trailer, two official posters[100] were revealed by Khan on his social media pages: one featuring Khan's character Bauua Singh and Anushka Sharma's character in Connaught Place in New Delhi,[101] and another with Singh and Katrina Kaif's character in front of Meerut's clock tower.[102] On the morning of 2 November, Director Aanand L. Rai released a third poster on his Twitter page, depicting Khan's Bauua Singh standing on a street near Broadway in New York City.[103] The same day, Red Chillies Entertainment released the official trailer on YouTube.[21] The trailer recorded more than 54 million views within 24 hours,[104] and eventually recorded the fastest 100 million views on YouTube for any Indian film, surpassing Thugs of Hindostan to become YouTube's most-watched Indian trailer of all time.[105] On 10 November, Zero's trailer was screened at the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival in the presence of Khan and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.[106] On 20 November, Red Chillies Entertainment uploaded an official promo video to their YouTube channel.[107] On the same day, the film's makers launched an exclusive Bauua Singh WhatsApp sticker pack available for download.[108]

On 21 November, in starting a month-long countdown to the release of the film, a humorous behind-the-scenes look was released, entitled "Mera Samosa Waapis Karo" – revealing Director Aanand L. Rai's fondness for samosas and Shah Rukh Khan's playful prank on him about it.[109] Also on 21 November, Red Chillies Entertainment tweeted to announce official merchandise for the film – including phone covers, mugs, shirts, and headphone sets – which would be available for purchase on their company website's store page.[110] On 22 November, Red Chillies Entertainment revealed a new film poster depicting Bauua kissing Aafia on the forehead in front of a large sunlit dome-arched window, and announced that the first song of the film would release the following day.[111] On 23 November, the first song of the film was released, titled "Mere Naam Tu";[83] an orchestral ballad picturized on Bauua as he sweepingly proclaims his love for Aafia, it was composed by Ajay–Atul, lyricized by Irshad Kamil and sung by Abhay Jodhpurkar.[112]

On 30 November, Red Chillies Entertainment announced a fan-interaction website, called "Bauua Ki Toli." By completing social-media related activities and earning points, fans can earn the chance to become Bauua's "Khaasam Khaas" and win Zero merchandise, personalised autographed posters from Shah Rukh Khan, as well as movie ticket cashback from Paytm and exclusive Bauua apparel.[113] On 2 December, the producers released a new poster, featuring Khan's Bauua Singh being held by Salman Khan in the center-stage of a crowded dance hall, announcing the release of a new song, "Issaqbaazi."[114]

On 5 December, Shah Rukh Khan flew to Dubai to promote the film, greeting fans at a club on the rooftop of the Meydan Racecourse's grandstand;[115][116] the following day, he entertained 100,000 viewers[117] at Dubai's Global Village, dancing to several hit songs from his films. On 7 December, he travelled to Muscat (Oman), and Kuwait as part of the film's promotional tour.[118] On 7 December, Red Chillies Entertainment uploaded onto YouTube a behind-the-scenes video of the making of the "Mere Naam Tu" music video.[75] On 10 December, a teaser for a new song was released, "Husn Parcham."[85] On 14 December, a new dialogue promo featuring Bauua Singh was released, called "Bhabhi Ke Naam Ki Biryani," revealing his relationship with his father and his "quirky sense of humor."[119]

In late December, Red Chillies Entertainment partnered with Amazon to bring an interactive Bauua Singh voice (available only in India) to their Alexa device, Echo smart speakers, and other Alexa built-in devices, which allows users to listen to his "jokes, anecdotes, and poetry" as requested; the producers have also released special GIFs from the film that can be used across all social-media platforms.[120] Zero also partnered with Snapchat to become the first film in India to use their Augmented Reality Lens' feature promotionally; users applying the Lens can transform into Bauua, with his sunglasses and a garland around them, and will be "able to interact with the plotline of the movie." Shah Rukh Khan debuted the feature on Snapchat himself, sharing a story using the Lens.[121] On 18 December 2018, a fourth poster for the film was released to announce advance-show bookings, showing Bauua sitting on the railing of a high-rise building, with one arm around a chimpanzee, and his other arm pointing up at the sky.[122]

A fifth poster was also released by Red Chillies Entertainment on the same day, depicting Bauua and Aafia in a zero-gravity simulator, holding onto each other's arms, with an enlarged and well-lit moon and sky in the background.[123][124]

## Release

[edit]

