DUM MAARO DUM Reviews(Anupama's Pg1, Masand's Pg9)

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you2

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Posted: 14 years ago

#51

Sukanya Verma reviews Dum Maaro Dum. Post YOUR reviews here!

What's with Abhishek Bachchan [ Images ] and guessing games? After doling out a vacuous whodunit two Fridays ago, the actor is back with another thriller, which builds itself around a million-dollar question, 'Who is Michael Barbossa?'

Well, of course, he's not the captain of Black Pearl, action sequence on a sinister-looking ship notwithstanding. Even as you mull over this mystery man's identity, director Rohan Sippy's latest effort fluctuates between sleek nostalgia and sluggish solutions.

The first few reels of this not too bad-not too great fare are rather snappy. Following a montage of digitally-teased opening credits against Midival Punditz' ditzy, disjointed edition of RD's iconic riff, Sippy loosely employs the Rashomon effect to establish Sridhar Raghavan's (initially) racy plot, exposing the murky face of Goa [ Images ] -- around a teenage scapegoat (Prateik), a bereaved cop (Abhishek Bachchan) and a pair of estranged lovers (Rana Daggubati, Bipasha Basu [ Images ]) caught in the middle of drug mafia (represented by Aditya Panscholi).

It's all very grand to weave a high-strung yarn with keywords like narcotics, crime, trafficking and decadence involving a destination celebrated for its aggressive night life, exotic populace and fancy-free spirit. Say, Pankaj Parashar's Jalwa, even in its inspired skin (Beverly Hills Cop) and unconventional cast did it rather splendidly a few decades ago.

And while DMD amasses all the superficial components to create a distinctly glamorous and masculine drama, it neglects to inject the screenplay with a vital dose of slyness or sensuality to truly justify the twin Dums in the title. Unless a bunch of random bare backs, sequined bustiers or Deepika Padukone [ Images ] showing up in a flimsy skirt and aired-to-boredom item ditty meets one's criteria of adrenalin-pumping sizzle these days.

What is impressive is Sippy's music video-ish presentation of vivid flashbacks be it a blood stained Winnie the Pooh [ Images ], a gleaming Vidya Balan [ Images ] radiating through a LCD screen or Rana-Bipasha's rift. Previously too, the filmmaker demonstrated a knack for shooting scenes to their complete visual potential. Recall the seriously sexy South Mumbai [ Images ] of Bluffmaster [ Images ]? In DMD, he's aided by a discerning DoP as the latter plays with light, angles, composition and depth of field to generate lingering images. It's such a relief to see Goa shine in Amit Roy's sun-kissed tones and bokeh-happy frames after enduring an eye-bashing suffuse of fluorescent in the Golmaal franchise.

Only writer Raghavan's not aiming for cheerful. Once DMD starts roughing up, the body count just keeps going up indiscriminately at an alarming rate. At the same time, he's not willing to let it get too intense. There's an obvious attempt at crowd-pleasing, which backfires especially with the laughably out-of-place Gladiator references and awfully-timed liners like 'Mere paas maal hai.'

With hardly any ladies to work out the damsel-in-distress routine, Prateik volunteers to fill in the whiny victim slot with his trembling voice and innocent disposition. Like him, Bipasha Basu, too, would be better off with a special appearance credit. The stunner has precious little to do other than lend some oomph factor or mouth one of the most contentious dialogues of the film.

Like Bips, her co-star Rana Daggubati is easy on the eyes but low on dynamism. As it is, his debut role is underdeveloped and one of the foremost reasons why DMD slips from ooh to oh. His curt promotion from a secondary character of no significance to a torch-bearer of justice is absurd.

While on blunders, Aditya Panscholi ranks pretty high. After cutting a menacing figure in Striker, Panscholi reduces an influential kingpin to a dowdy hustler. Leave all that snarling to Govind Namdeo, will ya? Yes, he's there too. While the stars and veterans flounder, the lesser known Muzammil Qureshi as Mercy -- Abhishek's subordinate doing all the 'shit job' is by far DMD's most credible performance.

Sippy's recurring leading man isn't half bad. As the brooding, dry-humored cop inside 'Drugs ka Disneyland' with a zingy rap, Thayn thayn to rock to, Abhishek finds his comfort zone hurling slo-mo kicks and caustic jibes. Just don't make him say stuff like, 'Baaki sab ke liye google hai.' Strictly Salman Khan [ Images ] territory, this.

