TOTAL DHAMAAL had a huge television premiere with the sixth highest rating of all time and it is the highest ever premiere for a comedy film edging past the numbers of GOLMAAL AGAIN. The film had a box office total of 150 crore nett apprx but is sure to do find an even bigger audience on television.

DHAMAAL and DOUBLE DHAMAAL were huge hits on television and this film is likely to go one step further and the next few ratings will tell exactly how bit it will become. The film is sure to have a life after its theatrical run. The film was released one week after the media rated GULLY BOY and it was trashed but it has proved to be one up at the box office over GULLY BOY. As far as longetivity is concerned then TOTAL DHAMAAL is on a different level as it continues to find an audience and the less said about GULLY BOY's post theatrical the better.

The top films on television of all time are as follows. The numbers are impressions which are the number of television sets viewing the film.
1. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion - 2,60,54,00,000 (Sony)
2. Prem Ratan Dhan Payo - 2,51,19,00,000 (Star)
3. Bajrangi Bhaijaan - 2,37,45,000 (Star)
4. Baahubali: The Beginning - 2,07,77,000 (Sony)
5. Dhadak - 1,83,16,000 (Zee)
6. Total Dhamaal - 1,67,93,000 (Star)
7. Golmaal Again - 1,63,52,000 (Star)
8. Dangal - 16,25,40,000 (Zee)
9. Baaghi 2 - 1,61,45,000 (Star)
10. Judwaa 2 - 1,52,66,000 (Star)

WILL TOTAL DHAMAAL TURN OUT TO BE YET ANOTHER HIT OF 2019?

Times have changed and so have our films. A not-so-typical commercial entertainer like Gully Boy has set the box office on fire, at least in some parts of India. Uri: The Surgical Strike meanwhile is refusing to stop. At first, Rs. 200 crore seemed like a distant dream but it crossed the coveted mark. And now trade and industry is hoping that it’ll reach at least till Rs. 240 crore! Again, Uri: The Surgical Strike was not the usual entertainer and yet, audiences accepted it across the country.

However, watching a typical masala comic fare still has its charm. Total Dhamaal, that releases tomorrow, is one such film and despite the challenges, it has the potential to work big time. It is the third part of the Dhamaal franchise. The first part was a big hit and a riot on television. The sequel – Double Dhamaal – was a bit of an underperformer. But it opened very well which proves that the franchise has been loved. The recall value is still strong. And moreover, it has some other factors going in its favour. The Dhamaal regulars are there – Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and Jaaved Jaaferi. Ashish Chowdhry unfortunately couldn’t make it this time and same goes for Sanjay Dutt. But in their place, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit have stepped in. Needless to say, such an excellent cast has added to the hype.

Total Dhamaal moreover is an adventure comedy. The trailer indicates that a lot of animals have been used for comic effect. The masses and the younger kids enjoy such kind of humour and Bollywood hasn’t really made such a film in a long, long time. This is a big advantage for Total Dhamaal. It promises to be a complete family entertainer with pan-India appeal.

The film also has some challenges though. A section of audiences have found the trailer nonsense. Many of these belong to the critics category and they are sure to slam the film in their reviews. However, if the film is good, then it won’t pose a problem. But since it’s a costly film, the film has to have a very positive word of mouth and if that doesn’t happen, it’ll prove detrimental. Despite being a kid-friendly film, it’s released just around the exam season. Ideally, a film like this should have come out in April or May, during the vacations. Songs haven’t worked and the VFX looks a bit tacky.

The opening for Total Dhamaal surely would be strong. Gully Boy is a competition but that won’t hamper much as it’s mainly an urban success. In the smaller centres, it’s Total Dhamaal that’ll dominate single-handedly. The first day collections could be around Rs. 12 to Rs. 15 crore and might even go higher. A weekend of Rs. 50 crore would be ideal. As seen by the success of Uri: The Surgical Strike, Andhadhun, Badhaai Ho, Stree etc, when the audience accepts a film with open arms, then it can go anywhere. The hope is that Total Dhamaal should cross Rs. 100 crore. But if response is extraordinary, even Rs. 200 crore is possible!

