‘Sarzameen’ Movie Review: Ibrahim Ali Khan’s Stab at Redemption Suffers From ‘Mission Kashmir’ Hangover (LatestLY Exclusive)

Sarzameen Movie Review: Ibrahim Ali Khan must be pretty pissed off with a lot of things right now. Once upon a not-so-distant time, despite the endless online hate towards star kids, he was among the most anticipated newcomers in Bollywood. The dude looked good - credit to his father’s handsome genes - and had a solid social media following, which, an open secret now, is practically a casting criterion these days. Sure, there was that minor hurdle - he couldn’t act - but when has that ever stopped a nepo baby from trying their luck? Prithviraj on 'Sarzameen' Co-star Ibrahim: ‘When One Film Clicks, Audience Will Love Him'.

So when Dharma Productions - currently Karan Johar’s personal mission to ensure people keep hating star kids - signed Ibrahim for two films, it felt like a big deal. But then Nadaniyaan happened. It quietly slipped onto OTT. Sure, it was bad, but I’ve seen worse movies released in cinemas - yes, even from Dharma. Now, his second outing, Sarzameen, has also dropped straight to streaming. Ibrahim must be fuming. His star-making career trajectory seems to have ended in just two films.

The only consolation? Sarzameen is better than Nadaniyaan. Yet, not enough to be a good film.

'Sarzameen' Movie Review - The Plot

Directed by Kayoze Irani - Boman Irani’s son and another Johar protégé making his directorial debut - the film revolves around Colonel Vijay Menon (Prithviraj Sukumaran), his wife Meher (Kajol), and their teenage son Harman. Vijay, stationed in Kashmir, leads a successful mission that captures a feared terrorist, Qabil (KC Shankar). While the nation hails him a hero, at home he’s a lousy father. Harman stammers and lacks confidence, and that pisses off his father. Meher is understandably fed up of Vijay's outright indifference to their son.

As retaliation, the terrorists kidnap Harman and demand Qabil’s release. Vijay, choosing duty over family, kills Qabil’s brother, sacrificing his own son in the process.

Watch the Trailer of 'Sarzameen':

Years later, still posted in Kashmir (for some reason), Vijay encounters a young man (Ibrahim Ali Khan) during a rescue op - someone who claims to be his long-lost son. Meher is overjoyed. Vijay is suspicious. Is this really Harman? Or a terrorist infiltrator? Or worse - both?

'Sarzameen' Movie Review - Ibrahim Shows Improvement

Let’s address the elephant in the room: how is Ibrahim? Compared to Nadaniyaan, this is a step up. That said, the bar was in the basement. While Sarzameen isn’t flawless (far from it), it isn’t a complete mess either, which is more than I could say for his debut. It has structure, some halfway-decent performances, and no one makes you want to pull your hair out. That’s... progress?

The slightly better material helps Ibrahim, who still has rough edges. He appears wooden, especially in the early scenes post-Harman’s return. But maybe - just maybe - his character’s hidden motives justify that stiffness. The optimistic part of me wants to give him that benefit of the doubt.

He does improve in the second half. There are actual expressions. Real emotions. In the third act, he even manages to surprise, especially since my expectations were scraping the floor. However, when you see a far more natural performer in Mihir Ahuja (playing a young terrorist) beside him, the class divide in opportunities becomes painfully evident.

'Sarzameen' Movie Review - A Faltering Screenplay

Still, Ibrahim isn't the only reason Sarzameen struggles. A lot of blame lies with Irani's screenplay, which seems cobbled together from heavy influences. There are strong shades of Yash Chopra's Shakti (Dilip Kumar–Amitabh Bachchan) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Mission Kashmir (Sanjay Dutt–Hrithik Roshan). Being inspired is fine - but when the influence gets this overt, comparisons come in uninvited. And Sarzameen has neither the emotional depth of Shakti nor the technical finesse of Mission Kashmir. Comparing Ibrahim to either Amitabh or Hrithik would be the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever written as a critic.

The makers even seem self-aware about the Mission Kashmir parallels. No romantic track for Ibrahim, sure, but Qabil becoming a father figure to Harman and inciting his hatred against his military-man father, the father-son face-off in a climactic fight - they all feel lifted straight from there. So just when it was getting too similar, the makers throw in a twist that’s so outrageous, it drags the film into outright absurdity.

This, despite the fact that Sarzameen is already grappling with logical loopholes. Take the climax, for example. There's a planned terrorist attack during a dam inauguration. Despite intelligence warnings, there's virtually no security - just Vijay and a couple of jawans. I am not a military expert, but if I get a warning that the event is about to be attacked, the first thing I would do is - check under the stage!

The complexities of the Kashmir issue - a reason why after the Pahalgam attacks, Sarzameen may not have gone for a theatrical release - don't become a dominant factor in the movie that plays it safe with its politics. Whether deliberate or not, it's worth noting that the two ‘patriotic’ characters - Vijay (a Malayali) and his loyal subordinate (a Muslim, played by Jitendra Joshi) - are from communities often targeted online by a certain section. A curious and somewhat brave choice. ‘Nadaaniyan’ Movie Review: Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor Are Insufferable in This Clueless Campus Romcom.

'Sarzameen' Movie Review - The Direction and The Performances

As for Kayoze’s direction, it’s competent for a debut, but he struggles to plug narrative holes or handle casting with finesse.

Prithviraj, usually a reliable performer, feels miscast here. He’s undeniably earnest, but his line delivery often slips into a deep monotone, and he doesn’t convincingly look old enough to have a twenty-something son. Why not cast Saif Ali Khan instead? The real-life father-son dynamic could’ve added a compelling layer of tension.

Kajol is effective as the loving mother, but a late-film twist doesn’t sit well with her performance - arguably not her strongest moment. The film should have included more scenes between her and Ibrahim to strengthen their emotional bond. Instead, Ibrahim shares more screen time with Prithviraj, leaving his relationship with Kajol underdeveloped.

Worse, Kajol and Prithviraj lack the chemistry needed to sell their marriage. Since the family dynamics - the very heart of this film - suffer as a result, it’s all Gham and no Khushi. And frankly, that’s been my sentiment about most Dharma productions lately.

'Sarzameen' Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Sarzameen is not a trainwreck like Nadaaniyan was, but it’s also far from the comeback that could resurrect Ibrahim's already flailing career. The star-kid shows flickers of improvement, and Kayoze Irani makes a decent if unremarkable debut as the director. Unfortunately for both of them, their film stumbles under the weight of its borrowed ideas, a silly third-act twist, and emotional beats that don’t fully land. Once again, better luck next time, Jr Khan! Sarzameen is streaming on JioHotstar.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 25, 2025 07:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).