Based on the Korean film The Terror Live (2013), in Ram Madhvani’s Dhamaka we see Kartik Aaryan in a whole different avatar. Unlike the frothy rom coms where he effortlessly works his charm, there is a distinct dark core to the character here. Arjun Pathak is clearly a very unhappy and disgruntled man. In fact, the only time we see him smiling is in the opening sequence, which actually is a throwback to happier times. As of the present day, wearing a dishevelled look, Arjun Pathak aka Kartik Aaryan grudgingly hosts his radio show.
As we know from the trailer, he gets a call from a man who threatens to blow up Mumbai’s sea link. A 'dhamaka' awaits quite literally and the proceedings take a frenzied turn.
With a runtime of a little over 90 mins, Ram Madhvani and Puneet Sharma’s screenplay doesn’t waste much time in coming to the point. Even through we see the horror filled images of huge flames engulfing the bridge peering out of a window or on large Tv screens, the terror and its aftermath unfolds within the four walls of the studio and in the frantic movements of those trying to get hold of the situation. These are the moments when Dhamaka truly shines. Ram Madhvani knows when and how to dial up the tension, give us just enough information so we know what’s happening and are hungrier for more.
However, these peaks are punctured with some rather tedious troughs. For a film where the profession of the protagonist matters so much, it’s pretty disappointing how they get the in-studio action all wrong. A radio show which half way through the programme turns into a full TV broadcast just doesn’t sit well. A live chat between anchors of rival news channels as a full blame game plays out on TV makes things all the more absurd no matter how many instructions Amruta Subhash‘s foul mouthed boss character screams out. One can sense an attempt at taking a dig at the circus that prime time news these days has reduced itself to but sadly it remains a very puerile attempt .
Amruta Subhash in Dhamaka.
All in all, because of its compact runtime Dhamaka manages to redeem itself somewhat. Especially Kartik, who wins us over but the film leaves us wanting more.
Rating: 3 Quints out of 5.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)