Dhoom (2004)
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, John Abraham, Esha Deol, Rimii Sen
Director: Sanjay Gadhvi
Music Director: Preetam
Synopsis: A lightweight but fun caper - Bollywood does the Fast & Furious thing!
Reviewed by: Faiz Khan

It was all gloom and doom until a film with a not-so-happening cast burst onto the scene. Although a Yash Raj production, starring the likes of Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Esha Deol, not much was expected in terms of box-office success. Armed with the hit title track Dhoom Machale, the film arrived with little fanfare but managed to conjure up quite a storm.

The film opens with a slick robbery, all split screens and zippy editing, immediately setting the tone for what follows. An armoured truck is robbed by a gang of four leather-clad, helmeted bikers. Assigned to the case is ACP Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan), and there begins a game of cat and mouse between the cops and robbers. Jai soon discovers that these are no ordinary motorcycles, which leads him to Ali (Uday Chopra), a tapori who doubles up as a motorcycle mechanic and dealer in stolen bikes. Down on his luck because no girl seems remotely interested in him, Ali reluctantly finds himself helping ACP Dixit track down the mysterious gang.

During one of their investigations, Ali encounters the sultry Sheena (Esha Deol), who completely knocks him off balance.

The gang of four is led by Kabir (John Abraham), a man motivated as much by the thrill of outsmarting the police as by the money itself. By day, the gang masquerades as pizza delivery boys; by night they meticulously plan and execute daring robberies. Eventually, one of their operations goes wrong when the gang is ambushed and forced to abandon one of their motorcycles. It is then that Ali discovers the bikes have been modified with nitrous oxide, giving the riders the decisive edge whenever the police get too close.

Humiliated by Jai's persistence, Kabir throws down the gauntlet, informing him exactly where the next robbery will take place. His challenge is simple: if he escapes, ACP Dixit must stop pursuing him. Jai accepts, only to be thoroughly outwitted as Kabir escapes once again with the loot. The failure leads to a very public falling-out between Jai and Ali, culminating in Jai resigning from the police force. Believing he has finally removed his greatest obstacle, Kabir approaches Ali and invites him to join the gang for one final robbery.

Sanjay Gadhvi had already shown himself to be a capable director with the likeable Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, but with Dhoom he heads in an entirely different direction. Though clearly inspired by The Fast and the Furious and Ocean's Eleven, Gadhvi succeeds in producing a slick, fast-moving caper that rarely loses momentum. There are very few unnecessary characters and hardly any scenes that outstay their welcome. One or two songs could perhaps have been trimmed, but they never seriously interrupt the pace. Gadhvi's use of split-screen photography is particularly effective. Unlike Rajiv Rai's excessive and rather gimmicky use of the technique in Asambhav, it is employed here with restraint and adds genuine style to what is already an exceptionally polished production.

Abhishek Bachchan is assured throughout and carries off his role with considerable confidence, blending quiet authority with an understated sense of humour that occasionally recalls his father. At long last, he appears to be coming of age as an actor. Uday Chopra provides much of the comic relief and plays comfortably to the gallery without becoming too irritating. John Abraham has a commanding screen presence and acquits himself well as the cool, charismatic Kabir.

The real surprise, however, is Esha Deol. Reinvented almost overnight, she has transformed from a rather wishy-washy screen presence into a heroine with genuine oomph. She positively radiates on screen and, at times, displays flashes of her mother Hema Malini's confidence and spunk. If there is one performer who stands to benefit most from Dhoom, it is undoubtedly Esha Deol. Rimi Sen, meanwhile, has very little to do and leaves only a modest impression.

Dhoom is not a film to be taken seriously. It is simply a stylish caper pitting the good guys against the bad guys. But it is made with tremendous energy, considerable confidence and, above all, plenty of style.

A great summer movie.