Zero 2019

Bauua Singh is a young man from Meerut who stands out for his short stature and his persistent struggle to find a marriage partner. The story follows his tangled path through family expectations, romantic missteps, and a bold leap into space, all while he searches for a love that truly fits him. After trying various matrimonial agencies with little luck, he finally encounters Aafia Yusufzai Bhinder, a scientist working with NSAR—a fictionalized NASA-like organization. Aafia, who lives with cerebral palsy, becomes Bauua’s companion, and the two fall in love. Yet the relationship falters, and Bauua ends things after about five months. When Aafia reappears seeking reconciliation, Bauua’s parents intervene and attempt to arrange a marriage for them.

On the wedding day, Bauua’s friend Guddu reveals a surprising opportunity: Bauua has been shortlisted for a dance competition he had entered earlier, with a grand prize that includes a chance to meet Babita Kumari, a famous Bollywood star. Fueled by the chance to meet Babita, Bauua unexpectedly bolts from the wedding, leaving his family and Aafia heartbroken. His bold choice leads him to a glamorous party where Babita Kumari is present, along with other well-known actors. This encounter marks a turning point, as Babita is impressed by Bauua’s ability to read people—by observing their movements and expressions—and offers him a job.

With Babita’s support, Bauua accompanies her on film schedules and award events, and he becomes involved in her efforts to mend relations with her ex-boyfriend Aditya Kapoor, who had previously cheated on her. During this period, Bauua inadvertently reveals his relationship with Aafia to Babita. In response, Aafia fabricates a story about her own family background, claiming that her parents were dwarves and that her father had wronged her mother, as a way to influence Bauua’s feelings. This deception strains Bauua’s sense of responsibility and fairness, and he fulfills a desire to reconcile with Aafia, which culminates in a tense confrontation at a party Babita hosts. Babita, witnessing the fallout, distances herself from Bauua and cuts ties with Aditya, realizing that Aditya’s pattern of cheating persists.

Seeking closure, Bauua and Guddu travel to New York, where Aafia is giving a seminar. Bauua crashes the seminar in an attempt to speak with her, but she refuses to see him. Aafia’s father then reveals a painful truth: Aafia was pregnant with Bauua’s child at one point, which raises the stakes of their unresolved relationship. Heartbroken, Bauua contemplates leaving the city, yet decides to try one more time. He rethinks his course and, in a bold move, joins a program that recruits human volunteers to be sent to Mars aboard a rocket. After rigorous training and with the support of one of the other applicants, Bauua earns a place on the mission, while Guddu is rejected due to his vision disability.

The mission’s day arrives, and on the eve of launch, Aafia—who was initially set to marry Srinivasan, a fellow scientist and her colleague—arrives at NSAR just seconds before Bauua’s launch. She leaves Srinivasan and commits to Bauua, accepting the reality of their complicated past and reaffirming her love for him as the rocket ascends. The launch is witnessed by Babita, Bauua’s family, Guddu, Srinivasan, and Aafia via television broadcast, a moment that fuses their intertwined lives and hopes.

As the craft speeds toward space, Aafia narrates a voice-over that Bauua eventually reaches Mars and sends a video from there. The return journey proves perilous, and Bauua’s rocket goes missing in space, leaving Aafia and the others to wait in uncertainty. Fifteen years later, a Chinese space station intercepts Bauua’s signal from an escape pod, which crash-lands in the Pacific Ocean. The shocking discovery reveals that Bauua is still alive, a survivor who endured an extraordinary odyssey beyond Earth as the story pauses on this hopeful note.