### Theatrical

[edit]

Zero was released on 21 December 2018. According to film trade analyst Taran Adarsh, it was shown on 4380 screens in India and 1585 overseas (noting that additional international territories will open later), for a worldwide total of 5965 screens.[125] Domestically, the film had the third-widest release of all Hindi films released in 2018, behind only Thugs of Hindostan (5000 screens) and Race 3 (4400 screens).[126]

In mid-December 2018, the film passed the British Board of Film Classification with a certified 12A rating and a 164-minute runtime.[127] In Pakistan, Zero was cleared by the Central Board of Film Censors without any cuts. It was released in 156 screens across the country by local distributor Eveready Pictures, which is said to be the highest number of screens for any film in Pakistan.[128] The film, which was initially planned for a 20 December 2018 release in Germany, was postponed on 17 January 2019, to ensure a wider release.[129] The film released in China in March 2019.[130] Zero was the closing film of Beijing International Film Festival.[131]

### Home media

[edit]

Upon release on home video in 2019, Zero became the top-selling film on the Google Play Store, beating Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born.[132][133] The film is also available on Netflix.

## Reception

[edit]

### Box office

[edit]

Zero collected ₹18.78 Crore at the Indian box office on its first day. In its three-day opening weekend, the film earned approximately ₹53 Crore domestically.[6] It earned on Monday ₹9.5 Crore and on Tuesday (Christmas holiday) ₹12.75 Crore in domestic circuit.[134][135] The USA Box office collection of Zero on Day 2 (22 December) was $283,808 (₹19.9 million) from 262 screens.[136] The total domestic gross collection of the film is ₹87 Crore, and the overseas gross collection was $14 million according to Box Office India. The film's worldwide gross collection is ₹191 Crore.[6] The film was considered highly unsuccessful.[137]

### Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 31% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.7/10.[138]

Zero released to mixed reviews from critics.[139] Most praised the film's visual effects and agreed that Kaif gave the best performance of her career, while they were critical about its plot,[140] which was "cut short by the resources at hand", and that the second half in particular was "aimless" and "scattered."[141][142] Baradwaj Rangan gave the film 3.5 stars out of five, saying the film was "all heart" and that he found it "easy to embrace". He called the film Rai's most "fluid" film yet, and mentioned that Khan was "fantastic".[143] Raja Sen of the Hindustan Times gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, calling the first half of the film "flat-out fantastic, an unabashed charm-offensive," and noting that the writing and dialogues "crackle with spontaneity and inventiveness." Yet he says that when the film outgrows the small town of Meerut, it finds it hard to keep its witty nature along with the ambitious second half; where the film should have "gone bonkers," it takes a melodramatic approach that doesn't work. Sen commends the actors, particularly Sharma's commitment to the role and Khan's tremendous energy. He implies that Khan saves the film with his trademark acting, regardless of the film's writing issues.[144] Swetha Ramakrishnan of Firstpost praised the "ambitious" nature of the film and called it "extremely self-aware," particularly in its first half, crediting it for grounding the plot in warmth. She praised Sharma's "impassioned" role and Kaif's performance as a strong yet vulnerable actress, and commended both actresses for digging into their roles. She also praised Khan's charm and wrote, "You may or may not like the film, but you will most certainly fall in love with Bauua Singh." However, she noted that the second half felt "surreal" and that it was hard to keep up with, saying that it "falls prey to the second-half curse".[145] Rachit Gupta of The Times of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying the film had an "inspiring concept" yet was poorly executed. He said that while the film puts forth many ideas, few of them stick and the romantic moments and visuals, while striking, only stay for a little while. The film felt too long and the second half, when Bauua travels out of his hometown, feels more audacious than the first. Yet the positive is that the characters stay upbeat despite their challenges, and the lead actors (particularly Kaif in a striking role) give good performances. Gupta concludes in saying that while the film builds up an exciting story well, it doesn't quite finish it in the way the viewer would anticipate.[146] Ankur Pathak of Huffington Post India praised the performances of the leads, yet says that the film was "weighed down by its own excesses." While the film was ambitious, it was mostly "heightened and exaggerated and hyper-glamorized." He called the main characters excellent, and praised Khan's performance, with Kaif being "a huge revelation" and acting in ways hitherto unseen. Yet the "starkly different, bizarre visual language of the second half hampers the overall experience of the movie." Despite this, Pathak believes that Khan's performance saves the film and that "although this ride has a few breakdowns, overall, one comes out smiling..."[147]

