Total Dhamaal review: Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Anil Kapoor steal the show in the first half

After Dhamaal and Double Dhamaal, Indra Kumar is back with the third installment of the hit comic franchise. Total Dhamaal stars Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixir-Nene, Arshad Warsi, Sanjay Mishra, Riteish Deshmukh, Jaaved Jafferi, amongst others. The film has just released. But what does our reviewer, Aakanksha Naval-Shetye, has to say about the movie? The first half of Total Dhamaal is just over, and she reveals to us, “The film kick-starts with the peppy track Paisa Yeh Paisa and the first few scenes set the pace of the film. Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Mishra steal Rs 50 core from the corrupt police commissioner played by Boman Irani. They escape unscathed by jumping down a 16- storey hotel building. After testing if you can digest this, the director decides to test you further.”

Aakanksha further adds, “Talking about performances, Ajay and Sanjay are clearly the ones doing action comedy. Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit indulge us with WhatsApp jokes revolving around domestic warring husband and wife. Arshad Warsi and Jaaved Jaaferi are genuinely funny and they draw some laughs in Total Dhamaal. Ajay’s swag works, but Sanjay struggles to keep the comic pace going. An ill timed Mungda doesn’t help things either. Madhuri, however infuses her natural comic timing and is a saving grace so far. But, Riteish Deshmukh and Pitobash are a let down.”

“The four pairs cross path in trying to reach a bag with Rs 50 crores in it. Chased by Boman, the race to the Janakpur Zoo, where the money has been hidden begins. What follows is an assault on your senses! To say the Total Dhamaal is loud is an understatement. But you would expect more comed, right? However, the film evokes laughter only in inconsistent parts.  The actors struggle to salvage the not so funny dialogues relying more on their own performances. The jarring background music and forced comic sounds worsen matters,” adds our reviewer.

Summing up the first half, Aakanksha mentions, “So far the laughs have come too far and few to live up to the brand. And have been predictable. Johnny lever as a helicopter pilot manages to add to the comedy. None of the animals have made an entry yet so hoping that will put the film in an upswing.” Stay tuned to CineBlitz for the full Total Dhamaal review.