The idea of Total Dhamaal is exciting and it’s success will prompt more filmmakers to make such films. Here’s hoping it works big time!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE TOTAL DHAMAAL AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; November 29, 2018)

Kangana Ranaut is currently shooting the sports film Panga, with filmmaker Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, in Bhopal, but the actress recently flew down to Mumbai to supervise the edit of her upcoming epic venture, Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. Ask her if overseeing the editing process of this film is a first for her and whether it was a challenge to take over the reins, the actress says, “This is not my first experience, as far as supervising the edit or even directing a film is concerned. I was 23 or 24, when I directed my first film. It was a 10-minute short film that I had shot with an international crew. Also, at that time, I was struggling with small roles in films like Double Dhamaal (2011). So, I have been a director since then. Be it direction, writing or editing, I have already done it all in the past.”

Kangana says, “When everyone asks me, if Manikarnika is my first film as a director, my reply is, of course not. It’s not my first film as a director. You don’t direct a big epic period as your first film. Plus, I had already faced my share of challenges with the film that I had directed in the past because it was VFX heavy. I have also struggled with VFX in those days, but that was long ago.”

The actress further adds, “If Manikarnika was my first experience (as a director), I would have been like a deer in headlights, because there is so much to do. My skills as a director and performer have sharpened since I directed a short film. I absolutely love directing and sitting on a film’s edit because it is another level of involvement. I have written for films officially and maybe, it wasn’t a solo endeavour, but that also makes me a bona fide writer. I have studied film writing in one of the best institutes in the world. So, ‘I want to be a director’ is an inappropriate thing to say because I am a director.”

The actress also shares that while she is acting in one film, she is participating in the edit of another and by doing so, she is not breaking new ground or trying to be different. Kangana says, “It’s not about breaking new ground. When I was 23 or 24, I was collecting money to go to the US to learn filmmaking, because some of the best films in the world are made there. I had the humility at that time to venture into filmmaking, when I wasn’t getting good work as an actor. I also understood that being an artiste doesn’t mean doing only one thing. I decided to learn something new. You have to relentlessly pursue what you want to do.”

Quiz her if she is invested in Manikarnika to a large extent, because it is important for her that this film hits the right note, so that it will encourage many other leading ladies to frontline an epic drama on their own accord, and she adds, “Every film that I do is important to me because I have committed myself to it. I have taken money and I have assured absolute involvement to the team. But Manikarnika has demanded a lot more of my attention than I intended to give it. I did lose control over things, especially when it came like a hurricane and the way things unfolded overnight. I had to shoot this film amidst a lot of challenges and that was a bit unsettling in the beginning. I had time constraints and bringing the crew together was a struggle, which I wasn’t ready for, but I surpassed that. Later on, of course, I was in my comfort zone and ready to direct. Eventually, I enjoyed it a lot.” 

Not date issues but his exclusion from Total Dhamaal, said to be reason behind Sanjay Dutt refusing cameo
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; August 24, 2018)

Over the past few days, rumours have been rife that Sanjay Dutt turned down a cameo in Total Dhamaal that features Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit-Nene as the principal cast. While reports suggested that Dutt's chock-a-block schedule prevented him from giving a nod, there's more to it than meets the eye. Apparently, the actor - who has been part of the first two instalments, Dhamaal (2007) and Double Dhamaal (2011) - was displeased about not graduating to the third offering, with Devgn taking over the baton.

A unit hand reveals, "Indra Kumar [director] was keen on having Dutt in a special appearance. But the latter cited Prassthanam schedule and bowed out of the shoot. But it was easy to deduce that he was upset about being dropped from the franchise, and hence, didn't want to make a special appearance. Dutt is known to accommodate his friends' requests, but this was his way of showing his displeasure."

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 5, 2015)

National Award-winner Kangana Ranaut once accepted roles just to survive in the city but is now the toast of B-town's inner circle that once shunned her
Ankur Pathak (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 27, 2015)