The final twist is interesting but the makers' undecided, shabbily structured culmination of two hours of build-up punctures the possibility of a three star rating. It's pretty much how Abhishek tricks a bunch of small-timers into believing he's pumping deadly dope into their veins before a perverse admission, 'Chuna lagaya

2.5/5

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gilmores

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Posted: 14 years ago

#52

Review: Dum Maaro Dum
(Thriller)

Anupama Chopra, Consulting Editors, Films, NDTV

Friday, April 22, 2011

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Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Prateik Babbar, Bipasha Basu, Rana Daggubati

Director: Rohan Sippy

Dum Maaro Dum has all the ingredients of crackling entertainment: a sun-kissed but suitably seamy location: Goa. A subject that works as an anti-drug cautionary tale but also provides ample opportunity to revel in the gritty glamour of rave parties, cocaine and formidably toned women wearing as little as possible. A director - Rohan Sippy - who has an edgy sensibility and loves stylistic flourishes. An actor - Abhishek Bachchan - who is channeling his father's Angry Young Man along with the unhinged, suicidal Mel Gibson from the Lethal Weapon series. And of course the irresistible title, which comes from an iconic song that four decades later, still has the power to seduce instantly.

This is one film that should soar but sadly it never quite takes flight. The problem is the writing.

Writer Sridhar Raghavan gives us four characters whose lives intersect. Abhishek is ACP Vishnu Kamath, a cop with nothing left to lose who is called in to do 'Goa ki safai.' Prateik is Lorry, a topper whose life falls apart when he makes a deal with the devil and becomes a carrier for the drug mafia. Bipasha Basu is Zoe, an air-hostess who makes the same mistake as Lorry and finds herself a life-long prisoner. And Rana Daggubati is her boyfriend Joki, a musician who could not save her but attempts to make amends by saving Lorry.

The film begins with Lorry's story and moves to Vishnu's but just as we are getting immersed in these narratives, we cut to Zoe and Joki singing. These transitions are clunky and don't allow us to emotionally invest in any character.

Vishnu has texture and authenticity but the other characters are much thinner. The villain, Lorsa Biscuta played by Aditya Pancholi, has little menace about him. And the truly intriguing characters, the Russian and Nigerian Mafiosi, are just fringe players.

Dum Maaro Dum has some punchy dialogue-baazi and snazzy action, especially a nicely done shoot-out at a night market.

It also features Abhishek's best performance in recent times. But the narrative slumps in places, the plot has loopholes and the characters just aren't convincing enough to grab you.

I was absolutely distracted by Rana's strangely expression-less face and Bipasha's hair, which stays salon-styled even when she is in jail.

Dum Maro Dum could have been so much more. I'm going with two and a half stars.

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you2

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Posted: 14 years ago

#53

Dum Maaro Dum Movie Review
April 22, 2011 11:34:29 AM IST By Pankaj Sabnani, Glamsham Editorial


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'Goa meri jaan, jannat ki shaan. Par jannat mein bhi saanp baste hain, aur saale kya dass te hain,' utters ACP Vishnu Kamath (Abhishek Bachchan) in the very first scene of Rohan Sippy's DUM MAARO DUM. It's an apt introductory line for the rollercoaster ride that follows.

Vishnu has been given the responsibility to 'clean' Goa which is 'high' on drugs because of the drug mafia, led by Lorsa Biscuta (Aditya Pancholi). Five years back, Vishnu used to be a corrupt cop. He was a 'Gandhi bhakt'. The Gandhi who was 'printed on notes'. But a terrible incident completely transformed him. And now he's all set to fight the bad guys.

Lorsa Biscuta had lured Zoe (Bipasha Basu), who used to be the girlfriend of Joki (Rana Daggubati) into his drug business. And now he's all set to ensnare Lorry (Prateik Babbar). It's further learnt that Biscuta is helped by a certain Michael Barbosa. What follows is a tumultuous journey which unravels as it proceeds.

Without wasting any time, Rohan Sippy introduces the main characters and their respective stories in the initial reels of the film. Though it gets a bit confusing to begin with, everything becomes lucid after a while. The taut first half is a perfect blend of style and substance. The intriguing characters and the plot manage to hold your attention. It's post the intermission that narrative drops slightly. The superfluous songs certainly don't help. Leaving the minor glitches aside, Rohan manages to create enough suspense with Michael Barbosa's character, which leads to a dexterous climax. You wish the extended climax was a bit short.

The kickass dialogues penned by Purva Naresh do wonders for the film. You have Joki telling Lorsa on the phone, 'Tumhare paas, bangla hai gaadi hai. Mere paas maal hai.' Amit Roy's cinematography shows Goa in a new light. Aarif Shaikh's editing is nice but the second half should have been tighter. Pritam music's is wonderful with Jiyein Kaun and Jaana Hai being the best numbers.

