Showing posts with label Dhoom Dhaam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dhoom Dhaam. Show all posts
We keep saying art has no barriers; the audience just proved it-Pratik Gandhi
10:55 AM
Pratik Gandhi at Aga Khan Palace (Pic: Jignesh Mistry)
Mihir Bhanage (BOMBAY TIMES; August 7, 2025)
Apart from getting the country vibing to a banger opening theme, Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992 also gave the audience an actor to look forward to – Pratik Gandhi. With a body of work that spans Gujarati films, Hindi plays, OTT shows and movies, Pratik has become a name to reckon with, more so in the last two years with projects like Do Aur Do Pyaar, Agni, Madgaon Express, Dhoom Dhaam and Phule. In a chat with us, the actor speaks about his love for theatre, his takeaway from the Phule controversy and why the struggle of Bollywood films is more complex than it looks. Excerpts:
‘No film institute can give you what theatre does’
“Theatre is an actor’s gym,” says Pratik, who was in the city to stage Mohan Ka Masala, in which he played the role of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. “It is a place where you can work on different prototypes. When you perform in a play, you go through the same story and emotions multiple times. I live that character more than once and it gives me the chance to rehearse my craft,” says the actor.
Highlighting that tools and theoretical knowledge are of no use if you can’t implement them, Pratik adds, “Film institutes can teach you about the tools you can use as an actor, or about the theory part of the profession, but theatre gives you a platform to implement that knowledge practically. That’s something no other place can give you.”
‘The audience has evolved multifold; makers are taking time’
Bollywood has been trying to figure out what really clicks with the audience post the pandemic. While experts try to decipher that, Pratik shares a different take on why the industry is struggling. “It’s a very complex thing. You can’t look at the problem from just one lens – of content, marketing, etc,” says the actor, adding, “I feel that for the longest time, filmmakers and the audience were evolving together, almost in sync with each other. But during the pandemic the exposure to global content happened and the audience suddenly evolved multifold. Makers, on the other hand, could not evolve that fast and that created a huge gap which we are all trying to fill up. It’s happening, but it will take some time.”
Pratik also feels that the audience’s evolution was unprecedented. “Earlier, India was looked at as a less English-speaking market and makers would be told to dumb stories down. Now, people are watching Korean and Spanish shows. Someone sitting in a remote area is watching an English show on their phone. This was something no one predicted. We keep saying art has no barriers. The audience just proved it.”
Another enemy everyone is fighting nowadays is the overuse of data in filmmaking. If you are creating a film or show on the basis of data interpretation, then you don’t need human brains to work in this industry
‘Nobody has the time to process anything today’
A few months ago, Phule, which featured Pratik and Patralekhaa as Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, respectively, had a brush with controversy after certain groups opposed the film’s release. While the film did get a stamp of approval from critics and viewers after it released, Pratik says he wasn’t surprised with what happened.
“The world has become impatient. We want to react and jump the gun before watching or understanding anything,” he says, adding, “In the chaotic world of social media and hyperconnectivity, nobody has the time to process anything. I keep giving this example to people that in the Doordarshan days, news anchors would read the news to you, without added emotion or a specific tone. This was so you could interpret the news the way you wanted to, without being biased. Now, news is interpreted and given to you. You are not supposed to use your brain. Looking at everything, I was not surprised by the people’s reaction to Phule. I faced the same issues during Bhavai (2021). What people think and what can offend them, that’s something nobody can gauge.”
On the relevance of Phule and Gandhi in today’s times...
Having played Mahatma Phule on screen and Mahatma Gandhi on stage, Pratik says that so many things from these legendary figures’ lives are relevant even today. “We hear about discrimination, wars and people justifying violence in different ways every day. These are things that these prominent figures in Indian history fought against. I think they were visionaries because they could visualize that the world would need guiding thoughts in difficult times even if they weren’t around. That makes them significant even today,” he says.
Speaking about his play Mohan Ka Masala, Pratik adds, “We tend to think that Gandhiji was born with qualities of a Mahatma but it’s not like that. He was a common man like any of us who made mistakes and learnt from them. The message you can take away from the play is that everyone has been given qualities to become a Mahatma. It is the choices you make that define your journey.”
