#dhoom 3

The Dhoom franchise is hugely popular among the Youth. Despite having a simple concept of a Cat and Mouse chase, the way this franchise showcases bikes and speed is phenomenal, as it was the first time bikes were used as a character rather than just a prop. So here are some bikes used in the Dhoom franchise 

In all three movies of the franchise. Dhoom (2004), Dhoom (2006), and Dhoom 3 (2013) audiences witness an extraordinary showcase of superbikes tearing through streets, roads, and walls, along with Unforgettable characters like Jai Dixit (Abhishek Bachchan), Ali (Uday Chopra), Kabir (John Abraham), Aryan ( Hrithik Roshan) Samar, and Sahir (Amir Khan)

Dhoom (2004)

Kabir (John Abrahem) Suzuki Hayabusa GSX 1300 R – The franchise kicks off with Kabir (John Abrahem), a cool gang leader who rode a Suzuki Hayabusa, a superbike with a top speed of over 300 Kmph. Its aggressive design and monstrous speed excel the fearless and calculated character of Kabir.

Sahir vs Samar

Watched Dhoom3 and holy gamole guilty pleasure galore! Aamir Khan is a movie star of the bygone Hollywood golden era but still well and alive in Bollywood. That Dhoom3 took place in "exotic locale" Chicago was not lost on me.

Aamir Khan is a force of nature as the antagonist, and the movie only pretends to try to resist Aamir's gravitational pull as he's on an obsessive revenge mission to destroy a bank whom he blames for the death of his father. By day he's a brazen bank robber, by night he's the star cirque du solei performer.

I'm unfamiliar with the Dhoom franchise but I get the sense that #3 essentially turned the antagonist into the protagonist and side lined the heroic Mumbai cop Jai Dixit and his goofy sidekick Ali Akbar. It's only in the 3rd act that Jai finally has an arc that involves cat-and-mouse chase of switch-a-roo magicians and why cops and thieves could never be friends not just because they are on opposite side of the law (in the U.S it's not unheard of for felons to marry police wo/men).

There's high-octane actions and crazy stunts with motorcycles that makes me wish there is a crossover with Fast & Furious just to see motorcycles vs cars war. Dhoom 3 fully embraces the insane, the zany, the complete disregard for logic, and slo-mo action scenes that extends the movie's running from 2 1/2 to nearly 3 hours. But what makes this movie stand out among action movies is the highly emotional storyline of Aamir’s character, which requires spoilers ahead.

[spoilers]

While I saw the twist coming during the glitzy cirque du solei scene, the reveal that Aamir's Sahir has a twin name Samar was very satisfying, helped by the soundtrack that is unapologetically bombastic throughout the movie, providing vital emotional hook for scenes that otherwise would have fallen flat.

I feel that Aamir borrowed from Dustin Hoffman's Rainman to portray the autistic math savant Samar who is hidden from the world and only brought out to take over second half of Sahir's role in bank heists and circus performances. Nobody outside their late father knew that there are two men instead of one.

Due to isolation and his mental disorder, Aamir plays Samar as a slouching wide-eyed innocent with complete trust in the perfectly postured Sahir, whose scowl reflects his relentless ambition and revenge mission that has prevented him from romantic pursuits in the lovely Aaliya, the cirque du solei lead female performer. Even though Sahir is the public face of the circus and has many interactions with his cast and the police men on the case to catch him, he is just as isolated and insular as Samar.

Before the twin reveal, Aamir tries to drop hints to the audience when he is playing Samar, mainly by showing his puppy love for Aaliya during the cirque du solei performance from their switch-a-roo act, contrasted with Sahir's indifference towards her when the curtain drops and the show ends. It is this reason why Aaliya was able to avoid the Lois Lane trap and figured out she has been singing and dancing with two different men.

Then the movie throws another twist when Jai meets with Samar to convince him to help turn in Sahir, only to turn out to be Sahir in another satisfying reveal that I didn't see coming. One of my favorite acting scenes is the flashback of Sahir taking Samar's place by switching clothes and when he starts walking, he morphs into Samar's physicality on his way to meet Jai, who is sympathetic toward the brothers but the law is the law. Jai wants to help the brothers by having turn themselves in and plea for mercy. Sahir eventually agrees after failing to kill Jai by rollarcoaster (trust me, just go along with it) and makes a deal by taking the full blame and leaving Samar free and to be with Aaliya.

But in the final twist, the faithful Samar refuses to follow Sahir's plan and instead choose to follow Sahir to his death. I admit I wasn't sure if they would go this route because it would be too heartbreaking, and yet I was still surprised that the dual deaths happened even when it makes narrative sense. The brothers lived as one person all their lives would die together in the end, clutching hands. It's also a genius call back to the movie's first scene of Sahir running down the side of the bank he just robbed.