Bollywood’s most anticipated movie of 2013: Dhoom 3. India’s Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan‘s pairing with the hot Katrina Kaif, plus the curiosity around how will the already successful franchise move ahead, and many such factors made Dhoom 3 the most hyped movie.
It is on a way to create records, break records, and definitely it will. People don’t have any other option this Holiday season, plus Yash Raj Films has released around 4000 prints in India, plus high ticket prices. Aamir Khan did give a statement regarding the misunderstanding around Dhoom 3 ticket prices, but I guess he was wrong. In a non-IMAX multiplex too the price for one ticket is Rs 900, in a city like Pune, where I watched the film. The point: Dhoom 3 will shatter the Box Office, that’s a given.
Movies are of two types – the memorable ones, and the ones who earn big money at the Box Office. Aamir Khan during his conversation with Karan Johar on Koffee With Karan said, “I want people to get satisfied. Box Office doesn’t matter.” He later asked Karan about his favorites movies in time, and their Box Office collections to prove his point. Ironically, Mr. Khan, though Dhoom 3 will go on a record-breaking spree, will make huge money, the film is not that great.
All Dhoom 3 has: are over-the-top performances, tons and tons of melodramatic scenes, especially where Sahir, played by Aamir Khan, recalls his past story, which is full of loopholes. Yes, it does have lots of action, lots of VFX, but since we are exposed to Hollywood, all that doesn’t impress anymore. When will Bollywood filmmakers realize that it’s not always about the style, there has to be a story, a really powerful screenplay. And, when will Bollywood understand that songs in such movies are nothing but speed-breakers. What’s the need to spend 5 crores on a song, which makes no sense at all, neither it is catchy, or has any other value. Instead, more money needs to be spent in scripting, scripting, scripting and only scripting. Pay the writers more, because they are the real stars. Aamir may have had the experience of the power of script while working with Rajkumar Hirani, who would not move an inch without a powerful script. But, I guess Aamir had no say in Dhoom 3, and in the end all he wanted to do was win the Box Office race! The situation is as real as people being forced to watch Dhoom 3 on gun-point! The gun-point here means: no other movies till January, abundant screens, everyone showing only one movie – people are bound to come!
The story is plain vanilla. Sahir loses his father, Iqbal, played by Jackie Shroff, because he isn’t able to repay the loans he took from a Chicago Bank, and his only hope, The Great Indian Circus is closed down, the shock of which kills him. Sahir wants to avenge his father’s death, and repeatedly robs the Chicago Bank, and manages to do it. And on top it, on American walls he leaves messages in Hindi. Like good friends with India, the American security agencies look forward to get help from our very own ACP Jai Dixit, played by Abhishek Bachchan, and his side-kick Ali, played by Uday Chopra.
From now on, the Chicago police, perhaps the worst “white” casting ever done, are turned into mute spectators, and they are lead by ACP Jai Dixit. Perhaps, the director of Dhoom 3, Vijay Krishna Acharya, wanted to avenge the poor portrayal of Indian characters in Hollywood, and so he cast such dumb looking expressionless American actors. Remember the good era of Govinda movies? Where they used to shoot songs at Western locations, and how every Western character in the movie looked like a fool, either as bystanders, or come in to say a few dialogues, but in the end just making a fool of themselves? In 2013 nothing has changed for Bollywood.
Aamir Khan has worked much on his character. But, comparisons with Hrithik Roshan and John Abraham were bound to happen. Aamir Khan is no superstar, he just doesn’t have what Hrithik Roshan had in Dhoom 2. From dancing to action, Aamir is notches below Hrithik.
Abhishek Bachchan delivers. He is as good as he has been in previous two installments. But, the surprise package of Dhoom 3 is Uday Chopra. He has surprisingly delivered an impressive performance, but alas, his efforts will go unnoticed as Dhoom 3 is all about Aamir Khan.
Katrina Kaif too is in the movie. But she has nothing to do, except flaunting her body in bare minimum clothes, comprising mostly of bras and skimpy shorts.
Vijay Krishna Acharya, who is also the writer of Dhoom 3 has once again proved that he is a very good dialogue writer, but needs to learn scripting or screenplay from a good school.
Ritesh Soni, the editor of Dhoom 3, in fact is the real hero of it. The director might have forgotten his job, but the editor didn’t leave the grip. It is a very long film, but the superb editing by Soni makes it all look nice, scenes are crisply cut, nothing unwanted stays longer. If there’s really one person who deserves a huge round of applause, then it’s this man. Very nice work, Ritesh Soni and team.
Bottomline: Dhoom 3 is just another overrated film. It doesn’t live up to the expectations.
Rating: *** (1.5 for VFX, action and 1.5 for editing)
