Dhamaka (2021 film)

Dhamaka
Dhamaka
	Official release poster
Directed by	Ram Madhvani
Written by	Puneet Sharma; Ram Madhvani;
Based on	The Terror Live; by Kim Byung-woo
Produced by	Ronnie Screwvala; Amita Madhvani; Ram Madhvani;
Starring	Kartik Aaryan; Mrunal Thakur; Amruta Subhash;
Cinematography	Manu Anand
Edited by	Monisha Baldawa; Amit Karia;
Music by	Vishal Khurana
Production; companies	RSVP Movies; Ram Madhvani Films; Lotte Cultureworks; Global Gate Entertainment; Lionsgate;
Distributed by	Netflix
Release date	19 November 2021;
Running time	104 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Dhamaka (transl. Blast) is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language thriller film^[4] written and directed by Ram Madhvani. An official remake of the 2013 film The Terror Live, the film stars Kartik Aaryan as a journalist who receives a threat after exclusively interviewing a terrorist, who blew up a bridge. Mrunal Thakur and Amruta Subhash co-star in prominent roles.

The adaptation was first pitched by Sunir Kheterpal of Azure Entertainment along with the producers of the original film. After Kheterpal dropped the project, Screwvala acquired the rights for the adaptation with Madhvani helping with the project. An official announcement was made in November 2020, with production beginning in December 2020 in Mumbai, and was completed within 10 days. The post-production works began simultaneously and were completed within four months, with pending visual effects and graphics process, which were resumed after the COVID-19 lockdown due to the second wave of the pandemic, in September 2021. The cinematography is handled by Manu Anand and edited by Monisha Baldawa and Amit Karia. The music and background score is composed by Vishal Khurana.

Originally scheduled for theatrical release, this decision was dropped by the producers in January 2021, in favor of a direct-to-digital release through the streaming service Netflix,^[5] on 19 November 2021.^[6] The film will also be screened at the 52nd International Film Festival of India after the film's release.^[7] The film received mixed reviews from critics, while praising Aaryan's performance and Madhvani's direction, they pointed out the cliched plot and dialogues.

Plot[edit]

Arjun Pathak was once a top news anchor but gets demoted due to his behavior. Pulled from primetime TV news and recently divorced, he is now the jaded and bitter host of a current affairs radio program. One day during his morning show, Arjun receives a peculiar phone call threatening to blow up the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a major bridge visible from Arjun's studio building. He takes it as a prank call but watches in shock as the caller follows through and detonates explosives that cause the bridge to collapse, killing innocent people and trapping others.

Realizing this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make his comeback as a newscaster, Arjun doesn't call the police. Instead, he sets up a makeshift television studio from his radio station and negotiates with his former boss, the ratings-obsessed news producer, Ankita Malakar, to get his position back. He strikes a dangerous deal with the terrorist to exclusively broadcast their phone conversations in real-time, as the whole nation watches.

The newsroom erupts in chaos as Arjun, Ankita, the police, other broadcasters, and the government all exploit terrorism for their own agenda. The only exception is Soumya, Arjun's ex-wife, a reporter who volunteers to report from the site of the terrorist attack. As the live show progresses, Arjun gradually realizes how little control he has over the situation. The terrorist, who claims to be Raghubeer Miata, a 50-something construction worker who lost three of his co-workers in a senseless industrial accident while fixing the bridge, says the families of the victims weren't compensated and demands a public apology from Minister Jaydev Patil. With several people remaining on the bridge, the terrorist threatens a second explosion. He also reveals to Arjun alone that he put a bomb in the anchor's earphones and that if Patil doesn't apologize, the bomb will explode in his ear, live on air.