Rajeev Masand of News18 gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, saying that while the first half was impressive, the ambitious screenplay and ideas were plagued by an "overwrought screenplay" and that the second half that "feels like an entirely different film." He commended the effort of the actors and producers, particularly the acting of Khan; yet noted that the second half becomes undone. He said it seemed as if the writers " threw everything at the wall and decided to see what sticks. Unfortunately, very little does."[148] Anupama Chopra of Film Companion gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, saying that it was so "bizarre and implausible and incoherent" despite having "ferociously talented people both in front of the camera and behind it." She says in the second half the "promising premise derails;" while the individual characters are interesting, the "connective tissue between...is so thin that the narrative starts to wobble." She praised the VFX, scope and imaginative feel, but was "sad" that the artistic ambition of the creators wasn't achieved.[149] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, noting that while the impressive acting of the leads and stellar visual effects aided the film, ultimately the screenplay was its undoing and left it a "monumental mess." The plot was undermined by a "slew of whimsicalities that defy logic and an uneven tone that borders on the gratuitously facetious." He notes that while Khan's electric performance powers the film, it never gives the film enough to make sense, noting that the second half "flies too high and too helter-skelter." He commended the physical efforts of Sharma's acting and Kaif's vulnerability, yet felt that the film aimed too high without sensitively portraying the struggles of disabled people.[150]

Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost gave the film 1.5 out of 5 stars, saying that Shah Rukh Khan is the best part about it, and that without him the film would have little to show; the first half lets the actor have fun to the hilt, while the second tries to take a serious message but fails to deliver properly. She noted that while Zero does not have the misogyny of Rai's previous films, it also "does not know what to do with" its female characters – while commending Bauua's sharp wit and strong character in facing the odds of life. Writer Sharma doesn't know how to write about relatable women – and thus Aafia and Babita come off as "bores." Overall, the film was "a spluttering, tottering affair."[151]

## Accolades

[edit]

Award[b] | Date of ceremony[c] | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Filmfare Awards | 23 March 2019 | Best Actor | Shah Rukh Khan | Nominated  | [152]
[153]
Best Supporting Actress | Katrina Kaif | Nominated
Best Music Director | Ajay–Atul | Nominated
Best Lyricist | Irshad Kamil – (for "Mere Naam Tu")  | Nominated
Best Male Playback Singer | Abhay Jodhpurkar – (for "Mere Naam Tu")  | Nominated
Best Choreography | Remo D'Souza – (for "Mere Naam Tu")  | Nominated
Best Special Effects | Red Chillies VFX | Won
International Indian Film Academy Awards | 18 September 2019 | Best Lyricist | Irshad Kamil – (for "Mere Naam Tu")  | Nominated  | [154]
Best Male Playback Singer | Abhay Jodhpurkar – (for "Mere Naam Tu")  | Nominated
Mirchi Music Awards | 16 February 2019 | Upcoming Male Vocalist of The Year | Won  | [155]
Zee Cine Awards | 19 March 2019 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female | Katrina Kaif  | Won  | [156]
[157]
Best Lyricist | Irshad Kamil – (for "Mere Naam Tu")  | Nominated
Best Playback Singer – Male | Abhay Jodhpurkar – (for "Mere Naam Tu")  | Nominated
Best Special Effects  | Red Chillies VFX  | Won

