This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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In the meanwhile, top cop Kamath [Abhishek Bachchan] is entrusted the responsibility of destroying the brutal local and international drug mafia in Goa. He forms a core team [Govind Namdev, Muzammil] and starts ‘cleansing’ the land. All fingers point towards Biscuta [Aditya Pancholi], a ruthless local businessman, who has his finger in every pie, legal or illegal. Suddenly, Biscuta finds himself pushed to the extreme limit with Kamath’s arrival. On the other hand, Joki [Rana Daggubati] drifts aimlessly through life after an encounter with the drug mafia costs him the love of his life, Zoe [Bipasha Basu]. Joki takes upon himself to save Lorry, who has been a pawn in a vicious game. DUM MAARO DUM moves at a feverish pace initially, with the director and writer Shridhar Raghavan not indulging in spoon-feeding, unlike most film-makers here are known for. In fact, they expect the viewer to grasp and figure out certain situations that arise in the film, instead of explaining it themselves. That makes the goings-on a tad difficult to comprehend at times and which, in turn, may not be liked by those who don’t feel like taxing their brains while watching a film. What also puts you off after a point are the brutal killings in the name of violence. One doesn’t mind action films [I am all for it], but why make it so real that it puts you off? Stabbing syringes into the neck and even twisting necks is a strict no-no, in my opinion. Rohan Sippy has given the film his all. He has a unique style of telling a story, which is evident all through the film. But he’s letdown by the screenplay writing in the second hour. The highpoints of the film include crisp dialogue and a popular soundtrack [music: Pritam]. The title track has already caught on and will prove to be a major crowdpuller, though there’s a sizable section of cineastes who loathe its lyrics. ‘Thayn Thayn’ is catchy, but the placement of this song should’ve been better. Amit Roy’s cinematography is top notch. In fact, the film bears a stunning look all through. Background score [Midival Punditz] is electrifying. Editing could’ve been sharper. Clocking in at roughly 2 hour and 05 minutes, it’s much longer than it should be. Abhishek is super in the role of a tough cop whose life undergoes a U-turn when personal tragedy strikes. He projects the varied emotions such as rage, turmoil, helplessness, anxiety without going overboard. Much of the joy comes from watching Rana Daggubati infuse believability into his character. He’s easy on the eyes and is a complete natural when it comes to acting. Bipasha shines in several moments of the film. Prateik [credited as special appearance in the titles] impresses a great deal. Aditya Pancholi is first-rate. Anaitha Nair does well in a brief role. Govind Namdeo is in terrific form. Muzammil [as Mercy] does a fair job. Gulshan Devaiya is tremendous. Hussain is okay. Vidya Balan [cameo] is alright. Deepika scorches the screen in the title track.
On the whole, DUM MAARO DUM is like fast food that’s high on calories, but falls short in the nutrition department. Yes, it’s slick, stylish and well-crafted, but the fact remains that it lacks the power [in its second hour specifically] to create a dum-daar impression. Business-wise, DUM MAARO DUM caters more to the youth in metros than the hardcore masses in general. Its business in plexes of Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Bengaluru in particular will be the best. The Nizam-Andhra circuits in particular will also contribute a good chunk thanks to Rana Daggubati’s presence. But the traditional circuits may not react as strongly. In a nutshell, the business is likely to be divided between metros and non-metros, between weekend and weekdays.
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