What makes Hrithik Roshan's Dhoom 2 the best of the franchise. On Monday Masala
Dhoom 2 starring Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra and Bipasha Basu released 14 years ago on November 24. In this week's Monday Masala, will talk about what made the film the best instalment in the Dhoom series.
As moviegoers, one thing we have learnt from experience is that often when makers announce the second instalment of a movie after the exceptional response of the first film in the franchise, it fails to live up to the audience's expectations. Seldom does a movie fair better, much better than the first part of the film. Director Sanjay Gadhvi’s Dhoom 2 proved to be that exception. Dhoom 2 released two years after Dhoom hit the screens. Though the first instalment of the Dhoom series gained massive commercial success at the box office, Dhoom 2 surpassed it, and how! Now, the Dhoom franchise stands for the somewhat typical chor-police saga which the Indian audience is pretty used to seeing on the big screens. But what makes it different is the added masala of glamour. Of course, Dhoom 2, released November 24, 2006, had the required tadka that we got a taste of in the first part, but, if it were even possible, it bettered itself from the previous time.
Therefore, on Dhoom 2’s 14th anniversary, we, on Monday Masala, will talk about what made the film the best instalment in the Dhoom series. So far, that is.
HRITHIK ROSHAN, HANDS DOWN
Before Dhoom 2, we had witnessed Hrithik Roshan in boy-next-door kind of roles, be it in Lakshya, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Yaadein or Mujhse Dosti Karoge. But Dhoom 2 changed it all. Hrithik's Aaryan was the villain, but he was so cool and charming was this baddie, that he completely overshadowed the good guy. Now, that was not the case with Dhoom, where ACP Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan) and Kabir (John Abraham) were pretty much neck-and-neck.
Result? The audience thronged the theatres to watch just an action-thriller and left the theatres as fans of Hrithik Roshan. Once again after Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai.
NAYAK? KHALNAYAK? WE'RE CONFUSED
In Dhoom 2, Hrithik is a thief, wanted by the police for robberies across the world. But the police doesn't know what he looks like for he is a master of disguise too. Normally, the audience's loyalty would be divided in this case - for there's a good guy on one hand and then there's a bad guy. Alright, we will also give you the elusive grey area - the khalnayak. But such was Hrithik Roshan's aura on screen that audiences championed the villain than the hero. Was that a first for Bollywood? We'd say yes, in a way.
EDGE-OF-THE-SEAT ACTION
What do you think are the key ingredients of a perfect action-thriller? Some high-octane chase sequences, edge-of-the-seat moments and some believable combat scenes. Dhoom 2 had it all in just the right portions. Be it Hrithik’s first heist in Namibia or stealing a diamond from a Mumbai museum, these nail-biting scenes and their execution left an indelible mark in the minds of the audience. Abhishek and Uday Chopra (Ali) are in the lookout for the thief pulling off a series of impossible thefts in a jiffy. But to their hard luck, there’s no stopping this man. This continuous cat-and-mouse chase had the audience gripped from the word go.
ADRENALINE-PUMPING TO GO WITH IT
Another ingredient for the perfect action-thriller is peppy beats to match the adrenaline-pumping action. When the first instalment of the Dhoom series released, its music was one of its main USPs. For Dhoom 2, this was no different. Music director Pritam composed the music for both the films. Yet somehow, Dhoom 2 gave us more memorable numbers. Crazy Kiya Re, Dil Laga Na, Touch Me and Dhoom Again were constants at both discotheques and shaadis that year.
Psst, and who can forget Shiamak Davar's choreography, right? Cross your heart and tell us how many times did you practise to get the Crazy Kiya Re or the Dhoom Again step right?
HRITHIK ROSHAN AND AISHWARYA RAI’S ON-SCREEN CHEMISTRY
Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai’s pairing in the film was a breath of fresh air. This film marked Hrithik Roshan’s first collaboration with Aishwarya Rai. Their on-screen chemistry was liked by the audience to such an extent that after Dhoom 2, they co-starred in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzzarish, pretty much back-to-back, though both those films saw them in a very different light.
WAS DHOOM 3 GOOD ENOUGH?
After the astronomical success of Dhoom 2, the expectation from Dhoom 3 was undoubtedly sky-high. When it was announced that Aamir Khan has been roped in for the third instalment, the audience knew something exceptional was waiting for them, given the actor’s track record. But alas! Despite the phenomenal box-office numbers, the film couldn’t match up to the brilliance of its predecessor. Foreign locations, high octane chor-police chase sequence and big-budget sets, Vijay Krishna Achary tried his best to give this film a Hollywood ka tadka but his no-logic storyline was enough to turn off the audience.
AND THEN THERE IS DHOOM 4
Is there? At one point there were rumours that the fourth instalment of this hit franchise will see Shah Rukh Khan in the role of a baddie. Then we heard, not Shah Rukh, but Salman Khan will take the baton forward. The fact remains that fans of this super-successful franchise are still waiting to hear on that front.
Yes, we're keeping a close watch. Of course, we will tell you first.
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