On six-pack abs and a possible Madgaon Express reunion
In his next OTT show, Saare Jahan Se Accha, Pratik plays a spy. Speaking about the same, he says, “We’ve often seen spies as these super-special, heroic people who can do anything. That’s not the case in real life and we have tried to show that with our next. Spies six-packs wale thodi hote hai!”
On the topic of six-pack abs, we ask him about his shirtless act in Dhoom Dhaam and whether he would do it again. Pratik laughs and shares, “I don’t mind at all! I have always looked like that. Just that I had never taken my shirt off on screen before Dhoom Dhaam.”
On a concluding note, we ask the actor if he and the team are open to a Madgaon Express sequel. To that, Pratik says, “The whole team is super excited to do it again. We are all just waiting for Kunal (Kemmu) to come up with an idea. It was a crazy, mad film.”
(Crisp) Movie Review: DHOOM DHAAM by FENIL SETA
3:25 PM
Dhoom Dhaam, which has released today on Netflix, is a story of a newly married couple who get into trouble. The makers pack in a lot in the film, though it has a run time of just 108 minutes. At the same time, the makers don't rush through the narrative. The introduction is done neatly and once the madness begins, the film goes to a different level. The humour, thankfully, works and a few scenes are outrageously funny. The conflict and the twists also keep the interest going. Such films often falter in the climax but this one doesn't. What doesn't work is one particular track in the middle of the second half. Though the makers try their best, it doesn't organically fit into the narrative. Yami Gautam's comic timing is superb and overall, she delivers one of the best performances of her career. Her monologue is clapworthy and she proves why she's among the most accomplished actors of our times. Pratik Gandhi, as expected, is damn good and he makes his performance different from that of another comic caper, Madgaon Express. Eijaz Khan is the surprise of the film. Kavin Dave (Khushwant Kapoor), Anand Potdukhe (Pradeep), Garima Yagnik (Kanika), Mukul Chadda (Sachin Ribeiro), Mushtaq Khan (Watchman) and Sanaya Pithawala (Suhana; nerdy friend) leave a mark. Prateik Babbar raises laughs in a cameo. All in all, Dhoom Dhaam is a must-watch crazy entertainer.
My rating - **** out of 5!
My rating - **** out of 5!
I have so many friends and men in my family, who are not so-called alpha male-Pratik Gandhi
8:22 AM
Pratik Gandhi discusses bringing different shades of masculinity to the screen as he plays a shy yet supportive husband in Dhoom Dhaam which also stars Yami Gautam
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; February 9, 2025)
Who is a hero? The one who leads from the front, or the one who always has your back and provides unwavering support? Both, says Pratik Gandhi. With this approach, he signed Dhoom Dhaam, which sees him as a shy, faint-hearted Veer in love with a fierce Koyal, played by Yami Gautam.
Drawing parallels with bungee-jumping, Gandhi says, “In bungee jumping, the one who jumps is a hero. But the rope that is saving you from falling is an equal hero.”
It’s rare and refreshing to see a man on screen being a quiet support to the woman as she unabashedly takes the lead. On that count, Rishab Seth’s directorial venture offers a delightful role reversal. But Gandhi says he has seen such men in his life.
“We don’t always see men fighting or taking the lead. I have so many friends and men in my family, who are not so-called alpha male. But they are alpha in their own ways. They want to be a strong support. Veer is the kind of a man we see all around us—someone who is vulnerable, who is not afraid to say, ‘I have phobias. I don’t want to fight. I don’t even want you to fight,’” he laughs.
Even before the Netflix rom-com, Gandhi didn’t shy away from exploring different shades of masculinity —be it as the timid friend in Madgaon Express (2024) or the diffident husband in Do Aur Do Pyaar (2024). Interestingly, he made these choices after breaking out as a confident anti-hero of sorts in Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020). While such a change in career trajectory might be viewed as a risk by some, Gandhi says the time to experiment is now, when he is at the peak of his success.