Patil's deputy, Subhash Mathur, arrives but refuses to apologize. Arjun realizes that there is a bomb in Mathur's earpiece as well, and warns him discreetly but the caller observes this through CCTV footage and detonates the bomb in Mathur's earpiece, killing him. This leaves Arjun extremely scared but Ankita orders him to keep going. The caller threatens to detonate more explosives at the bridge, which would also kill Arjun's wife Saumya. Arjun requests him to come to the studio where the minister would give him an apology. This angers Ankita, who leaks information of Arjun having accepted a bribe to cover up the news of the construction workers losing their lives while repairing the bridge, which had led to him being demoted. It is also revealed that Arjun had won the "Journalist of the Year" award for a report he'd actually stolen from Saumya, which led to their divorce. All of this is telecast by another news channel. Ankita blackmails Arjun that he can save his career if he acts as per her orders.

The ATS traces the caller's location to a nearby building but it's a trap, and the caller blows up the building, the impact of which causes the studio to also get nearly destroyed. Arjun is gravely injured and realizes that the caller is actually Raghubeer's son Anand, who wants to avenge the death of his father and coworkers, and that he has been calling from his very building. Arjun summons him to the studio, while everything is still being broadcast live. The caller arrives and reveals that he has planted an explosive in the building. He is then sniped down by the ATS, instantly killing him. Arjun finds out that the bridge has collapsed and many people have lost their lives, including Saumya. When Ankita finds out that instead of informing the police, Arjun had decided to exclusively cover this news, she leaks the information. Another news channel telecasts this, adding a false story of Arjun being actively involved in planning the attack, labeling him as an anti-national. Arjun, devastated, sends a voicemail to Saumya, apologizing, then detonates the explosive in his building, causing it to collapse and killing him as well.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

A remake of the Korean film The Terror Live (2013) was announced by Lionsgate Films and Global Gate Entertainment in collaboration with Sunir Kheterpal's Azure Entertainment in May 2018, along with other international projects.^[9]^[10] However, in a turn of developments, Kheterpal opted out of the project and it was later pitched by Ronnie Screwvala of RSVP Movies, with Ram Madhvani directing the film.^[11] Madhvani initially planned to present the feature as a female-centric film, referencing his previous works: Neerja (2016) and the web series Aarya (2020). He initially wrote the script with Taapsee Pannu in mind, but could not approach her for the film,^[12] and later Kriti Sanon was also considered for the project, who also refused the offer without giving a convincing reason.^[13]^[14]

He then dropped the idea, changing the narrative to a male-centric project and narrating the script to Kartik Aaryan accepting his part in the film,^[15] as it was his first serious role after a number of comical and romantic characters.^[16]^[17] The film featured Aaryan as the main lead, essaying the role of a news reporter named Arjun Pathak,^[18]^[19] who runs against time to save the city.^{[citation needed]} Yami Gautam was initially reported to play the character of Arjun's wife,^[20] but she opted out of the film citing date clashes, and was replaced by Mrunal Thakur.^[21] The film was officially announced on Aaryan's 30th birthday, i.e., 22 November 2020,^[22] also revealing the film's title as Dhamaka.^[23]^[24]

Filming[edit]

Ram sir had planned each scene down to the last detail, including where each actor would stand and what the camera angle would be. It saved the unit a lot of time, enabling them to shoot more than five scenes every day. While the shoot went overtime on a few occasions, they would usually call it a day after eight hours of filming.

A source from the production team, about the completion of shooting within 10 days, to PTI^[25]

Principal photography began on 14 December 2020 in Mumbai.^[26]^[27]^[28] On 24 December 2020, it was announced that the makers wrapped the shooting of the film within 10 days.^[25]^[29] The director Madhvani had designed a detailed storyboard and ensured the team was prepped to avoid prolonged shoot schedules.^[30] 90% of the shooting was held indoors at a set erected at Renaissance Hotel in Powai, Mumbai, and the hotel was booked by the production unit, composed of more than 300 people.^[30] Adhering to the COVID-19 safety protocols, no outsiders were allowed inside the hotel and the entire unit was asked to stay put during the period, thus creating a bio-bubble of sorts.^[25]