Dial 100 relies heavily on Manoj Bajpayee, Neena Gupta and Sakshi Tanwar's acting chops

Dial 100 on Zee5 narrates the story of Senior P.I Nikhil Sood, along with two distressed mothers, Seema Palav (played by Neena Gupta) and Nikhil's wife Prerna Sood (played by Sakshi Tanwar). Without giving away any spoilers, what we can tell you is the movie digs deep into the emotions of parents of two kinds, one fighting for justice, and the other, fighting to save their kid. Everything in the movie takes place on a rainy night in Mumbai, and a lot of it is confined to just the police control room.

Directed by Rensil D'Silva, the movie is a one time watch and there's no taking that away, but it cannot match up to what the cast is capable of doing.

Performances

It goes without saying that everyone was sure of the performances being the best there can be and it was in fact, one of the major attractions of the show. Manoj Bajpayee as Nikhil Sood is convincing and he does what he is asked to, the best. He makes you sympathize with the character and feel what he is going through, as is what holds true for both Neena Gupta and Sakshi Tanwar. They both have added more material to the story, and also make you feel for what they are going through. Having said that, had the story been a little tighter, this would have been a bigger hit.

The Good

If I were being honest, the cast is what makes for the majority of good for Dial 100 on Zee5 because the narration seems a little too obvious. However, for the genre that it belongs to, you do notice some twists here and there, but they aren't so strong as you'd like to be. Edited and shot well, the background score is decent for what we see on the screen. 

Apart from the acting chops, the movie also does have a story that can work either way. However, you might or might now agree to what is going on, but they do convince you and make what is shown agreeable, either way.

The Bad

The movie starts off rather slow, and given the limited locations that the movie plays out in, one expects drama that is gripping and the edge of the seat. While you watch the movie until the very end hoping for a major showdown (given the topic), or a major drama unfold, you don't get what you expect. In fact, until the very last scene, you do wish that there was more to the story, and what they leave for you to wonder what could possibly happen.

Verdict

Dial 100 may not be the best of suspense-thrillers, but it is the acting, a little push here and there, and the need to know how it all ends that make it worth your watch. Given the thriving genre, the movie is a noble attempt with some brilliant actors on board.

Ratings: *** (3/5) stars