This action based film is about the gang wars in the hinterland between two rival groups of Satbir Gurjar and Mahender Fauji (a series of real life incidents) which ensued in Ghaziabad
Directed by Anand Kumar, whose previous film was Delhi Heights, Vivek Oberoi teams up with Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi for the first time.
Zila Ghaziabad appears to be inspired from the super hit action features Omkara and Dabangg. Any occasion is greeted by trigger-happy gangsters. The film is filled with vendetta, gravity defying stunts, slitting throats, pumping bullets and the story begins with unnecessary use of action like exploding bombs in a song sequence as Arshad Warsi returns to Ghaziabad.
We have two rival groups, led by the local Chairman (Paresh Rawal) and Rashid (Ravi Kissen), respectively whose henchmen are active in gang war sort of incidents. Chairman has a soft corner for Satbir (Vivek Oberoi), as he often helps him in situations where paper work is involved. Chairman’s daughter (Charmy Kaur) has fallen for the school teacher. Fauji (Arshad Warsi) is the Chairman’s right hand man for carrying out all his dirty work.
It is the Chairman’s growing respect and preferences for Satbir which leaves the Chairman’s good-for-nothing brother-in-law (Sunil Grover) jealous and then he sows the seeds of distrust. The brother in law plans an attack on Fauji’s home, making it look like it was Satbir’s work.
Then the Chairman’s right hand man Fauji crosses over to Rashid’s faction, while the goody ‘ahinsa wadi’ school teacher Vivek Oberoi is forced to take to violence and indulge in bloodshed when his elder brother (Chandrachur Singh) is killed by Fauji who is misinformed by a shrewd character who intends to avenge Chairman’s (Paresh Raval) insults.
The battle lines are drawn and the Police department has no other option but to depute a brawny cop, Pritam Singh (Sanjay Dutt), to wipe off the gangsters and restore peace in Ghaziabad. Pritam Singh the cop who is known for use of force to eliminate the gangsters, this time uses his chess-board shrewdness to wipe off the baddies without straining his hands.
At the outset itself , director Anand Kumar plunges into action and then onwards its back to back violence in the narrative. A small problem and the characters resort to violence and wipe off the characters like chopping carrots on the cutting board.
Sanjay Dutt’s character is introduced in the post-interval portions. He makes references to his characters played in Saajan and Khal Nayak and is shown as Madhuri Dixit’s fan. This playful cop’s character is shown playful at times, scheming and even jumping in the air, delivering lethal kicks at the goons.
Arshad Warsi portrays the role of a wicked character with effortless ease and yet finds time for his sweet heart Minnisha Lamba, Vivek Oberoi as the peace loving school master romances Charmee Kaur. Sanjay Dutt is the easy going, playful Senior Cop, Ravi Kishen (though a bit loud at times) and Paresh Rawal create an impact in the film.
Not one, but two item numbers are thrown in – the polished dancer Geeta Basra in the first half, and then the Southern hottie Shriya Sharan in the post interval moments.
Zila Ghaziabad then on drags endlessly with mindless action. It is directly targeted for the mass belt of the Western and Northern India, where it could do good business, especially in the single screen cinemas.
Credits:
Banner – Soundrya Productions, Showman International
Presenter – Bharat Shah & Mohammed Fasih
Producer – Vinod Bachchan
Director – Anand Kumar
Creative Director – M. J. Ramanan
Story – Vinay Sharma
Lyrics – Shabbir Ahmed
Cinematographer – Ekambaram
Editor – Bunty Nagi
Choreographers – Ganesh Acharya, Remo DSouza, Pony Verma
Music Directors – Amjad Bagadba, Nadeem Khan, Bappa Lahiri
Lyricist – Shabbir Ahmed
Action – Kanal Kannan
Sound – Buta Singh
Cast:
Vivek Oberoi as Satbir Gurjar
Arshad Warsi as Fauji
Sanjay Dutt as Pritam Singh (Cop)
Paresh Rawal as the Chairman (Mayor of Ghaziabad)
Vishal Singh as Rahat (Arshad’s younger brother)
Minissha Lamba
Ashutosh Rana
Ravi Kishan as Rashid
Divya Dutta as Fauji’s sister
Charmee Kaur as Chairman’s daughter
Geeta Basra in an item number
Shriya Saran in an item number
Chandrachur Singh as Dharamvir’s elder brother
Eijaz Khan
Sunil Grover