Screwball Night:
The formula of the chase film has been set—seen in the recent Netflix movie Back In Action, and now in Dhoom Dhaam, also on Netflix. Two (or more) people go on the run, pursued by two (or more) people, who want something from their prey. Usually, the object being sought is inconsequential—just an excuse for the planned bedlam.
In the film directed by Rishabh Seth, mild-mannered vet Veer (Pratik Gandhi) and pretending-to-be-docile Koyal (Yami Gautam Dhar) have an arranged marriage. Their wedding night is interrupted by two goons (Eijaz Khan, Pavitra Sarkar) demanding “Charlie kahan hai?” and “Kaun Charlie” is not an answer they are willing to accept.
The bride swings into action, and discovers that the groom has vertigo, claustrophobia, and many other phobias that are revealed over the course of the night that they are on the run.
Their car a wreck, their clothes in disarray, her make-up and hair undisturbed though, the mismatched pair go on a bizarre adventure, each stop designed to reveal one hidden facet of their personalities. Koyal has a collection of swear words she is not afraid to spew, is pally with a bartender, could drink any one under the table, is a brawler, had a boyfriend (Prateik Babbar) and a bachelorette that involved copious booze and a male stripper. Veer is the kind who stops at a red light even when they are being chased, insists on a seat belt when he is driving, and won’t eat non veg food, because animals are his patients.
Half way through the pursuit, Veer says he does not want to be Koyal’s rebound; understanding that they are clearly very different, he even considers a divorce. He is shaken by the goings-on, while she takes it all in her stride. Not because she is an undercover cop or anything unexpected, but, as she explains in a ranting monologue, women have to acquire certain skills to deal with men.
The formula dictates that their escape changes them in ways they did not anticipate. Veer is comfortable doing a strip tease, and at a pinch can come up with a mean punch. He is not the cowardly custard she fears he is, and beneath her wildness is a woman who is willing to make the odd marriage work. There was really no need for a how to be happy lesson from an older couple.
In spite of the triteness of the set-up, Dhoom Dhaam is entertaining in a non-stop nonsense way; because the pair on screen are never given a breather, the audience does not get to blink either. Pratik Gandhi and Yami Gautam Dhar understand the requirements of the genre and deliver the goods.
(This piece first appeared in seniorstoday.in)
