There are seemingly disconnected events at the start of the film Dhoom Dhaam that graces the narrative – a random robbery that takes place in the night, and two seemingly ‘reluctant’ characters are on the verge of being ‘sold’ for marriage. The arranged marriage setup in the lives of Veer and Koyal does come like a welcome change. In the honeymoon phase, the former goes on a post-liking spree, only for the latter to also reciprocate her love for him. The two-week wedding window is hardly a matter of concern, given how the duo seem steadily falling from each other – be it exchanging glances in family events, to literally warming up to each other’s families. Life is perfect for them in their courtship period that is suddenly halted after their marriage. And no, the differences between the two only arise after a knock at the door that seemingly grafts them in a wild goose chase over the crucial moments of the night, that also acts as a period of self-discovery for the couple.

The setup of Dhoom Dhaam remains quirky and fun while leaving all the crucial breadcrumbs to ultimately come together at the end. But much like the stutter in the relationship of Veer and Koyal, it isn’t entirely smooth sailing, although it isn’t a complete trainwreck either. It is one of those middling tales that you wish were a little better, while also being thankful that they existed for the fun quotient in store. And one of the aspects of the writing that actually keeps the drama afloat has got to be the characterization of the two leads. Their names are almost an anti-word play for the characteristics that they share – Veer comes across as a relatively timid character (as opposed to being ‘sold’ as a macho guy) who suffers from Agrophobia, Claustrophobia, Hydrophobia and what-not phobia. He is disciplined and wishes to follow the traffic rules even while being chased by goons. Koyal is hardly a ‘koyal-bird’ in reality. She is loud and boisterous with a general gender-bravado that is unleashed on Veer, at the most random location outside a lounge. Interestingly, the lounge has a subtle commentary in store for all men who think that women visiting these bars are considered ‘low-market’ (which are exactly the thoughts of Koyal who also shunts a man ‘botherings’ here, lol). Invariably, one is definitely the quieter one and the other is someone known to speak her mind – a complete chalk and cheese kind of characters forced to stick to each other in times of travesty.

The issue for me was the transition from one gags to another that did leave a brief space of void. This was more to do with subversive tonal breaks in the screenplay that almost are reflective of the blooming romance between the couple. For instance while on the run, you see Veer and Koyal going to the top of an underconstruction building, only to stare at the fire-crackers being sprayed in the sky to discover a liking for each other, probably for the first time during the night (and after marriage). This, briefly halts the drama given how the chase itself is halted, only to resume after the duo are done sharing their moment. Even the frequent stops that the duo undergo with respect to other characters, doesn’t always land with the humour. While the portion involving the brawl in the ladies’ washroom is hilarious given how Veer gets sucked into the setting because the duo are hand-cuffed is a blast, but the tempo is lowered or more specifically simplified in a couple of stop-overs. The portion involving the duo being graced in a stranger’s house that offers them food, did flatten out the narrative. And such speed-breakers were frequent in the narrative.

One of the reasons why the thrill quotient in the film takes a backseat is because it largely remains unfocused with the implications of the chase if it weren’t to be successful. The slight seriousness in that aspect of the drama is compromised for the humour that is again a stop-start throughout the narrative but thankfully, it roars when it is expected to. The scene at the strip-club with Veer finally coming-of-age with respect to his masculinity has got to be one of the highlights of the film that had me laughing and enjoying myself. An equally good pit-stop involving a foodie-friend did put a smile on my face. So while the intended twist in the drama could be seen literally from a mile away, the entertainment quotient was the driving narrative in the drama. I liked how there was a recall value of connecting the dots to the ultimate maze that also compensated for a slightly underpar final act. In other words, the writing here remained a mixed bag but luckily, the pros outweighed the cons to deliver a watchable flick with quirky bouts of humour, at the end of the day.