Oct 13, 20223 min read

Dhamaka: A Perfect Film on How Media sells the News rather than Reporting It

Updated: Feb 26, 2023

Reviews by:

@mr.cinemaaa

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Project Details

Director: Ram Madhvani
Based On: "The Terror Live" by Kim Byung-woo
Screenplay: Puneet Sharma & Ram Madhvani
Produced By: Ronnie Screwvala, Amita Madhvani, & Ram Madhvani
Cinematography: Manu Anand
Music Director: Vishal Khurana
Edited By: Monisha R Baldawa & Amit Karia
Production Design: Nidhi Rungta
Art Director: Richard Viagulam
Costumes: Theia Tekchandaney & Ayushi Jain
Sound Design: Manas Choudhary
Action/Stunts: Manohar Verma
Make Up: Jay Kanojia
Run Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes
CBFC Rating: n/a

Direction & Story

When a cynical ex-TV news anchor gets an alarming call on his radio show, he sees both danger & a chance for a TV comeback but it may cost him his conscience. Dhamaka is based on the successful Korean film "The Terror Live", and may also remind you of flicks like 'Nightcrawler', 'Money Monster', and 'The Wednesday'. The story & premise of Dhamaka seems solid with its content. The game of words between the terrorist, journalist, police & news channels is highly engaging. The screenplay is impressive & ensures that audiences remain glued to their seats. However, some of the developments in the latter half are not so convincing. Ram Madhvani's direction is gripping. His storytelling is taut and he maintains the suspense levels very well, leaving audiences to wonder what will happen next for every 15 minutes. The tension gets ramped up quickly & effectively, & it is sustained for much of the film.

Lead Performances

Kartik Aaryan, who is best known for his comic, lighthearted, and romantic roles, steps into altogether a new territory and comes out with flying colours. This is for sure his career-best performance till date. He portrays the dilemma & distress of his character with sincerity. It is a huge change over for him as an actor and he impresses big time with his performance. Mrunal Thakur looks cute and does her role with ease as the brave reporter and as Kartik's wife. Amruta Subhash leaves a tremendous mark and adds a lot to the drama as the cruel TRP-minded boss. Soham Majumdar as Raghubir has a very limited appearance but his voice plays a very important role. Vikas Kumar makes his presence amply felt in a guest appearance in the role of ATS’ Praveen Kamath. Ambrish Saxena is neat at the end. Vishwajeet Pradhan, Anuj Gurwara & the rest are fine in their roles.

Detailed Analysis

The first one hour of the film is so gripping that the plot glues you to the screens. It gives you no reason to complain as the makers neatly explain the whole setting of the story, the dynamics between the various characters, & why Arjun's character has got demoted. The second half, too, has its share of good scenes but the pace drops a bit with some normal scenes and the climax looked dull which dilutes the overall impact a bit. But the small twists are narrated well here. The whole media & TRP angle is superb in the script. The phone conversation between the terrorist and the anchor, the political angel, and the reporter saving the girl from the car episodes are quite gripping. The way Arjun uses his divorce papers to make notes is quite assuming. The small detailing inside a media channel is done well by the makers. Dialogues written deserve a special mention as they are perfect.

Technical Team