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Dhoom 2
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'Dhoom 2' - An exhilarating watch

By Naresh Kumar Deoshi
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Cops and robbers stories never got so exhilarating in Bollywood. Sanjay Gadhvi’s film ‘Dhoom 2’ does not give you a moment to sit back. With its stylish look, incredible stunts and tongue-in-cheek humour, the movie keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat without any safety belt.

You can skip a roller-coaster ride for a movie like this. And you won’t miss a thrill. High speed chases, free-falls, pyrotechnics, death-defying stunts are all rolled together to give you goose bumps in every single reel of this 2.45 hr movie. And a lion’s share of credit for this goes to Hrithik Roshan, without whom this movie would have been a soulless body.

Story

is not of as much importance to this movie as individual sequences revolving around robberies. As Hrithik Roshan ingeniously pulls off one impossible heist after another, you realize that the movie is not just about brawns, but brains too.

Sanjay Gadhvi makes his intentions clear in the very opening reels. In a desolate desert in Africa, an anonymous thief, a mysterious Mr. A (Hrithik), pulls off a daring robbery on a moving train. After the loot, as he sandboards through the golden dunes with the booty safe in his bag, the introductory titles roll.

Back in Mumbai, Ali (Uday Chopra) has graduated from a mechanic to a cop. He and his senior Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan) work together to bring criminals to book.

Enters ACP Shonali Bose (Bipasha Basu), Jai’s college friend, now a sharp shooter who believes in gunning down thieves rather than catching them. She is an expert on the thefts by Mr. A, a mysterious, nameless thief and a master of guises whose real face none has seen.

Jai and Shonali team up to catch Mr. A on his next robbery in Mumbai. But the elusive thief slips through their fingers after stealing a priceless diamond. That’s not it. Mr. A throws a challenge to the cops by announcing his next target.

It is on this robbery Aishwarya Rai is introduced as a masked thief who impresses Mr. A. Sunehri (Ash) makes an impression on the international thief and soon wins his trust. Mr. A introduces himself as Aryan and takes Sunehri under his wing.

But there is another side to Sunehri. As she and Aryan go to Brazil for their next robbery, Jai and Ali keep close on their trail. Riveting action and stunts follow as Jai and Ali try to stop Aryan from his next crime.

It is better not to benchmark ‘Dhoom 2’ by Hollywood standards. Seen purely as a product of Hindi cinema, ‘Dhoom 2’ turns out to be a movie that redefines the action genre in Bollywood. And once again it is Hrithik Roshan who plays a pivotal role in stretching this quotient. The actor just keeps getting better at doing unimaginable stunts. He does sand-surfing, roller-blading, bungee jumping and much more with the mien of an expert. Besides the stunts, he stays in complete control of his character and convincingly brings out the emotional sides of Aryan in the second half. The movie truly belongs to him.

Abhishek Bachchan looks rugged playing the no-nonsense cop but is never able to rise above Hrithik’s presence. Bipasha Basu looks really hot and the camera scans her anatomy and assets at regular intervals to add some titillation to the thrills.

On the other hand, Aishwarya Rai doesn’t look least bit sexy despite wearing a variety of skimpy dresses. The gorgeous actress is not able to carry herself comfortably in revealing outfits. Perhaps she is a beauty that ought to remain covered.

Uday Chopra is the only source of humour in this action-packed thriller. Although his comedy is generic, the flair and ease with which he does it makes his character very entertaining.

Rimi Sen has a brief and forgettable role of Jai’s pregnant, cribbing wife.

‘Dhoom 2’ isn’t void of faults, and some of them are so glaring to be overlooked. Bipasha’s character Shonali is inexplicably dropped at the interval point and another character, an identical twin called Monali, is introduced in Brazil. And both Shonali and Monali have little significance to the movie’s story.

Secondly, after a series of intelligently conceived robberies in the first half, the last robbery in the film turns out to be lacklustre and without any thrill.

Thirdly, Pritam’s recycled and rehashed compositions that only evoke yawns and encourage you to go out for some refreshments.

Fourthly, the romance between Hrithik and Ash lacks the real spark.

All said, this Dhoom turns out to be bigger, better and bombastic than its prequel. It is essentially a cops and robbers story with some glamour and humour thrown in. In this tussle between cops and thieves, it is Love that wins in the end. After all, Aashiqon ka janaaza hai, zara Dhoom se niklega.

Watch it for Hrithik.

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