The film 'IIZ: Indian Institute of Zombies' presents an intriguing concept where college toppers at the Indian Institute of Innovation transform into flesh-eating zombies. It falls upon a group of backbenchers, guided by Professor Breganza (Anupriya Goenka), to halt the outbreak. However, despite its promising premise, the movie struggles to deliver a truly engaging experience.
Story and Premise
Set during Tekfest 2026 at the Indian Institute of Innovation, an evil Dr. Darwendra (Mohan Kapur) tricks attendees into drinking a potion that supposedly grants superhuman abilities. The only side effect is immortality, but the 'nectar' actually turns them into zombies. The scientist plans to use the infected to contaminate the campus lake, spreading the contagion to the city and nation. It is up to the resourceful Professor Breganza and her team of misfits – Rambo (Sachin Kavetham), Haggu (Tanishq Chaudhary), Virat Sharma (Shiva Brijrani), and Bhim Bhayankar (Jesse Lever) – along with Kiran (Rose Sardana) and the nerd Kitaab Shivdasani (Ranjan Raj), to stop the catastrophe.
Review and Analysis
The challenge of a zombie comedy lies in making absurdity relatable. A zombie outbreak is inherently far-fetched, and adding comedy requires razor-sharp wit, convincing performances, and strong CGI. Directors Gaganjeet Singh and Alok Dwivedi attempt to combine these elements. The idea of backbenchers taking charge flips the narrative, suggesting that real-life skills are more crucial for survival than academic ones. The zombie toppers are shown agonizing over a surprise quiz with 2.5% weightage, while the backbenchers use attendance sheets, vivas, and other college staples to distract them – a commentary on the rat race and how students become zombified by it.
However, such an important message requires a better script and sharper satirical humor to make an impact. The writing team – Kunj Sanghvi, Hussain Dalal, Abbas Dalal, Siddharth Kumar, and Husain Hardawala – delivers a weak narrative stuffed with forced humor and random pop-culture references, such as 'Kiris ka gaana sunega?' The CGI is shoddy, and the zombie makeup remains inconsistent. Only a few scenes elicit chuckles, while most tracks devolve into inane sequences, like creating a visual distraction with a street play and dance to the redux of 'Maar Daala'. Some portions also drag considerably.
Performances
Despite too many characters, the actors play their parts earnestly. Sachin Kavetham, Tanishq Chaudhary, and Shiva Brijrani fit the bill as typical ne'er-do-well students. Ranjan Raj as the nerd and Subhash Ahirwar as his 'pet' zombie Brutus, Jesse Lever, Rose Sardana, and Bidisha Ghosh Sharma as zombie professor Mayalalitha lend able support. Anupriya Goenka and Mohan Kapur have the strongest roles and do justice to their characters.
Conclusion
'IIZ: Indian Institute of Zombies' has a fun idea at its core but never quite finds the bite needed to make its zom-com chaos truly infectious. With a rating of 1.5 out of 5, it remains a missed opportunity.
