With a budget 16 times that of the first film but a full seven years after the previous one, Dhoom 3 released in 2013. Even bigger, even richer, almost entirely shot in Chicago, it is at the time of release the Indian film with the highest budget in history, later joined in 2015 by the blockbuster Baahubali, the first to be released on IMAX and with Dolby Atmos audio.
Dhoom, after the partial parenthesis of Dhoom 2, returns to use motorcycle stunts, reconfirming itself as THE motorcycle racing film. But there's more. Motorcycles are no longer content to whizz along the streets but transform into jet skis, slide on cables stretched between buildings, brushing subway cars, and merge together to become a single, powerful vehicle.
Dhoom 3 has Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra trying to pull off Rajni-style stunts. This time the two inevitable policemen, always played by Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra, try to capture a brilliant thief-illusionist, Sahir magnificently played by Aamir Khan. Sahir continues to manage the Great Indian Circus built in Chicago by his father when he was a child, while he meditates revenge for the suicide of his beloved parent, forced to leave him alone because of the unpayable debts contracted with the cruel owner of the Western Bank of Chicago, Mr Anderson.
After several spectacular robberies at the bank branches, the local police call for help from the two ACP agents, Jai Dixit and Ali, to succeed in arresting him. But Sahir has a secret weapon, an ace up his sleeve that makes him phenomenal on stage and uncatchable on the street.
I can't tell you what the mystery is behind Sahir because it is the most interesting part of the film, but I can tell you that it was handled masterfully in terms of direction and special effects. It brings out all the talent of Aamir Khan, the absolute protagonist of this new episode of the series of thieves of "Dhoom".
As much as I loved Dhoom 2 and the character of Mr A/Aryan to which Hrithik Roshan gave charm and sweetness, I must admit that from a scenic point of view the third chapter has an extra gear.
Of course, it draws a lot from American cinema and if you look at it carefully you can find numerous inspirations from other films of Western cinema, as well as references to the previous films of the series, but it manages to maintain its own autonomous identity, thanks to Aamir Khan.
The female figure in the situation, Katrina Kaif, Sahir's assistant on the scene is relegated to being a side character who is present in the protagonist's life but does not influence the course of the story except as a pretext for some scenes.
Set in the bustling city of Chicago, Dhoom the cops are back and with a fantastic circus theme as seen in the trailers. You will see breathtaking bike stunts, mind-blowing stunts and magic tricks that put on a great show.
Prepare to be surprised as the suspense builds towards the interval and how the tale progresses as Abhishek weaves conspiracy rather than just detective and detective curiosity into his theories.
Find out what happens when the circus magician turns the entire city into his stage and performs death-defying acts. Acharya who has been closely associated with Dhoom this time directs the series and does a fabulous job.
Everything from the story, to the script and the direction is sharp, cutting and very elegant. It keeps us glued to our seats and makes us guess the next move and throws every new twist at the right time.
His portrayal of the circus is top notch and all the chase sequences in Chicago are thrilling. The slow motion shots in particular are shot with excellent cinematography and all the circus tricks are made to look so real.
The influence of South Indian action style is so evident in Hindi films that even Vijay couldn't help but add some spice to one of the opening scenes of the film. The entire cast gave good performances and Mr. Perfectionist - probably the main reason why the third installment took so long - is in a class of its own.
Aamir definitely lacks the charisma of Hrithik, but makes up for it with his immaculate acting and the hard work he puts into creating the character he brings to life on screen.
.jpg)
Abhishek is better than his previous parts and looks impressive and in control. Katrina who looks red hot in the promos of "Kamli" dances and does circus stunts and a bit of romance.
Uday with the responsibility of adding comedy on his strong shoulders is routine and this time he tries to fall in love with a blonde, a silent American policewoman named Victoria. Jackie has a small but important role.
"Malang" and "Kamli" are very well choreographed and provide a visual treat for the audience. Overall, Dhoom 3 ticks all the boxes for a good movie and delivers the long-awaited wholesome entertainment with action, style and trapeze.
This third chapter also confirms part of the cast of the first two, but reveals a handover of the directorial duties from Sanjay Gadhvi to Vijay Krishna Acharya. The project that has evolved since the first chapter continues, confirming some choices, evolving others, and calling into question some other positions.
The idea that was particularly evident in the previous chapter also evolves, that is, to make Dhoom a film about the villain, rather than the two heroes. In fact, we do not see the two policemen protagonists of the franchise until a good 25 minutes, entirely dedicated to a flashback and the characterization of the "bad guy" of the moment. But even in this sense there is a conceptual gap.
The villain is not a bank robber or a man who breaks the law for his own gain. He is a good man out for revenge that the bank literally wants to raze to the ground. And the policeman protagonist, Jay Dixit, repeatedly reveals himself to be a double agent, violent, aggressive to the point of mutating into something very close to an antagonist.
So much so that even in the various promotional posters, the photo of the criminal played by Aamir Khan overshadows that of Bachchan. Of course, he is a character and actor well known enough to impose his imposing figure in the various marketing processes. But it must also be said that although talented he does not have the statuesque physique of the previous villains.
In fact, in terms of beauty, fortunately he is no longer at the levels so high as to be embarrassing as in the previous chapter. The female beauties are a couple and macroscopically below the level of the past two Dhoom.
The two policemen are introduced in a sequence mirroring that of the previous film in which they raze a village to the ground with fists and auto rickshaw races in something very close to what was the Hong Kong cinema that we loved so much. Then after an hour and a half the first twist, and the film this time too takes the path of bittersweet sentimental melodrama, until the last half hour.
The action is constructed as a conjuring trick of which Chicago is the stage. In fact, it tells the story of the revenge of a child who witnessed the suicide of his father, leader of the great Indian circus in the city, in the face of the oppression of some ruthless bankers. As an adult, he will write a resounding plan to destroy first the fame and then the very architecture of the bank in question.
The film was a monumental box office success, grossing 10 times the amount of the first film with a net profit of approximately US$60 million.
The size of the budget is probably due to the extraordinary action sequences on the streets of Chicago, including car and motorcycle chases, helicopters swooping between skyscrapers, the use of drones, police cars repeatedly crashing into each other and exhausting races that probably kept the city streets busy for long periods.
