The Dhoom journey started in 2003 with an action thriller that continues to linger in viewers’ minds and which spawned a franchise of its own with sequel, Dhoom 2. Stylish stunt sequences and peppy music marked its identity.
It’s time now for another Dhoom machale, as the third instalment, Dhoom 3 is ready to hit screens on December 20.
Vijay Krishna Acharya, who has written the stories for all three Dhoom movies, also directs Dhoom 3.
While Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra reprise their roles as Jai Dixit and Ali Akbar, respectively, newcomers to the Dhoom franchise Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif play a pair of villains.
“It is an important journey for me, having written the earlier two stories under the Dhoom franchise. But this is the first time I am directing Abhishek,” said Acharya at a press conference in Chennai on Tuesday.
Praising Kaif, who plays the female lead in the story, he said: “You have to see Kamli, the dance of Katrina, she has done an astounding job pushing the limits beyond what a person can do.”
So is a script for Dhoom 4 brewing? “This franchise has a life of its own and is larger than me,” smiled Acharya. “Finally it depends on the audience.”
Since Bachchan has been a part of this franchise from the beginning, How different was Dhoom 3 from the earlier two films?
“Dhoom 3 is different from the earlier moulds, because when we set the goals, we wanted to bring an edginess to the film and not just fun and frolic.
“As a team we spent time deliberating on how different it should be from the earlier films and a conscious decision was taken to give it a different shade. All three Dhoom films are different. I enjoyed working in all three. Not every actor gets an opportunity to work with Aamir. It has been a memorable and enriching experience.”
Q&A with Aamir Khan
Why did you take this role?
I just loved the script. I found it exciting and everything that I expected from the Dhoom franchise. Katrina and I play circus performers.
Tell us about the preparations that went into it.
In India circus means animals performing but in the rest of the world circus has humans performing acts. So I had to learn to hoop, strap and rehearse. It was tough and dangerous because some of the feats were performed at a height of 30-40ft above ground without a harness. Both of us were on the hoop often leaning on each other’s weight and we had to trust each other for maintaining a balance. It was undoubtedly a challenging role yet exciting. I also learnt tap dancing. Initially we had a teacher from Sydney to train me and then I went to Sydney for a month to better it. My experience with Victor has been exceptionally good and I am hoping that people will like the film.
How different is this from the earlier Dhoom films?
Dhoom as a franchise is known for its action scenes. It was shot extensively in Chicago and the action scenes are spectacular, but at the same time believable. For those who love high-octane action, we promise a treat.
What’s with the hat?
This hat is a part of the character Sahir. I have been wearing it since the past two years.
Are you looking to reach the Rs20 million club?
For me every film is important. I love my work and I enjoy the process of doing a film. When the audience sits and the lights go off, I like to know how much they enjoyed the film. Did I give them a great time? I am also keen that my films recover the cost of the film, it is my responsibility as an artist.
Is there anyone in Tamil cinema that you admire?
I am a big fan of Rajinikanth. After watching two of his films, I fell in love with him. Then I had the pleasure of working with him on a film. I was thrilled and nervous initially. I found him to be an amazing person. It was an enriching experience watching him the way he conducted, so warm and loving and unstar like. He was a thorough professional, extremely punctual and knew all the lines all the time.
Any plans to remake a Tamil film?
When Murgadoss called me up for Gajini, my initial fear was that I would not be able to do the role. I just could not see myself going around destroying things. I spoke to Surya and told him how much I loved his work and the film, but I could not see myself doing the role. It was only Surya’s persuasion that made me go ahead with Gajini. If a good story interests me, why not?
What about appearing in a film by your wife, Kiran Rao?
Kiran is working on a script. She is very secretive about what she writes even. I like it that way. I like to get surprised. I would like to be in a film and in whatever she does. But I have to be honest to my creative instincts. If I don’t like it, I will not do it.
