Emraan Hashmi’s Ground Zero Brings a True Hero’s Story to Light

Ground Zero, starring Emraan Hashmi, premiered in theatres on April 25. The film dives into the real-life events surrounding BSF officer Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey, who spearheaded the 2003 mission that eliminated the notorious militant Rana Tahir Nadeem, infamously known as Ghazi Baba.

To delve deeper into the film and the valiant mission it portrays, Emraan Hashmi, Sai Tamhankar, the director Tejas Prabha Vijay Deoskar, and the man behind the real story, NN Dubey, joined NDTV for a heartfelt conversation. Dubey, a recipient of the Kirti Chakra—one of India’s highest gallantry awards- shared riveting insights about those historic operations.

During the interview, he was asked about Constable Balbir Singh, a gallant soldier who risked everything to protect Dubey. Reflecting on the incident, Dubey said, “Balbir was very young. At that time, he was one and a half years old. Just two days back, that young man (Balbir Singh's son) had called me because he had seen the trailer somewhere.”

Dubey continued, explaining how Balbir had just returned from leave the previous night and wasn’t originally part of his unit for that mission. “There was this sense of kinship and dedication among the jawans,” Dubey recalled. “Many wanted to be involved in such operations. Balbir requested the Battalion Havildar Major to join us, and eventually, he was placed on duty beside me.”

One particular memory stood out for Dubey. “The morning of the operation, I forgot my jacket,” he said. “My wife handed it to Balbir. That was the last time she saw it.” This poignant moment encapsulates the sacrifice and unpredictability that come with serving on the frontlines.

Paying tribute to Balbir’s courage, Dubey said, “After that, he did not return. So, he was very young and he had a very long life to live as a border man, which was curtailed by just a fraction of a second. And that is one regret we will carry. But he saved me and he took the first brunt in the line of duty, which is, I mean, that is how the philosophy of the entire BSF goes on.”

Alongside Emraan Hashmi, Ground Zero features standout performances by Zoya Hussain, Mukesh Tiwari, Deepak Parmesh, Lalit Prabhakar, and Rocky Raina. The film, produced by Excel Entertainment, captures both the emotional gravitas and unheralded valor that often remain untold.