“As an actor, there is nothing called ‘safe’. That can happen in a job where if one PPT fails, you’ll have to make another one. I’ve worked in the corporate world. It was a difficult time to break those shackles of safety and come into the field where there is no safety. I call it a field of experiments. The more I experiment, the more I grow. I want to do something different constantly, to the point where the audience feels that this actor is in the film, we don’t know what will happen. Otherwise, they think, ‘If he is there, then action is guaranteed’ or ‘He will say dialogues in this way.’ I don’t want to cage myself in that.”
Someone senior once told me, ‘Your biological clock is always in contradiction with your career clock’-Yami Gautam
8:35 AM
Actor Yami Gautam Dhar returns to films post motherhood, talking about how times have changed and now career and family can go hand-in-hand
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 23, 2025)
Actor Yami Gautam Dhar returned to work in September 2024, just four months after welcoming her baby, Vedavid. Now, she is gearing up to promote her upcoming film Dhoom Dhaam. Reflecting on her journey, the actor acknowledges the shift in the industry — where once, revealing marital status was a concern, and female actors often lost opportunities post-motherhood.
“We have come a long way. I often think about this — we are so fortunate to have reached a stage like this. A lot of effort has gone into changing perceptions. Imagine, there was a time when not just actresses but even actors hesitated to disclose their marriage for the sake of their image. Of course, the pressure was much greater for actresses.”
Yami adds how societal norms around career and motherhood have evolved, yet challenges remain.
“If you want to have a family... someone very senior once told me, ‘Your biological clock is always in contradiction with your career clock’. I can’t even imagine how different those times were. Creatively, it must have been so restrictive.”
She strongly advocates for the autonomy of female actors to make choices without external pressures. “It should be entirely your choice — whether you want to continue working or take a break after marriage or starting a family. That’s the kind of environment we need. If an actress wants to work after having a baby, she should be absolutely free to do so. That being said, what I’ve realized is that it also depends on the kind of filmography you build. Longevity is key, and the way to achieve that is through consistent, substantial work.”
No bulls**t about being happily single and no statements like ‘I am having the best time of my life’, for me-Eijaz Khan
8:36 AM
Yashika Mathur (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 20, 2024)
Actor Eijaz Khan, who broke up with actor Pavitra Punia last year after a three-year relationship, doesn’t need generic affirmations to stay positive. “No bulls**t about being happily single and no statements like ‘I am having the best time of my life’, for me. I would just say that I’m growing and understanding myself more than ever before,” he stresses.
Thankful that “God has been kind” amid what could have been a phase of upheaval for him, the actor says that work kept him focussed.
“At a very crucial time in life, the universe made sure I was busy and working. If I was sitting at home, I don’t think I would be alive by now. I believe that one can overcome any adversity and dark phase in life by aligning it to a better purpose,” explains Khan.
The zeal for growth could be seen in the 48-year-old’s refusal to limit himself to being a TV actor. “That’s the thought I am fighting — breaking the TV image. I did the show Moh Moh Ke Dhaage in 2015, three successful seasons of the web series City Of Dreams. Then I did a cameo in Jawan (2023). Where does a transition in my body of work appear in the audience’s mind?” he says.
Khan is now looking forward to his upcoming film Dhoom Dhaam with Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi and will start filming another project “with a top actor” soon.
“These big actors (cast members) call me sir. They don’t have any recollection of me from television. They know me from City of Dreams. They know me from the Tanu Weds Manu franchise. Honestly, it can prove to be a game-changer in my life,” he signs off.
Yami Gautam, Pratik Gandhi, Mukul Chadda in Aditya Dhar’s production, Dhoom Dhaam
8:11 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 24, 2022)
Mukul Chadda of The Office fame is set to join the cast of Aditya Dhar’s offering, Dhoom Dhaam. The action-comedy, which features Yami Gautam and Pratik Gandhi in the lead, is expected to be shot across several iconic locations in the city, and is being helmed by Rishab Seth.
Chadda says, “I am looking forward to this project. The genre is an exciting and under-served one. I’ve done a lot of comedy, but not enough action. An action-comedy is an interesting mix, and something audiences in India haven’t seen enough of. I’m also excited to work with Yami and Pratik, whose films and shows I’ve loved watching.”
Chadda is best known for his role as Jagdeep Chadda in the official Indian adaptation of the international sit-com, The Office. The film is expected to kick off in mid-July.
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