1 Poor

Clearly, the mandate given was BIG. Big action, big babes (make that bigger babes, assuming Esha Deol and Rimmi Sen in the earlier one could be called babes) and big locations. What obviously was not mentioned was an airtight script.

And so, Dhoom 2, the ultimate cops and robbers caper does not bother with a script. There are situations sure, some exciting, some mundane, but no attempt is made to make it cohesive.

Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu provide the va va voom factor while Abhishek Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan take care of the thrills. Goa and Mumbai are replaced by the exotic and scenic Namibia and Brazil but alas... the spontaneity and casual entertainment of the first shot in Mumbai, Goa and on the expressway are completely missing.

Shooting off from the hugely successful Dhoom, Abhishek Bachchan is an Assistant Commissioner in the Mumbai Police and Uday Chopra his sidekick, a motorcycle mechanic. Bipasha Basu, from the same college batch as Abhishek and now a cop too is transferred to Mumbai. Just as you thought things might heat up between the two, Rimmi Sen, hugely pregnant is transplanted from the first film. That puts paid to romance.

But desires have to be fueled and this task falls on the well toned shoulders of Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, except that they don’t have enough chemistry between them to fill a laboratory beaker. Perhaps, that explains why Aishwarya talks non-stop while a smooch between them is in progress.

Comparisons may be odious but since every sequel inherits the goodwill of its predecessor, it must be made here. Dhoom was a film you went to with no expectation only to be enthralled by the bikes, the caper and the fun. With Dhoom 2, expectations are sky high, but barring a few high octane thrills, all provided by Hrithik, you are left insatiated.

Musically too, Dhoom 2 isn’t a patch on the first film. Indeed, the most interesting song continues to be Dhoom machale dhoom and with Hrithik’s fluid rendition twice, once solo and then for the end titles with Aishwarya, he easily makes it one of the more interesting aspects of the film.

Neither Bipasha Basu nor Aishwarya Rai contributes much by way of storyline. While both dress minimally, Aishwarya emits thanda vibes. Bipasha looks hot and is by far the better actor. Abhishek Bachchan is hampered by the fact that his character is grim and morose most of the time and he can’t horse around.

It is left to Hrithik Roshan to hold the film together which he does with a bankably efficient performance, be it as an actor while doing high octane action or dancing. He wears multiple disguises; chances are you will miss the first of them.

If Sanjay Gadhvi made the heart beat faster with Dhoom, with Dhoom 2 he brings it to a stop. How could anyone go so wrong?