They are a rage Dhoom2

 

 

Cop chases thief. Thief dares cop. Cop plants a thief to catch a thief. And the chase goes on. The story sounds too familiar for excitement, particularly when it comes heavily burdened to pull through the expectations of all the hype that the film had generated. But that’s hardly what Dhoom: 2 is about. The film shines bright and how, despite a very average story and at times, a very loosely knit screenplay, loaded with clichés. But every time you feel you have had enough, the magic happens. The magic of sheer star power. And one star that shines brightest and keeps your eyes glued to the screen is Hrithik Roshan. Bollywood has seen several casting coups, but not all of them could create the magic that Dhoom: 2 has done.

The film begins with a breathtaking shot of Aryan (Hrithik) descending in a chute and landing on top of a moving train somewhere in the deserts of Namibia. His mission...to steal the jewel studded crown of the ‘queen’. He gets into her looks and fools the guards in no time. Mission successful! How? Who cares, or so is assumed. What follows is an action sequence atop the moving train defying all laws of Physics though. But Hrithik shines bright as a cool, suave, stylish thief who gets away with the crown. There seems to be some celebration of evil happening in Indian cinema, quite frequently off late. Bunty-Babli, Don, and then Dhoom. It seems okay to be a little bad. That’s an interesting development. Audiences and stars alike, are all in a mood to experiment, with something away from the stereotypical ‘hero’. But what disturbs is the fact that screenplays have not evolved enough for seamless story telling. It is still assumed that audiences are not willing to know how Aryan steals, or Bunty thugs. Bullets still miss their targets even if sprayed, almost out of the strips of Hagar the Horrible, till the ‘hero’ decides that he has had enough, or maybe the director! Jai Dikshit (Abhishek) keeps spraying bullets from a chopper chasing Aryan on roller skates. But Aryan shines. He looks the cool headed stylish thief daring Jai, ‘catch me if you can’. In the long haired and bearded look, Hrithik looks international. As good as the best in any other part of the world. Guess he is all prepared to be the next Bond. Sunehri (Ash) is planted by Jai to nab the ever elusive Aryan. Jai seems to be smitten by her beauty, but the audiences don’t seem to be as much. She has stunned us with her beauty earlier. It’s a new short skirt look for Ash with a wannabe accent. All that is fine, but she sizzles only in moments. In fact, she looks awkwardly short in the song and dance sequence, ‘crazy kiya re’. But Aryan seemed to be crazy for her, in his own way though. Love happens. How? No clue. That’s a disappointment. You want to see two of the most good looking people walking on planet earth, fall in love, on screen that is. There is no development to that. It just happens. In fact, in recent times, love just has been happening in Indian films. Almost like buying cheap air tickets on the Internet. Extremely low involvement process. But then, Sunehri and Aryan kiss, and how! A bold step ahead (finally!) for Hrithik and Ash.

Shonali Bose (Bipasha) joins the police department with some information about the ever elusive Aryan. She makes a detailed presentation to her seniors and to Jai about the mission. But then what? The role starts fading every passing moment. But Bipasha is a stunner. By the time you forget that she was there in the film, she comes back in a double role as Monali Bose, Shonali’s sister, to romance Ali (Uday Chopra). She sizzles yet again in a two piece bikini, sings a song with Ali and then disappears again. A role obscure, but a look remembered. Ali keeps you entertained as Jai’s associate, with his goofy one liners and great comic timing. Abhishek puts on the cap of a broody and intelligent police officer trying to nab the thief. But he looks more broody than intelligent. One could not make out why he is like that. But he is like that. Ample screen time, song and dance, chases and all that is required. But somehow is overpowered. But one quite liked him when he comes back in the final twist.

Dhoom: 2 however is a definite entertainer and ‘paisa vasool’. Shot well, and has quite a few gripping action sequences. The pre-climax bike chase is brilliant. Hrithik yet again steals the show zipping in the Suzuki. Not because he rides it faster with Ash in the pillion seat, but because he looks it. The background score adds to the mood of the film. The songs however disappoint. You remember ‘crazy kiya re’ not because of the composition, but maybe as a great reference for Hrithik. Dhoom: 2 is a must see.