Rohan has worked with Abhishek in all his directorial ventures - KUCH NAA KAHO, BLUFFMASTER and now, DUM MAARO DUM. He has managed to get the best out of Abhishek this time. Abhishek delivers a splendiferous performance. He plays the eccentric cop to perfection. Rana Daggubati makes an impressive debut. Bipasha Basu is passable. Prateik Babbar is excellent. Aditya Pancholi isn't good in his bad act. Govind Namdeo is great.

DUM MAARO DUM is a 'dumdar' thriller with a riveting plot and splendid performances. You'll surely get 'high' on it.

Rating3/5

Edited by you2 - 14 years ago

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Posted: 14 years ago

#54

Kaveree Bamzai | April 22, 2011 | Updated 11:13 IST

Dum Maaro Dum

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Edgy Elegy

Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Rana Daggubati
Director: Rohan Sippy
Rating:

Can a taut thriller leave you feeling unaccountably sad? If it's directed in as elegiac a fashion as Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum then by all means.

Finally a movie that makes best use of both Abhishek Bachchan's long legs, the better to kick villains with, as well as his somewhat tragic aura. As ACP Vishnu Kamath, he goes into a war on drugs in Goa with nothing to live for. Along the way he encounters Joki (Rana Duggubati) who's lost the love of life to drugs, Lorry (Prateik), who is about to lose his liberty for love, and Zoey (Bipasha Basu), who's just lost.

Each line is polished to perfection ("you want a career and we need a carrier"), each scene is carefully executed, and each link chosen with editorial finesse.

From red-lipped Russian procurers to suntanned Brazilian good time girls, from sharp suited dialobical Goans to white trash Englishmen, the film captures Goa's edginess. Watch it for the most shocking torture scenes, one involving a gun, a condom and lots of red chilli; a sophisticated sadness from Bachchan; and some cracklingly fine dialogues: na thaka hai, na bika hai, bas tika hai (I'm not tired, or sold, just still here).

This has the gaalis and the golis (both the ones emanating from a gun and a bottle). With some cutting edge background music and a haunting song by Papon which remains in your head, Dum Maaro Dum is a stylish thriller written as smartly as it is directed.

Rating 3.5/5

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Sunshine

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Posted: 14 years ago

#55

Home Reviews Movie Reviews Bollywood Reviews

Dum Maaro Dum Review

15 mins ago by Komal Nahta

Comments ( 1 )

Dum Maaro Dum Plot: Abhishek is called in to cleanse Goa of drugs, prostitution and other problems. He has to find out who the drug lord is. He is aided in his mission by several people. Read the full review by Komal Nahta below:

Business rating: 1.5 stars

Star cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Rana Daggubati, Bipasha Basu, Prateik, Govind Namdeo, Aditya Pancholi.

What's Good: The remixed version of the super-hit R.D. Burman song, Dum maaro dum; the stylish picturisation of the sequences; the acting.

What's Bad: The loopholes in the screenplay; the revelation of the suspense; the second half.

Verdict: Dum Maaro Dum will not show much box-office dum!

Loo break: A few breaks in the second half are okay.

Watch or not?: Watch it for the style and the song more than for the substance (abuse).

Abhishek is called in to cleanse Goa of drugs, prostitution and other problems. He has to find out who the drug lord is.

Fox Star Studios and Ramesh Sippy Entertainment's Dum Maaro Dum (A) is about the drug menace in Goa. Vishnu Kamat (Abhishek Bachchan) is summoned by the chief minister of Goa (Bugs Bhargava) to wipe out drugs, prostitution and other vices that have spoiled the fabric of Goa. He begins work with two assistants, Mercy (Muzammil S. Qureshi) and Rane (Govind Namdeo). In his clean-up exercise is caught Laurie (Prateik) who was being used by Ricky as a carrier to smuggle out cocaine from the country. Laurie, who lives in Goa, was on his way to America for further studies. His friend, Ricky, had brainwashed him into carrying an assignment of cocaine with him, for a fee. Initially reluctant, simpleton Laurie had agreed and now, he was in the police net after getting caught red-handed.

Joki (Rana Daggubati), working for a rich businessman, Carlos Biscuita (Aditya Pancholi), realises that Laurie is a mere pawn and he pleads with ACP Vishnu Kamat to go soft on him, guaranteeing him that he was innocent. He tells Laurie to reveal all but the latter does not spill the beans as he fears for his family's security. Joki's concern for Laurie is born out of the fact that five years ago, his girlfriend, Zoe (Bipasha Basu), had similarly landed in the police net while she was training to become an airhostess. Joki's boss, Biscuita, had used his influence to get her out of jail within days but after that, he had forced Zoe to become his own girlfriend in spite of being a married man. Joki had been a helpless spectator then.

Anyway, even while ACP Kamat's cleaning-up exercise is on, he realises that Biscuita is himself a drug dealer but the kingpin is one Michael Barbossa. The job now is to find out who Barbossa is and that's not an easy task because not many seem to know his identity and also because he uses different aliases in different cities.