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Red Chillies Entertainment sold the domestic distribution rights for Zero to individuals, rather than a single production house. Yash Raj Films (YRF) handled international distribution on a commissioned basis.[2]
2. ^ Awards, festivals and organizations are in alphabetical order.
3. ^ Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Shahrukh Khan dazzles in his upcoming film's teaser". Daily Times. 4 January 2018. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
2. ^ Mankad, Himesh (26 October 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: All India distribution rights of Shah Rukh Khan's Zero sold for Rs 100 Crore on Advance Basis!". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
3. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan's new film with Anand L Rai to release on february01, 2019". The Indian Express. 31 August 2016. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
4. ^ "Zero". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
5. ^ a b "Shah Rukh Khan Has A Contingency Plan For His Film, Zero". Mid-Day. 6 October 2018.
6. ^ a b c "Zero". Box Office India. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
7. ^ "64th Filmfare Awards 2019: A Complete List of Winners". The Quint. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
8. ^ "Nominations for the 64th Vimal Filmfare Awards 2019". Filmfare. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
9. ^ "Zero teaser: Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan wish Eid Mubarak in style; watch". The Financial Express. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
10. ^ "Zero teaser released: Fans celebrate Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan's friendship with hilarious memes". Retrieved 16 June 2018.
11. ^ "Katrina Kaif has joined us, Anushka Sharma will join soon: Shah Rukh Khan on Aanand L Rai's film". Hindustantimes.com. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
12. ^ "Zero: Katrina Kaif Reveals She Wanted to Play Aafia but the Role Went to Anushka Sharma – Watch Video". Yahoo.com. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
13. ^ Red Chillies Entertainment (2 November 2018). "Zero – Official Trailer – Shah Rukh Khan – Aanand L Rai – Anushka – Katrina – 21 Dec 2018". YouTube. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
14. ^ News Desk (3 November 2018). "The trailer of Shah Rukh Khan's 'Zero' trending 2nd on social media". Globalvillagespace.com. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
15. ^ a b "Abhay Deol to play Katrina Kaif's love interest in 'Zero'". Bizasialive.com. 5 March 2018.
16. ^ "'Zero' Spoiler Alert: These indirect references made to Katrina Kaif's ex Ranbir Kapoor are just too hard to be ignored". dna. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
17. ^ a b Gaikwad, Pramod (24 May 2018). "Madhavan to star in Aanand L Rai's Zero alongside Shah Rukh, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma". International Business Times. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
18. ^ "Why Shah Rukh Khan's Raees Co-Star Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub Is Trending in Connection With Zero". NDTV. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
19. ^ "Aanand L Rai signs Tigmanshu Dhulia for his next film starring Shah Rukh Khan". Mid-day.com. 27 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
20. ^ a b Scroll Staff. "A larger-than-life celebration of love and imperfection: Anushka Sharma on Aanand L Rai's 'Zero'". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
21. ^ a b "Zero Trailer: Shah Rukh Khan as Bauua Singh Spells Magic But Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma Steal The Show Too – Watch Video". Latestly.com. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
22. ^ "Zero Movie Review: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma's Insipid Tale of Bizarre Possibilities". News18. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
23. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan's Zero Puts Model Sushrii Shreya Mishraa On Trends List. Details Here". NDTV.com.
24. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan share a selfie moment on the sets of Anand L Rai's next film leaving fans curious, see photos". Indianexpress.com. 6 July 2017. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
25. ^ "Deepika Padukone Talks About Her Role in Shah Rukh Khan's Next With Aanand L Rai". Businessofcinema.com. 18 October 2017. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
26. ^ a b c d e "'Dwarf' SRK serenades his lovely ladies again – Pune Mirror -". Punemirror.indiatimes.com. 3 October 2017. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
27. ^ "'I had to keep looking down on SRK', says Juhi Chawla". Latest Indian news, Top Breaking headlines, Today Headlines, Top Stories | Free Press Journal. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017.
28. ^ a b "Zero Song Issaqbaazi: Watch Shah Rukh Khan Dance with Salman Khan, Ganesh Acharya, Remo D'Souza". News 18. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
29. ^ "Fire On Sets Of Shah Rukh Khan-Starrer 'Zero' In Mumbai Film City: Report". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
30. ^ a b c Shruti Shikha (2 January 2018). "Zero First Poster: Pint-Sized Shah Rukh Khan Makes Huge Impact". NDTV. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
31. ^ a b Roshmila Bhattacharya (7 August 2017). "Aanand L Rai Opens Up About His Dwarf Film With Shah Rukh Khan: I Wanted To Cut Two Feet From A Star As Big As Khan Saab". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
