MovieChat Forums > Zinda (2006) Discussion > An honest Zinda review

An honest Zinda review

posted 16 years ago by szech_1
12 replies | jump to latest

Someone asked for an honest out-right Zinda review. I just watched it on Youtube, though it might not be up there much longer. Ironically, Zinda might be copyrighted.

Zinda gets a C-minus-minus, 4.5 stars out of 10, one thumb sideways--one thumb down. The story holds up alright until the end and the acting is decent, but the random English is annoying, and too much of the story is explicitly stated, rather than having it conveyed using cinematography. Do I really need to watch Rohit do trades in a limousine and talk about losing one million dollars a week and still be financially stable for me to understand that he's immensely wealthy? Do I really need to hear him say that there are more important things than money for me to understand that he is -really- driven for revenge?

** SPOILER ALERT **

The ending also doesn't make any sense. Rohit imprisoned Balajeet so he could make Balajeet -think- his daughter was going to be sold for sex, but in reality never intended to go through with it, and instead made plans to reunite Balajeet with his daughter while filling a suicidal death wish? That's more of an April Fools joke than an insidiously tuned master plan for revenge. I suspect the Oldboy ending would have been too much for the Indian audience, but this ending completely invalidated everything the movie built up to.

** END OF SPOILERS **

Oldboy had believability, finesse, quips, and a twisted-yet-enthralling storyline. For all that Zinda copied, it failed to capture the what made Oldboy great.

Gupta's best defense should be "How could I have copied Oldboy? Oldboy is great. My movie is crap."

[–] talktej27 16 years ago

Hello szech,

I found the movie nice because of its plot for which the credit actually goes to OLDBOY. However, this one will remain one of my best movies, as Oldboy isn't available in my place and this movie, though not completely thrilling, offered me something new which I enjoyed. However, I admit that it could have been a way far too better. It seemed as if the director was just interested in finishing up the movie and releasing it soon. Your last line is really funny, yet meaningful.

I want to know whether the ending of OLDBOY was different from ZINDA. If so, what was it? What were the other major differences (except that in OLDBOY, the main character was locked up for 15 yrs while in ZINDA, it was for 14 yrs)? Hope, you'll reply. THANKS!!!

[–] anirudhkalbag 16 years ago

The plot in Oldboy is completely different from Zinda (from what I hear, as I haven't watched Zinda as yet). I won't tell you how, because it will certainly ruin the movie for you. It will suffice to say the plot and twists are too "sensitive" for Indian audiences.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] szech_1 15 years ago

Hi Tej,

The only differences story-wise are in the flashback and the ending, but these differences have major implications for the movie as a whole. But the short answer is: The motive for revenge, and the way revenge is carried out.

I encourage you to try to find a copy of Oldboy, rather than read about its ending. It is very impressively done. I'll just say that Woo jin/Rohit really turns the tables on Dae Su/Balajeet.

[–] ritwiksondhi 16 years ago

Ther ain't any difference between Zinda & Oldboy (even the dialogues) except the ending, since it'd have created controversy in India ... one can easily download Oldboy or Zinda from Internet ..both of them are available ..

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] duckfart 16 years ago

ChrisTreborn, you must be a moron to think Zinda is anywhere near, let alone, better than Oldboy. Hell, the fight scenes were pathetic, Dutt even ran out of breath in the corridor fight scene and took a half hearted swing at one of the thugs who then jumped back like he was smacked by a cannonball.

The whole issue with making incest the plot twist was exactly what it was meant to be, sick. It was meant to be the ultimate revenge and seeing how you react in horror shows it achieved that.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Desertman84 13 years ago

Anyone who says that Zinda is better than Oldboy should be willing to eat an alive octopus.Aside from that, he/she should be willing to cut his/her tongue to prove it.

[–] Desertman84 13 years ago

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** SPOILER ALERT **

The ending also doesn't make any sense. Rohit imprisoned Balajeet so he could make Balajeet -think- his daughter was going to be sold for sex, but in reality never intended to go through with it, and instead made plans to reunite Balajeet with his daughter while filling a suicidal death wish? That's more of an April Fools joke than an insidiously tuned master plan for revenge. I suspect the Oldboy ending would have been too much for the Indian audience, but this ending completely invalidated everything the movie built up to.
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I think it made a FOOL out of the audience. Zinda should have not been made if it only intends to insult the intelligence of the audience in the end.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Film-School-Reject 11 years ago

Gupta's best defense should be "How could I have copied Oldboy? Oldboy is great. My movie is crap."

Spot on, mate. ROFL

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