Total Dhamaal Review: A weekend stressbuster
This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
Rating: 2.0/5
TOTAL DHAMAAL is a story of two zoos. One zoo is for animals and another is for human beings. Any guesses who are more sensible and sorted out?
Obviously, elephants, monkeys, donkeys, zebras win hands down !!! I wonder why these animals did not break their cages and run for their life after ‘super intelligent’ humans invaded their territory.
It is important that you were not a party to DHAMAAL and DOUBLE DHAMAAL of 2007 and 2011 because that way you are spared from déjà vu moments in its third reincarnation.
If you agree that every film does not have to be fodder for your grey cells or be a masterpiece made for and made by ‘Einstein s’ than TOTAL DHAAMAL can be a totally harmless and entertaining joyride. A weekend stress-buster that is expected to be nothing more than ‘lots of laughter’ amidst like-minded Chimpanzees. Not to mistake them with Ritesh, Javed, or Johnny Lever. Of course, they can beat Chimps with their freaking facial expressions alone. But do they really need to bow down to such primal level of entertainment to elicit those ‘precious’ laughs ?? EK VILLAIN and BANG BANG stand as witness to their genuine acts.
Total Dhamaal: A comedy of errors
It is a mad mad world out there on a treasure hunt. A comedy of errors that lands everyone and their entourage in a zoo, turns out to be a recipe of misadventures. Till the end of the first half, we kind of enjoy this people-going round-n-round behind each other. But after a while, cringy dialogues, low-budget VFX and logicless coincidences spoil the fun. Maybe Hollywood was able to justify such stupidities in a finer way in their old films….read 70’s.
They say, world survives on Hope and a Smile and so do we. Because Anil Kapoor’s Motabhai act and Madhuri Dixit Nene’s million-dollar smile gives us enough reason to survive TOTAL DHAMAAL. This graceful on-screen couple (pushing 60’s and 50’s) is ageless. An easy camaraderie that comes with umpteen films shared together is a treat to watch. Wish someone makes a sensible film with them 😊
Read also: Gully Boy Review- Ranveer Singh explodes on the screen
Conman, Ajay Devgan and his right hand, Sanjay Mishra, hit on us constantly with their cheesier than thou lines. While Javed Jaffery and Arshad Warsi are completely lost in the crowd with very few lines and scenes. They are definitely made for something better than making inane faces and childish noises. Give Arshad Warsi one more SEHER, DEDH ISHQUIYA or JOLLY LLB and he will give back worth much more.
Police Commissioner, Boman Irani and his sidekick, Manoj Pahwa play hide-n-seek with us. They are gone before you say, Jack Robinson. Only Lallan, Ritesh Deshmukh, and his trusted ‘mechanic’ friend, Johnny Lever entertain us with their perfect comic timing.
In the end, some more characters are added with a single-point agenda that says, “if you cannot convince them (audience) then confuse them”. And honestly, by now we really cannot find a difference between gorilla and guddu 😊 😊
In a bid to lay their hands first on the piles of stash, this human- circus do trapeze act over a rickety bridge. Zoom in fast cars. Swim through deep waters. Dive into waterfalls. Fly in auto-riksha turned helicopter and finally even do a freefall skydiving for an ultimate adrenaline push. Phewwww, we are panting already 😊. In a way, the film had touched upon every adventure-element laced with a comical situation but just that new-age audience has woken up and is looking beyond ’anything-for-entertainment’ films. Yet, TOTAL DHAMAAL will make its mullah at small centres and suburbs.
Songs are rehashed ditties from yester hits KARZ and INKAAR. Iconic Helen-dance number, Mungda Mungda Main Gud Ki Dali suffered a heart attack in the film promos itself when Sonakshi Sinha shimmied to it listlessly.
I should have had no doubts when the director, Indra Kumar had put up a disclaimer as to, “Leave your brains behind”. Well, I should have left my chair behind and walked out instead !!!
