Double Dhamaal Review

Yet another sequel of a well-liked franchise makes it to cineplexes; this ones helmed by Indra Kumar, the King of Melodrama. The challenge evidently lies in making DOUBLE DHAMAAL far more engaging, compelling and amusing than the first in this series. Right from DIL, his directorial debut, to DHAMAAL, his last outing, Indra Kumar has integrated a generous dose of light moments in all his films, irrespective of the genre. And hes got it right most of the times!

The four jokers [Arshad, Riteish, Javed, Aashish] reunite to cause a comic riot in the much-anticipated follow-up DOUBLE DHAMAAL. DHAMAAL was a laugh-riot and was, in fact, one of the earlier films that gave an impetus to the trend of attempting madcap entertainers.
A word of caution, though. Its outrageous and ridiculous... yet extremely funny and hugely entertaining. As we are well aware, the sole motive of a motion picture of the DOUBLE DHAMAAL variety is to entertain the viewer. Such nutty escapades are not fashioned to appease or mollify a miniscule minority of those viewers who are not in sync with the sensibilities and receptivity of a majority of moviegoers. DOUBLE DHAMAAL is also not for those who loathe and abominate desi masala movies and label them rain dead or cheesy, low-brow humor. All Time Blockbusters like DABANGG, GOLMAAL 3, even 3 IDIOTS and GHAJINI and more recently READY were not spared by the skeptics, but the audience mandate proved the inflexible cynics wrong and how! Very evidently, DOUBLE DHAMAAL is targeted at the massive number of spectators who relish zany capers.
Packed with hilarious moments, amusing gags, witty one-liners and uproarious situational comedy, DOUBLE DHAMAAL lives up to its name and is in a league and genre of its own. Its double the fun and double the guffaws this time. The humor here is poles apart when compared to the MUNNABHAI or GOLMAAL series, yet the objective of each of those films has been to woo lovers of desi masala movies.

DOUBLE DHAMAAL works for varied reasons...
One, the jokes and gags are of a much enhanced quality. A few clutch-my-tummy-and-cackle situations are juxtaposed with the regular loud jesting without a glitch.
Two, the presence of the glam quotient spices up the proceedings [DHAMAAL was an all-male film]. In fact, both Mallika and Kangna are an integral part of the plot.
Three, it appears superior in terms of visuals and also production design. The dazzling locales of Macau are pure eye-candy.
Most significantly, the highpoint of DOUBLE DHAMAAL isn its script alone. Rather, it is also the imposing chemistry between the boys.

As a matter of fact, weve become so habituated to crudeness in the name of hilarity that weve forgotten to value uncontaminated comedies. Which is why I want to roll out the carpet for DOUBLE DHAMAAL, which is a genuinely witty, plot-driven comedy. Sure, there are few double entendres, but they aren detestable or distasteful. In fact, DOUBLE DHAMAAL is so asinine and goofy that you might want to forewarn people that they may fall off their chairs, guffawing at the most banal jokes.

All said and done, DOUBLE DHAMAAL is an epidemic of laughter which has all it takes to take the franchise to the next level.

The four good-for-nothing jokers from DHAMAAL -- Roy [Ritesh Deshmukh], Adi [Arshad Warsi], Manav [Jaaved Jaaferi] and Boman [Aashish Chaudhry] -- are back again! They are still as stupid and useless as before. Hard work is a strict no and the only work they have ever done in their lives is to lie down on their backside and dream about a good life where they have everything without doing anything!

And then suddenly they spot their enemy -- the corrupt Insp. Kabir Nayak [Sanjay Dutt]. But hes no longer a cop and instead of chasing crooks, hes chasing money -- driving a Merc, has a posh office and a lavish villa. The four mad caps are green with envy and decide that come what may, by hook or by crook, they will share Kabirs good fortune. And so they blackmail Kabir into making them his business partners.

What they don know is that soon their dreams are going to turn into nightmares because Kabir has his own hidden agenda, only shared by his sultry girlfriend Kamini [Mallika Sherawat] and sister Kiya [Kangna Ranaut]. And so starts a game of one-upmanship, with both sides having tricks up their sleeves and where sundry characters like Batabhai [Satish Kaushik] and King of Casino, Bonzola, turn up to make their life miserable.

DOUBLE DHAMAAL sets in motion with a speedy recap of the first part, to facilitate those who may have watched it but don recollect the film vividly or those who haven watched the first part and are clueless about the characters. That helps in getting acquainted with the basic plot and characters at the very outset. In fact, the film takes off from exactly the same point where the prequel concluded.

DOUBLE DHAMAAL works primarily because its an ingeniously written film that moves briskly from one gag to another, leaving no moment in between to contemplate. You may trace the jokes to some films of yore, but the manner in which these yarns are unified in the airtight screenplay [Tushar Hiranandani] merits an ovation.

Since the expectations are monstrous from this flick, Indra Kumar seems focused on meeting those expectations. The perfect execution of the script by the director combined with the brilliant comic timing of the actors assures you that the franchise is in safe hands. Also, Id like to make a note of the witty, brilliant dialogues [Farhad-Sajid] that spice up the proceedings well. Music has always played an integral part in Indra Kumars movies and though DHAMAAL didn have a great soundtrack, DOUBLE DHAMAAL has two sprightly and infectious tracks [Anand Raaj Anand] that compliment the movie well -- the title track and Jalebi Bai. Aseem Bajajs cinematography is top notch. He captures the grandiose look on celluloid splendidly.

This comic-and-wit contest is so intense that it is unfeasible to single out any one actor as the scene-stealer. Arshad, Riteish, Jaaved and Aashish are no aliens to tomfoolery and each one of them carries off their scenes with aplomb. Each of them is a born-laugh-raiser, actually. Riteish is simply outstanding. It won be wrong to state that this is his career-best work. Arshads comic timing is amazing and its evident yet again. Jaaved is super. Its a tough part to handle and he does it with amazing ease. Aashish is a complete revelation; he brings the house down with his act. The usage of prosthetics grants a lot of definition to this outrageously comical character. In fact, the four actors co-ordinate well to make the goings-on look flawless and unblemished. Also, the various getups and makeup of all the actors deserve a special mention.

Just as its impossible to imagine GOLMAAL without Ajay, its hard to think of DHAMAAL without Sanju. Hes not so much a part of the comedy as he is the catalyst for much of it... and hes the best man for the job. Both Mallika and Kangna have key roles to play and don come across as mere props. Mallika is excellent and this film will make people realize that she can handle comic roles with effortlessness. Kangna is equally competent and her scenes with Riteish are sure to be noticed. Satish Kaushik is in top form. In fact, hes bound to walk away with ceetees and taalis whenever he appears... also towards the end. Zakir Hussain is adequate.

On the whole, DOUBLE DHAMAAL is a seriously hilarious movie that lives up to its title -- its double dhamaal all the way. If you are not looking for wisdom and rationale in a light-hearted entertainer, I am sure you will savor this carnival of claptrap. Sometimes, a good laugh is all you need to make your day. Try not to miss this one, it pledges hilarity in abundance... Carrying a positive vibe and a high degree of expectation, the film is tipped to be hot amongst viewers and is likely to embark on a strong initial at the box-office. Heres hoping that the first half of 2011 closes on a dhamaal note with DOUBLE DHAMAAL.