Ram Madhvani ka Dhamaka: My quick take on Netflix’s “Dhamaka”
It is said that ad film directors make good feature film directors because they know how to edit well. Rajiv Menon, Santosh Sivan, Pradeep Sarkar, and Abhinay Deo are a few names that came to mind. Ram Madhvani’s name can now be added to this hall of fame. This creative genius, best known for his Airtel commercials and films such as Neerja and the web series Aarya, has created a good thriller this time around with "Dhamaka."
Originality is never a virtue with these creative minds because they are frequently 'influenced' by good ideas/products/movies/lines. This time, Ram Madhvani was inspired by the Korean film "The terror lives” (I have watched a few clips of this Korean thriller, and let me admit that Ram has been thoroughly influenced, ekdum Ctrl C and Ctrl V)
Notwithstanding this ‘inspiration’, let me admit that the plot is very well adapted to suit the Indian, rather Mumbai setting. Secondly, I read somewhere that the movie was shot in just 10 days during Covid Lockdown, which is indeed an incredible feat. (However, the best feature film shot during Covid for me still remains the Malayalam movie “C U Soon” which I believe was shot using an I-phone).
Plot hovers around a news Anchor (rather a demoted News Anchor) who is cooling his heels as an RJ receives a random call and the caller threatens him with blowing up a newly built Sea link bridge and then the drama unfolds. This plot exposes the dirty underbelly of our current "Fourth Estate," which will go to any length to create sensationalism to increase TRP ratings. With the current crop of "breaking news" Wala gang, it's indeed a sad state of affairs.
Kartik Aryan is the news anchor, and he does a good job. I'd like to commend Director Ram Madhvani here for proving once again that he can make wooden blocks (non-actors) act, as he did with Sonam Kapoor and Sushmita Sen, and this time it was Kartik Aryan's turn to shine. Amruta Subash, a talented NSD graduate, plays Aryan's 'hard-nosed' boss. She has done a splendid job.
The movie has all the elements that will keep you engaged on edge of your seat. Short and crisp length, engaging screenplay, good performances, no item songs, no melodrama, wonderful VFX (remember it’s a covid lock down production, hence it must be a green screen wonder) will make you overlook gaping holes like inaction of forces during such terror acts.
On a lighter note, Ram Madhvani can now be called a “claustrophobic” director as he excels shooting in closed (tight) spaces like Neerja was shot in an aircraft’s fuselage and this on in 20 x 20 room of a TV studio.
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