32. ^ a b c d "Zero: Everything we know about the Shah Rukh Khan starrer so far". The Indian Express. 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
33. ^ "BREAKING: Batlaa, Bauna, Dwarf, Zero – which title of Shah Rukh Khan and Aanand L Rai's film do you like the most?". Bollywood Hungama. 21 September 2017. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
34. ^ a b "The ex-factor? Here's why Katrina Kaif had the name changed of her film with Shah Rukh Khan". DNS India. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
35. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan is not in any hurry to reveal his look in the Aanand L Rai film". India Today. 10 November 2017. Archived from the original on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
36. ^ "Unanimous decision to title the movie Zero, says Aanand L Rai". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
37. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (17 March 2017). "BREAKING: Rs. 150 cr. budget for Dwarf film starring Shah Rukh Khan? – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
38. ^ Sarkar, Suparno (19 March 2017). "Does Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming dwarf movie have a massive budget of Rs 150 crore? Director Aanand L Rai answers". International Business Times, India Edition. Archived from the original on 28 March 2017.
39. ^ a b "Size doesn't matter: Shah Rukh Khan's next is a romantic drama, says writer Himanshu Sharma". CatchNews.com. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016.
40. ^ "Aanand L Rai on his 'dwarf' drama, working with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan's cameo in the film". Firstpost. 27 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017.
41. ^ "Confirmed! Shah Rukh Khan to play a dwarf in Aanand L Rai's next – Shah Rukh Khan: Lesser known facts | The Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
42. ^ a b "Zero first look: Shah Rukh Khan reveals title, teaser and release date of upcoming film with Aanand L Rai". Firstpost. 1 January 2018. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
43. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan talks about playing a dwarf in Aanand L Rai's next: We don't have to empathise with differently abled people". Indianexpress.com. 3 June 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
44. ^ a b c Roshmila Bhattacharya (2 January 2018). "ZERO DIRECTOR AANAND L RAI ON SHAH RUKH KHAN: 'EVEN IF YOU CUT TWO FEET OFF, KHANSAAB WILL STILL STAND TALL'". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
45. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan, 2-Feet Shorter. Director Reveals Why He Made 'Khan Saab' A Dwarf". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
46. ^ Jain, Arushi (4 January 2018). "Not just Shah Rukh Khan, these actors also took the role of a vertically challenged man". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018.
47. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (1 June 2017). "CONFIRMED: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif in Aanand L Rai's next | Celebrity Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017.
48. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan wasn't a part of Zero initially: Katrina Kaif". 5 January 2018. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
49. ^ "Katrina Kaif on SRK s film: I was supposed to play myself in Zero". Mid-day.com. 5 January 2018. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
50. ^ "Katrina Kaif just confirmed that Zero's script and title has been changed over the last two years". Times Now. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
51. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan denies signing Dhoom 4; says his full focus is on Aanand L Rai's film". 3 November 2017. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
52. ^ a b "For Zero, Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma visit US Consulate Mumbai". Timesnownews.com.
53. ^ "Sridevi will be seen one last time in Shah Rukh Khan's Zero. See pics". hindustantimes.com/. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
54. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan to Start Shooting for Aanand L. Rai's Next in December". Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
55. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan to begin shooting for Aanand L Rai's romantic film this year". 7 January 2017. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
56. ^ "Leaked: SRK begins filming Anand L Rai's untitled next where he plays a dwarf". Deccan Chronicle. 24 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 May 2017.
57. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan victim of death hoax, European news network says star died in air crash". The Indian Express. 1 June 2017. Archived from the original on 1 June 2017. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
58. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan escapes accident as 2 injured on Anand L Rai film set". 31 May 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017.
59. ^ "The Status Of Shah Rukh Khan's Film in Which He Plays A Dwarf". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
60. ^ Thakur, Charu. "PHOTO: Katrina Kaif begins shooting for Aanand L Rai's film with Shah Rukh Khan, and we can't keep calm". India Today. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017.
61. ^ Tanna, Amrita (25 September 2017). "Anushka Sharma soon to begin shoot for Aanand L Rai's next". Archived from the original on 3 January 2018.
62. ^ "Anushka Sharma Returns to Zero Set, Shah Rukh Khan Extends a Floral Welcome". News18.com. 8 January 2018. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
