Zombivli review: Amey Wagh, Lalit Prabhakar make Marathi industry's first zombie film a memorable one

4/5

Set in Dombivli, Zombivli is when the whole area turns into a zombie zone. In such a scenario, Vishwas and his alter-ego Jaggu (Lalit Prabhakar and his hand) and Sudhir (Amey Wagh) realize that they are the only people they can depend on against the zombies. What will transpire now?

Marathi cinema's first-ever zombie film Zombivli is a movie that has ticked all the boxes. If you are looking for horror, comedy, drama, romance, and something that still leaves a social message, look no further. Director Aditya Sarpotdar has managed to bring forth every message in the best way possible through the talents of Amey Wagh, Lalit Prabhakar, and Vaidehi Parashurami.

Lalit Prabhakar enters the film, and his look as Vishwas is the first thing that will catch your attention. He is known to be a good actor, and here he is as mild as he needs to be.

The comedy begins almost as soon as the film starts. There is a mystery in the movie when it comes to Lalit's alter ego, Jaggu, which is his right hand. This scenario is similar to Gopal's (Ajay Devgn) issue in Golmaal.

The way the zombie is created is supposed to be scary, which it is, but more than that, it is awkwardly funny to see a man turn into a zombie. However, since Zombivli is a horror comedy, this also works.

Amey Wagh as Sudhir Deshmukh looks adorable as soon as he comes in the film. His pregnant wife, Seema (Vaidehi Parashurami), fits into the story almost too well.

Trupti Khamkar as the Deshmukhs' maid is hilarious as always. She is heartwarming with her naive personality.

Sudhir's first interaction with a zombie is intense and funny. Amey is too much fun, and Lalit might not be at his level, but he is impressive too.

The story gets interesting even when there is no comedy in the scene. This is the first hint of a good film.

Sharat Sonu as Prakash Dubey leaves a memorable first impression. He knows just how to behave like a rich brat, and it shows through his scenes and body language.

While Lalit is good too, Amey steals the show in all his scenes, at least in the first half of the movie. They both come at par in the second half, to the extent that it is tough to decide who is more heartwarming. There is not one scene where you are disappointed, be it comedy, romance, or drama.

Zombivli also deals with politics and how people are affected by it. The movie has the topic of class difference too, and how two people deal with the same situation in contrasting ways.

Zombie films are generally very interesting, and the music in this one simply adds to the momentum needed in the movie. There is just no moment where you get bored. Instead, this film keeps you gripped from the beginning to the end.

One thing that is really frustrating is that a woman is made to scream every time she is near a zombie. It put the groups in trouble. Unfortunately, it simply appears that they wanted to show her as a blonde or confused person who doesn't know how to behave in sensitive situations, which is unfair.

However, the one thing I like about this film is that it tries to deal with some subjects that need talking about – like saving water. Even if it might not make a lot of sense, if a movie of such a scale deals with the topics that need dealing with, then it is already appealing.

Make Zombivli your weekend binge movie. This one deserves the praise because it is entertaining and almost mindful too. There are a few moments when they get mixed up in a way that could end up being a recipe for disaster, but since the moments are barely two, you can easily sit through this film and be assured that you will be entertained.