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The over-the-top plot!
Magician Iqbal Khan (Jackie Shroff) commits suicide when Western Bank of Chicago takes away the building in which his ‘Great Indian Circus’ takes place. His son Sahir (Siddharth Nigam young, Aamir Khan old) decides to teach the evil gora banker Anderson (Andrew Bicknell who played an extra in The Dark Knight) a lesson and robs the bank to win back the Circus through the bank’s money. He writes a message in Hindi – the very words his father uttered before taking his own life – so in order to solve the case, the Chicago Police seeks Mumbai Police’s help (duh!). Things take a rapid turn after the interval and by the time the movie concludes, all’s well that ends well – except for the bank that simply ends (read goes bankrupt, acha hua!).
What I was expecting…
Loads of on-the-road action, smashing cars, jumping bikes (even motorboats) supporting beautiful women and handsome hunks has been Dhoom’s trademark since the first movie (nearly) a decade back! Even Rimi Sen (now Rimmi) and Esha Deol looked sensuous in the first installment where John Abraham was pitted against Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra. The second one had the hottest couple of Bollywood- Aishwariya Rai and Hrithik Roshan – who robbed together despite being on opposite sides of law. So in the third one, the producers took a step up and signed Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif (as the ‘sensible’ replacement for Aish!). Since Aamir Khan doesn’t do nonsense movies, I was expecting a lot from Dhoom 3 and I got my ticket’s worth as I came out of the theatre a content man!
What I wasn’t expecting…
The twist just before the interval is likely to shock you even if you have seen Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige. There is another moment before the climax of the movie where you inadvertently clap for Aamir Khan (I did, along with many others in the cinema!) because that’s how good he is. Just like Tom Hanks in Captain Phillips, Aamir displays multiple emotions at the same time and proves that he really is the best actor in India at the moment.
As for his leading lady – Katrina Kaif – she doesn’t have much to do in the flick, although Aish had a big role in the success of Dhoom 2. She is easily the most beautiful of Bollywood actresses around and must thank her non-Indian genes for that. She fits the bill as the ‘Asian Goddess who can dance’ since she does all the crazy things expected from an acrobat, but sadly, is overshadowed by non-living things such as the motorbikes that might seem straight out of a Bond movie! The vehicles are more integral to the story than the actress who clearly outclasses all in the looks department (except Tabrett Bethell playing Victoria!) but looks out-of-place herself.
Abhishek Bachchan continues to play the no-nonsense ACP Jai Dixit and all he does is threaten the villain, break some bones and come out victorious no matter how hard the other guy tries. He is partnered with Uday Chopra who gets the role of Ali Khan since he is the brother of the producer besides being one of the two surviving actors of the first Dhoom (Abhishek being the other). His role is more polished here because he actually makes you laugh with his tharki antics – be it in India or America. Later in the movie, when Abhishek’s character asks him to do some kaam, instead of kamasutra, he doesn’t instantly work – he goes into his usual ‘future-flash’ mode and does what he is capable of – imagine!
What I did experience…
I have been a fan of Aamir Khan ever since he decided to do a movie at a time. That’s when he won my respect as a professional artist. As an actor, he wins my respect with Dhoom 3 because he is the reason why I went to watch the flick. I am not a big fan of Katrina Kaif’s acting, have never been a supporter of Abhishek’s choice of films and like all the sane people in the universe, I don’t like Uday Chopra, but Aamir Khan I like. His expressions in the movie (more times angry, less times happy), the movement of his eyes and his goofy act – all would be copied in coming years. No wonder he is called Mr. Perfect in Bollywood!
As for the casting of his young role – Siddharth Nigam – makes his screen debut well, both as acrobat and a junior magician. But I believe that the kid in 3 Idiots looked more Aamir Khan-ish than this one. Imagine a non-white kid in his youth becoming as white as Katrina Kaif in his jawani… must try that cream!
What I will never forget…
I will also never forget Abhishek’s entry because he breaks through a brick wall on an auto rickshaw, goes on one-wheel and hits the villains who seem to have been raised in a pre-gun era. His flight from the top to the bottom of the basti (made on a hill and also used in Zanjeer!) reminds one of his career where he was once at the top, and now needs superstar colleagues to bail him out (remember, Bol Bachchan?).
He doesn’t do his career any favours by jumping from a moving motorbike, punching a man carrying a large knife (on his way down from a roof) and then getting back on his seat as Lone Ranger would land on Silver, his horse! Meanwhile, Uday Chopra was riding the horse (err… bike!), making sure that the boss lands on his butt, and that’s why had to rely on his gut!
One also can’t accept the fact that the Mumbai police was called to catch a thief who writes ‘Teri Aisi Ki Taisi’ in banks since that would have led even the stupidest of detectives to Aamir Khan as it was his father who said that line before taking his life! But then, stupid is what stupid does and in order to decipher the line and make an impression, Chicago Police invited maverick cop Jai Dixit from India along with his stupid sidekick Ali Khan, thus justifying the duo’s presence in the franchise!
What I so want to forget…
The song ‘Malang’ is said to be the most expensive song ever choreographed in Bollywood’s history but sadly, like all the songs (except Kamli and maybe Tu Hi Junoon for some), it is quite forgettable. There is no need for songs in a movie like Dhoom where action speaks louder than anything else. Had it been a necessity, then Fast and the Furious series would have had many songs, nahi?
Just like the senseless Fast and The Furious series (that I like so much), Dhoom 3 has childish stunts. One of the stunts seems to have been conceived by the director either while dreaming or playing a video game (yes the kick-the-bike stunt is taken from an actual video game). Despite being on a bike that would seem more robust than any ever built (except Street Hawk), Aamir Khan always outsmarts the pursuers (maybe because they didn’t know about the difference between right-hand/left-hand traffic). You only have yourself to blame when that very bike turns into a boat and when the need arises into a submarine and again into a bike! And yes, while Aamir Khan’s character is on a two-wheeler, Abhishek is on a rope ladder of a helicopter and even then, his bullet hits the rider! Wow.
There are illogical dialogues – ‘Kitne aise jokers hain jo Teri Aisi Ki Taisi bolte hain!’ – and sequences – Uday Chopra wearing a Jack Sparrow-like costume for no reason. And after a lot of thinking, I have come to the conclusion that the only reason he rides a bike is because in a car, he could be mistaken for a stuntman! (Mystery solved!).
Watch it for Aamir Khan!
Director Vijay Krishna Acharya returns to direction after Tashan and doesn’t do a bad job. It was his screenplay that launched Dhoom in the first place so he was the natural successor of Sanjay Gadhvi whose career went haywire as soon as he left Yash Raj Films. Dhoom 3 may have stupid moments as you might call them but it also has the Aamir Khan-factor. When you have the Ikka Khan, nothing can go wrong. He is just outstanding throughout the movie, be it his comic self, his serious part or the chor who robs a bank to avenge his father. Dhoom 3 is his movie all the way and even if you are not a fan, you would surely become one after watching him go DHOOMI For those who don’t want to watch the flick – Teri Aisi Ki Taisi…
The writer works for Geo TV and can be contacted at omair78@gmail.com
*CINEMATIC SUICIDE
**FORGETTABLE
***WATCHABLE
****COLLECTIBLE
*****AWARD-WORTHY
