Rishab Seth’s Dhoom Dhaam attempts to challenge gender stereotypes with a role reversal: the woman is bold, aggressive, and rebellious, while the man is timid, sensitive, and fearful. However, instead of presenting a fresh take on modern relationships, the film ends up reinforcing the same outdated tropes it tries to subvert. With a weak script, misplaced humor, and forced messaging, Dhoom Dhaam struggles to keep the audience engaged.
The Premise: A Role Reversal That Feels Forced
She is rowdy and fearless, while he is soft and shy. Koyal (Yami Gautam) drinks, fights goons, and lies to her parents, whereas Veer (Pratik Gandhi) is timid, inexperienced, and scared of everything. The film builds on the idea of flipping gender traits, but it does so in a way that feels unnatural and exaggerated. The concept of a “strong female character” is taken too literally, making Koyal appear more like a caricature than a real person. The fact that the film is written entirely by men shows in the way female empowerment is portrayed.
A Marriage Built on Lies and Stereotypes
Veer and Koyal meet through an arranged marriage setup. Their families paint them as the perfect traditional partners—Koyal is described as a disciplined woman who follows all the rules, wakes up early for yoga and prayers, and never stays out late, while Veer is presented as a strong and capable man. The truth, of course, is completely different. The mismatched pair gets married, and the illusion quickly falls apart on their wedding night when two thugs burst into their hotel room, looking for someone named “Charlie.”
Koyal, being the aggressive one, takes charge and fights back while Veer panics. When Veer later confronts Koyal about her lies, she launches into an intense monologue about the struggles of being a woman in India. While the message is important, the way it is delivered feels scripted and unnatural. It seems as if the writers stuffed Koyal’s dialogue with heavy words to force the theme of female struggle, but it lacks genuine emotional depth. The moment feels misplaced and disconnected from the rest of the film’s otherwise lighthearted tone.
A Comedy of Errors That Fails to Entertain
The film revolves around a single night where Veer and Koyal must find a missing bag that contains an important object sought after by corrupt police officers. This thin plot is stretched over two hours, making the film feel unnecessarily long and unexciting. The humor falls flat, the characters remain one-dimensional, and the chaotic events lack the energy needed for an engaging comedy. The writing by Aarsh Vora, Aditya Dhar, and Rishab Seth fails to add depth or originality to the story.
Uncomfortable and Tone-Deaf Scenes
One of the most problematic moments in the film is when Koyal, in an attempt to help Veer overcome his fears, encourages him to become a stripper in a nightclub. The scene is meant to be humorous, with women in the club behaving like drunken men, making crude comments, and eventually groping Veer. However, instead of being funny, the scene feels grossly uncomfortable and unnecessary. Simply reversing the gender roles doesn’t automatically make a scene progressive—it only highlights the same problematic behavior in a different setting.
Performances: Good Actors, Weak Script
Pratik Gandhi and Yami Gautam are talented actors who have proven their abilities in past films. However, Dhoom Dhaam fails to give them strong material to work with. Pratik plays the vulnerable, sensitive man well, but his character feels like an extension of his previous roles in Madgaon Express and Do Aur Do Pyaar. Yami, on the other hand, starts off strong but becomes repetitive as the film progresses. Her character’s aggressive behavior doesn’t evolve, making it tiresome by the time the film reaches its climax.
The supporting cast, including Pavitra Sarkar, Eijaz Khan, Kavin Dave, Mukul Chadda, and Anand Vikas Potdukhe, doesn’t get much room to shine, as their characters are poorly developed and mostly serve as fillers in the chaotic narrative.
The Climax: A Disappointing Ending
As the film moves toward its conclusion, it becomes increasingly clear that the gender role reversal is nothing more than a gimmick. Despite setting up Koyal as the dominant and fearless one, the film ultimately falls back into traditional storytelling, with Veer stepping up to save the day. The climax is rushed and underwhelming, leaving the audience feeling unsatisfied.
Final Verdict: Much Ado About Nothing
Dhoom Dhaam had the potential to be an entertaining, thought-provoking film, but it ends up being a monotonous, uninspired comedy-drama. The role reversals feel forced, the humor doesn’t land, and the social commentary lacks depth. Pratik Gandhi and Yami Gautam try their best, but the weak script gives them little to work with.
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