Does ACP Kamat succeed in his mission? Who is Barbossa? Is he alive? What role does Joki play in tracing Barbossa? Does Laurie muster the courage to help the police? What about Zoe? Answers to all these questions are revealed in the climax of the suspense thriller.

Rana Daggubati does a fairly good job in his debut attempt. He has screen presence. Bipasha Basu is reasonably nice.

Dum Maaro Dum Review – Story & Screenplay

Shridhar Raghavan's story and screenplay has its highs and lows. First, the plus points. There are several twists and turns, keeping the audience interest alive for a good part of the drama. Generally speaking, the pace is maintained in the first half. The dialogues (by Purva Naresh) are very entertaining at places and the background score is effective. On the minus side are the several dips in the screenplay, especially in the second half. The film keeps dropping and picking up intermittently although, it must be said, it does not completely lose its grip on the audience. However, since the screenplay is confusing, more so in the post-interval portions and thanks in no small measure to the unusual Christian names of many of the main characters, the audience gets bored. The confusion makes the film more for the classes than the masses because one has constantly got to be alert and thinking, which can't be expected of the masses. It is not clear why ACP Vishnu Kamat gives so much credence to Joki's statements even before he (Joki) has proven himself. Probably, the biggest drawback of the screenplay is the revelation of the suspense. The audiences fail to understand what led to the revelation because they are unable to comprehend how a character in the film arrives at the conclusion he does. In other words, the writer assumes that the viewers would simply understand without anything being explained to them – which, incidentally, doesn't happen! Also, it is not clear why so much importance is given to Michael Barbossa. For, the mission is to wipe out the drug and other menaces rather than merely individuals. Overall, it can be said that the script is more engaging than intelligent or complete.

Although not a part of the script, a big plus point of the film is the title song which is the remixed version of the song from Dev Anand's Hare Rama Hare Krishna. Its placement towards the end of the film is intelligent because since it is a popular number, the viewer waits for it with a lot of anticipation. Its picturisation (by Bosco-Caesar) on Deepika Padukone is very good, keeping the excited audience satisfied.

The picturisation of 'Dum maaro dum' (by Bosco-Caesar) on Deepika Padukone is very good, keeping the excited audience satisfied.

Dum Maaro Dum Review – Star Performances

Abhishek Bachchan plays the ACP well. He makes the character believable but what happens to his character towards the end may not go down too well with a lot of people. Rana Daggubati does a fairly good job in his debut attempt. He has screen presence. Bipasha Basu is reasonably nice. Prateik is endearing and acts with aplomb. He will be loved by the youth, especially the girls. Aditya Pancholi does his villainy in his usual style. Govind Namdeo leaves a mark. Anahita Nair is alright in a brief role as Laurie's girlfriend. Muzammil S. Qureshi's acting is lovely. Vidya Balan adds glamour in a brief special appearance. Deepika Padukone is enchanting and enticing in the title song-dance. Bugs Bhargava, Gantois Gomes, Mariah Pucu and Gulshan Devaiya lend the required support.

Dum Maaro Dum Review – Direction

Director Rohan Sippy concentrates more on style than substance. For, he has not been able to explain how the suspense is solved. And to watch a suspense thriller and not know how the suspense was ultimately deciphered cannot be many people's idea of entertainment. Among the songs, the remixed version of R.D. Burman's 'Dum maaro dum' song is the best. 'Te amo' (composed by Pritam) is also tuneful. Picturisation of the first-named song (by Bosco Caesar) is very nice. Jaideep Sahni's lyrics in the title track ('Potty pe nanga…') will hurt the sensibilities of a section of the audience. Midival Punditz's background score is superb. Amit Roy uses his camera rather well and captures the drama and the locations effectively. Action scenes, choreographed by Abbas Ali Moghul, are quite nice. Editing (Aarif Shaikh) could've been sharper. Technically, good. Production values are appropriate.

Komal Nahta's Last Word

On the whole, Dum Maaro Dum has an interesting first half but a very ordinary second half. It will fail to do much at the box-office.

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you2

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Posted: 14 years ago

#56

taran_adarsh taran adarsh

Friday morning trends: Despite holiday, 'Dum Maaro Dum' begins on 20%-25% note. Let's hope biz improves during the course of the day.

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@MoccoLatte

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Posted: 14 years ago

#57

Pul me too :) ahh I'm already searing to hear his
exxyy voice :) hope it isn't dubbed in the film..

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rrui

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Posted: 14 years ago

#58

Ok...there are mixed reviews for rana's performance...but I think every one is happy wth prateik's and abhi's performance...great...abhi deserves this appreciation...