Dhamaka starring Kartik Aaryan, Mrunal Thakur, Amurta Subhash, Vikas Kumar and Vishwajeet Pradhan, is now out on Netflix. Directed by Ram Madhvani, he wrote the story along with Puneet Sharma. The cinematography is by Manu Anand, and the music is by Vishal Khurana and Prateek Kuhad. The VFX is by FutureWorks and Red Chillies. The film is based on Kim Byung-woo’s Korean thriller The Terror Live.
The synopsis reads, “When a cynical ex-TV news anchor gets an alarming call on his radio show, he sees a chance for a career comeback — but it may cost him his conscience.”
Netflix’s Dhamaka Review Contains No Spoilers
Dhamaka starts with Prateek Kuhad’s Kasoor song, showing us some happy and romantic moments between Arjun Pathak and Soumya Mehra Pathak (Kartik Aaryan and Mrunal Thakur). As the narrative moves to the present, we find that things are not well between the couple. But that’s not something to worry about. Arjun Pathak works as an RJ after getting demoted months ago at TRTV Bharosa 24/7. But one call changes his boss Ankita’s (Amruta Subhash) mind, who lets him be the TV host again.
Arjun is threatened with bomb blasts at the sea link by the person who phones him. People’s lives are on the line after the first blast. Soumya, Arjun’s wife and Bharosa 24/7’s reporter is covering the news from the sea link. The caller has one request that is difficult to meet. What will Arjun do to save his wife and the city, and how will he accomplish it? That’s to find out in those 1 hour 55 minutes.
Netflix film Dhamaka tries to show us the reality of our country’s hardworking people while also telling us how news outlets function. Bharosa 24/7 tells people to trust the information they sell as news. Arjun’s tagline is ‘main jo bhi kahunga, sach kahunga’, yet his boss Amruta believes it’s all about TRPs. Her line hits hard, “We don’t report news. We sell it.”
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There’s a lot going on in that chaotic newsroom. The caller is unwilling to negotiate. Arjun is ordered to make the explosions and fatalities appear dramatic to attract more viewers. One of the people at the attack site is his wife. The boss assures Arjun that if he listens to her and continues to sensationalise the report, he will regain his position as a TV news host. For whatever he does, Arjun must pay a price.
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Puneet Sharma and Ram Madhvani have come up with an intriguing and realistic news channel concept for the Dhamaka film. Arjun and Ankita’s working ethic isn’t surprising, given how news is reported nowadays – There are anchors yelling and pushing their agendas. News channels make overdramatic daily soaps look better.
Amruta Subhash’s mean and selfish nature makes a lasting impression. She represents today’s news anchors aptly. Kartik Aaryan does a good job playing a character he’s never played before. Mrunal Thakur adds less to the story, but plays her part well.
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The story has an engaging plot that will keep you guessing till the end. The film was largely shot indoors during the lockdown. As a result, all of the explosions, fallen structures, and destruction we observe is VFX. Except for the scene in the end, it appears to be fairly convincing.
Netflix’s Dhamaka Review: Final Thoughts
Dhamaka succeeds at keeping you on the edge of your seat. It’s not flawless, but it’s better than the majority of Kartik Aaryan flicks I’ve seen so far. Some points made by the caller and Ankita define society’s reality.
The film is now streaming on Netflix.
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