63. ^ "SRK's another experiment with VFX – 'Zero': Interesting facts about the Shah Rukh Khan starrer film – The Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
64. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan celebrates Makar Sankranti on 'Zero' sets—Pic". Zeenews.india.com. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
65. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma spotted on the sets of Zero, see pictures". Indiatvnews.com. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
66. ^ "Kajol shoots for Shah Rukh Khan's Zero". M.filmfare.com.
67. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan's latest movie 'Zero' was partially shot in Dubai". The National. 10 November 2018.
68. ^ a b "Shah Rukh Khan on Zero being the game-changer for him | filmfare.com". www.filmfare.com. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
69. ^ "Aanand L Rai flew down 300 people from Meerut to recreate the set of Zero movie in Mumbai". mid-day. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
70. ^ "SRK! Here's How Kamal Haasan Became a Midget Without CGI". 11 June 2016. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
71. ^ "Honey, I Shrunk Shah Rukh Khan. The Role Of VFX In His Next Film". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
72. ^ "Aanand L Rai on working with Shah Rukh Khan in Zero: There is nervousness and I enjoy that". Indianespress.com. 7 January 2018. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
73. ^ a b "This profession could turn you into a monster or it could turn you into a saint: Anushka Sharma". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
74. ^ a b "Interview | I liked Babita Kumari in 'Zero' because she's always fighting for herself, says Katrina Kaif". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
75. ^ a b Red Chillies Entertainment, Zero | The Making of Mere Naam Tu | Shah Rukh Khan | Anushka Sharma | Aanand L. Rai | Ajay – Atul, retrieved 7 December 2018
76. ^ Media, Sanskriti (24 January 2018). "Aamir, Salman and SRK to shoot together!". Emirates247.com. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
77. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan all set to promote Zero during all festivals this year". M.filmfare.com.
78. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan flies from Vile Parle to Vasai to escape Mumbai traffic for Zero shoot". M.businesstoday.in. 4 April 2018.
79. ^ "Indian movie megastar Shah Rukh Khan filming in Alabama". Al.com. 11 May 2018.
80. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan Wraps Zero, Thanks Crew For 'Fruitful And Hectic Shoot'". Ndtv.com. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
81. ^ Stokes, Alex (17 December 2018). "Huntsville makes its Bollywood debut Friday". WHNT.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
82. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (14 December 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Shah Rukh Khan reveals Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's 'Main Roz Roz Tanha' is recreated in Zero". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
83. ^ a b "Zero song Mera Naam Tu: Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma beautifully depict the colour of love". Times Now News. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
84. ^ "Zero song Issaqbaazi: Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan burn the dance floor". The Indian Express. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
85. ^ a b "Zero Song Husn Parcham Teaser | Katrina Kaif | Sharkhuh Khan | Husn Parcham Video Song from Zero". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
86. ^ "Zero song Heer Badnaam features Katrina Kaif, Shah Rukh Khan and a surprise. Watch video". www.hindustantimes.com. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
87. ^ "Zero song Heer Badnaam: Katrina Kaif's stardom is presented perfectly". The Indian Express. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
88. ^ "Zero – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Saavn. 21 December 2018.
89. ^ Anvita Singh (1 January 2018). "Zero: Shah Rukh Khan reveals title of his next film, set to impress in a never-seen-before avatar". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
90. ^ "Aanand L Rai: I wanted to celebrate incompleteness with 'Zero'". The Times of India. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
91. ^ Divya Goyal (2 January 2017). "Shah Rukh Khan's Zero: Could You Spot Katrina Kaif In Film Teaser?". NDTV. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
92. ^ "Zero: Everything you need to know about Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Aanand L Rai's ambitious film". Hindustan Times. 2 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
93. ^ "10 Million and counting! Thank you for the love .. #ChhaGayaZERO Watch the title announcement now – bit.ly/Zero-Title @iamsrk @aanandlrai @AnushkaSharma #KatrinaKaif @gaurikhan @cypplOfficial". Twitter. 2 January 2018. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
94. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (9 January 2018). "Behind the Scenes: Here's how Avinash Gowariker shot the poster of Shah Rukh Khan's Zero – Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
95. ^ Red Chillies Entertainment (13 June 2018), Zero | Eid Teaser | Shah Rukh Khan | Salman Khan | Aanand L Rai | 21 December 2018, retrieved 14 June 2018
96. ^ "'Zero' teaser: Shah Rukh Khan dances with Salman Khan in a never seen before avatar – Times of India ►". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
