Dhoomam Review – Pale Smoke

BOTTOM LINE

Pale Smoke

OUR RATING
2/5

CENSOR

U/A, 2h 21m

What Is the Film About?

Avi, aka Avinash’s (Fahadh Faasil) life as a high-paying corporate employee, takes a drastic turn when he decides to move away from its latest product launch. Soon he finds his wife Diya (Aparna Balamurali) in a life-threatening situation.

Who is behind the situation in Avi’s life? Is it the corporate giant, or is there someone else? The movie’s core plot involves it all getting led to a social crime.

Performances

Fahadh Faasil gets another role, highlighting the different shades in him. The character arc here is good, but we have seen him do it all before when it comes to acting. The act has no surprise and ends up being decent.

Aparna Balamurali has a sketchy part that is far from impressive. It gets tiring soon and starts to irritate as the narrative progresses. One could see it as part of the characterisation, but that’s where the problem lies. Appearance-wise, too, she looks heavier than before. It affects her screen presence big time.

Roshan Matthews’ part is almost as big as the main lead, length-wise. He plays an ambitious corporate guy whose primary motive is getting profit for the company. The over-the-top emotion and attitude are apt initially, but it feels stagnant after a point. One expects something big from him, and that doesn’t happen, which doesn’t let his character reach the next level.

Analysis

Pawan Kumar of Lucia and U-Turn fame directs Dhoomam. Like his previous flicks and the web series Kudi Yedamaithe, he has also picked another exciting setup and premise for Dhoomam.

The setting here is that of a corporate company producing cigarettes. The characters inhabiting the space and their actions to reach a goal give ample opportunity to provide something unique. Pawan Kumar, additionally, adds a thriller angle to make it more intriguing.

The strengths and weaknesses of Dhoomam are evident from the start itself. The director takes a non-linear approach to the screenplay, which can be divided into drama and thriller aspects. The former involves the hero getting through the ranks and reaching the top. The latter puts him in a dangerous situation to come out from. The problem with Dhoomam, initially, is the drama.

Despite good actors like Fahadh Faasil and Roshan Matthew on board, the drama is found lacking. It is due to the writing, which lacks meat. A simple and illogical route is taken to explain away things. The setting of the world and critical moments to raise the expectations appear weak as a result.

Simultaneously one has the thriller aspect going on. It makes the narrative uneven. Still, the first half holds the attention due to the curiosity factor. Who is behind the whole thing and what’s the way to save the day makes one interested in the proceedings.

Unfortunately, the second half fails to live up to the promise of an engaging thriller. It is good to break expectations, but how it is done and the narrative progresses disappoints one.

The half-baked characterisations and the subsequent progress and situation turn repetitive and irritating. It concerns the main players and is not just related to one.

After all the happening, the climax is an even bigger letdown. The open ending notwithstanding, the revelation of the suspense is a dampener. The missing balance between the stakes created and the responsible person leads to disappointment.

Overall, Dhoomam undoubtedly presents an exciting premise and builds some suspense in the first half. However, it loses track entirely and fails to deliver with an abrupt ending. If you like to watch something different, try it, but have very low expectations.

Performances by Others Actors

Senior actor Vineeth gets a crucial role in the movie. He is presented well and does his part decently. Achyuth Kumar could have been used more effectively. The rest of the actors fill the space okay, but none have a memorable part to stand out and register.

Music and Other Departments?

Poornachandra Tejaswi provides the music. There are hardly any songs, and most of the narrative is about the background score. He has done alright in that regard. The movie looks fine visually despite the limitations. Preetha Jayaraman has done well as the cinematographer. The editing could have been tighter, though. The writing is weak and a significant reason for the dullness of the proceedings.

Highlights?

Intrigue In First Half

Interval

Casting

Drawbacks?

Illogical Key Blocks

Dull Writing

Heroine’s Characterisation

Climax

Did I Enjoy It?

No

Will You Recommend It?

No

Live Updates

Final Report:

The second half of Dhoomam disappoints as it struggles to justify its position as a thriller with a social message. Although Fahad delivers an decent performance, it lacks the desired impact. Aparna Balamurali’s character, meant to be crucial, falls flat with a lack of logic and poor execution.

Dhoomam does not live up to the impressive standards set by the director of ‘Lucia’ or the happening ‘Hombale’ banner.

First Half Report:

Dhoomam begins with gripping intensity before transitioning into a straightforward thriller genre, still managing to pique curiosity. However, the key plot twists and turns lack logical consistency or a compelling narrative. Interval hook adds an intriguing element to the storyline.

— Dhoomam show kicks off with an intense scene. Stay tuned for the first-half report.

Dhoomam, produced by the banner Hombale Films, known for bankrolling successful films like KGF and Kantara, is set to release as a multilingual film in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu. Directed by Pawan Kumar, renowned for his work on ‘Lucia’ and ‘U Turn’. Stay tuned for the first-half report.

Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Aparna Balamurali, Roshan Mathew, Vineeth Radhakrishnan, Anu Mohan and Achyuth Kumar

Written and Directed by: Pawan Kumar

Produced by: Vijay Kiragandur
Banner : Hombale Films

Director of Photography: Preetha Jayaraman ISC
Music & Background Score: Poornachandra Tejaswi SV
Editor : Suresh Arumugam
Production Design: Anees Nadodi
Action: Chethan D’souza
Costume Designer : Poornima Ramaswamy
Executive Producer : Karthik, Vijay Subramaniam