97. ^ "ZERO: The trailer of the Shah Rukh Khan film to be unveiled on his birthday". Bollywood Hungama. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
98. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan aka Bauua Singh from 'Zero' joins Twitter". The Times Of India. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
99. ^ "Zero: 'Zero': Shah Rukh Khan engages in hilarious Twitter banter with his character Bauua Singh". The Times Of India. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
100. ^ "Zero movie posters: SRK is adorable, Anushka is a smiling beauty and Katrina is oozing oomph". Indianexpress.com. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
101. ^ "Almost Zero Hour: Shah Rukh Khan's Birthday Countdown Begins With New Posters". Ndtv.com. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
102. ^ Iyengar, Shriram. "Paraplegic Anushka, gorgeous Katrina mark two forms of beauty in Zero posters". Cinestaan.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
103. ^ "Happy Birthday Shah Rukh Khan: Aanand L Rai wishes his Khan Saab by sharing a new Zero poster". Pinkvilla.com. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
104. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan starrer Zero's trailer breaks record". Mid-Day. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
105. ^ "Zero trailer breaks all records; fastest Indian movie trailer to hit 100 million views on YouTube". Mid-Day. 4 December 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
106. ^ "Amitabh Bachchan inaugurates Kolkata film festival, Shah Rukh's Zero trailer screened". Hindustan Times. 10 November 2018.
107. ^ "This NEW promo of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Zero will make the wait for its release even harder – watch video". Times Now News. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
108. ^ "ZERO ko WhatsApp stickers ki 'Feel aa gayi' – The first ever Indian Film to launch the WhatsApp sticker pack!". firstpost. 20 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
109. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan with daughter Suhana Khan teases Anand L. Rai over his obsession with samosa in this BTS video". India TV News. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
110. ^ Red Chillies Entertainment [@RedChilliesEnt] (21 November 2018). "Guys, we hear you loud and clear: You can't get enough of @BauuaSingh! With just #1MonthToZero, here's a special gift for you, #BauuaKiDukaan live now! Visit the store and get ready for the big day: http://shop.redchillies.com" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
111. ^ "The first song of Zero, Mera Naam Tu, to drop November 23, Shah Rukh Khan announces on Twitter with a photo". Times Now News. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
112. ^ "Anushka-Shah Rukh Khan's 'Mere Naam Tu' depicts a romance between equals". Times of India. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
113. ^ "Say hello to Bauua Ki Toli: The makers of ZERO launch a fan engagement initiative". Firstpost. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
114. ^ "Zero song Issaqbaazi: The much-awaited track featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan out tomorrow – view poster | Bollywood News". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
115. ^ Staff report. "Where to meet Shah Rukh Khan in Dubai this week". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
116. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan enjoys and interacts with fans in Dubai – Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
117. ^ Khan, Shah Rukh (6 December 2018). "This much love for #Zero, only possible in Dubai. Thanks Global Village for the 100,000 hearts beating for Bauua, Aafia & Babita. Will convey ur #Ishaqbaazi to them in India. Love u Dubaiwaalon yeh dekho Bauua ki selfie!pic.twitter.com/Os5S2VJBnc". @iamsrk. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
118. ^ Sachin, Ambica. "Shah Rukh Khan shrugs off fall from Forbes rich list". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
119. ^ "Zero new dialogue promo: SRK as Bauua Singh is all set to bring the house down with his hilarious antics – watch video | Bollywood News". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
120. ^ Choudhury, Bedatri. "Shah Rukh Khan's Zero: Now On Alexa, Whatsapp, And Beyond". Forbes. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
121. ^ "Zero Becomes India's First Movie to Launch Snapchat Lens! Its Lights, Camera, Snap for SRK-Starrer". Latestly. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
122. ^ "Zero: Shah Rukh Khan's Bauua Singh Sitting On a Ledge With a Chimp is the Most WTF Poster of the Year!". Latestly. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
123. ^ Entertainment, Red Chillies (20 December 2018). "Sach kehte hain pyaar ki koi seema nahi hoti, ye to pyaar mein akaash ke bhi paar nikal gaye.ZeroTomorrow". @RedChilliesEnt (in Hindi). Retrieved 20 December 2018.
124. ^ "To the Moon and Back! Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma's New Zero Poster is Dropping Major Hints About the Plot of the Film". Latestly. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
125. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer Zero to release across 5965 screens worldwide – details inside | Bollywood News". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
126. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan's Zero film gets the third highest screen count of 2018 in India". www.indiatvnews.com. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
127. ^ "Zero: The Runtime of Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma's Film REVEALED!". Latestly. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
128. ^ "Exclusive Live Feed: Screen Count of Zero in Pakistan". entertainmentpk.com. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
129. ^ "Yash Raj Films confirms German release for Shah Rukh Khan starrer ZERO". Bollyspice. 5 December 2018.
130. ^ "Good News! Shah Rukh Khan's Zero to release in China early next year, confirms Aanand L Rai". Times Now. 31 October 2018.
131. ^ Davis, Rebecca (3 April 2019). "Shah Rukh Khan's 'Zero,' Chinese Propaganda Titles Set as Beijing Festival Highlights".
132. ^ "Despite failing at the box office, Shah Rukh Khan's Zero becomes the top-selling film on Google Play store". Times Now. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
133. ^ "Shah Rukh Khan's Zero beats Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born to become top selling film on Google store". News Nation. 7 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
134. ^ Adarsh, Taran [@taran_adarsh] (26 December 2018). "#Zero witnessed growth on Day 5 [#Christmas]… Day 6 [Wed] and Day 7 [Thu] biz crucial... Fri 20.14 cr, Sat 18.22 cr, Sun 20.71 cr, Mon 9.50 cr, Tue 12.75 cr. Total: ₹ 81.32 cr. India biz" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
135. ^ "Zero Box Office Collection Day 2: Shah Rukh Khan And Anushka Sharma's Film Continues To Struggle. Earns Rs 38.36 Crore". NDTV.com. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
136. ^ Bollywood Hungama [@Bollyhungama] (23 December 2018). "#BoxOffice: #Zero Day 2 (Saturday) U.S.A box office – 283,808 USD [Rs. 1.99 cr] from 262 screens" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
137. ^ "After Zero Failure, Shah Rukh Khan Hopes to Make This Kind of Film".
138. ^ "Zero". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
139. ^ Sarkar, Suparno (20 December 2018). "Zero movie review and rating: What critics have to say about Shah Rukh Khan film". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
140. ^ "Zero Movie Review: Katrina Kaif Gets Unanimous Praise from the Critics as She Delivers Her Best Performance Yet". Latestly. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
141. ^ "Zero box office collection Day 1: Zero fails to impress critics; all hopes on weekend earnings now". www.businesstoday.in. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
142. ^ "Zero: Manmarziyaan writer Kanika Dhillon calls Shah Rukh Khan starrer one of the most important films of 2018". www.indiatvnews.com. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
143. ^ "Zero, this very literal flight of fancy, is the year's most audacious love story". Film Companion. 23 December 2018.
144. ^ "Zero movie review: Shah Rukh Khan dazzles in a strange romance". www.hindustantimes.com. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
145. ^ "Zero: Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina's compelling performances take this film from average to ambitious". Firstpost. 21 December 2018.
146. ^ "Zero Movie Review {3/5}: Critic Review of Zero by Times of India", The Times of India, retrieved 21 December 2018
147. ^ "Zero Movie Review: Shah Rukh Khan Powers This Ambitious Drama With A Terrific Performance". HuffPost India. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
148. ^ "Long and short of it | Rajeev Masand – movies that matter : from bollywood, hollywood and everywhere else". www.rajeevmasand.com. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
149. ^ "Zero Movie Review: A Bizarre Story That Leaves You Stumped, And Eventually, Sad". Film Companion. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
150. ^ "Zero Movie Review: Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif Get A For Effort In Outlandish Film". NDTV.com. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
151. ^ "Zero movie review: Shah Rukh Khan's comic timing is the only thing going for this spluttering, tottering affair". Firstpost. 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
152. ^ "Nominations for the 64th Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards 2019". Filmfare. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
153. ^ "Winners of the 64th Filmfare Awards 2019". Filmfare. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
154. ^ "IIFA 2019 nominations: Andhadhun grabs maximum nods, Raazi and Padmaavat follow". The Indian Express. 28 August 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
155. ^ "11th Mirchi Music Awards: Complete list of winners". The Times of India. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
156. ^ "Zee Cine Awards 2019". Zee Cine Awards. 31 March 2019. Zee Cinema. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
157. ^ "Zee Cine Awards full winners list: Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone win big". India Today. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Zero at IMDb
* Zero at Bollywood Hungama
* Zero at Rotten Tomatoes
* Zero at Box Office Mojo

* v
* t
* e

Films by Aanand L. Rai

Director|

* Strangers (2007)
* Thodi Life Thoda Magic (2008)
* Tanu Weds Manu (2011)
* Raanjhanaa (2013)
* Tanu Weds Manu: Returns (2015)
* Zero (2018)
* Atrangi Re (2021)
* Raksha Bandhan (2022)

Producer|

Hindi

* 2016
* Nil Battey Sannata
* Happy Bhag Jayegi
* 2017
* Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
* 2018
* Mukkabaaz
* Meri Nimmo
* Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi
* Manmarziyaan
* Tumbbad
* Zero
* 2019
* Laal Kaptaan
* 2020
* Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
* 2021
* Haseen Dillruba
* Atrangi Re
* 2022
* Good Luck Jerry
* Raksha Bandhan
* 2023
* Jhimma 2

*[Ref.]: Reference
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template