Dhoom (2004)
Bollywood said Fast & Furious? Hold my Tata Young album.
Movie Stats
- Movie: Dhoom (2004)
- Directed by: Sanjay Gadhvi
- Runtime: 129 minutes
- Release Date: August 27, 2004
- Language: Hindi
- Starring: John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, Esha Deol, Rimi Sen
- Episode: Fear of Stairs — EP 12
What We Talked About
In this episode, we hopped on our imaginary motorcycles and raced straight into Dhoom (2004) — a movie that might as well have been titled Fast & Filmi. Directed by Sanjay Gadhvi, Dhoom kicked off one of Bollywood’s biggest action franchises, fusing Y2K aesthetics, EDM soundtracks, and over-the-top bike stunts into a new kind of blockbuster.
From the start, Adam couldn’t get over how shamelessly the movie lifts from The Fast and the Furious. The heist scenes, the gang of motorbike-riding thieves, the cop infiltrating their world — it’s all there. Nicky flat-out called it a “Fast & Furious ripoff,” but was quick to admit that the Indian twist — complete with Tata Young’s English-language banger Dhoom Machale — gives it a goofy charm all its own.
Khilli, true to form, was all in on the Dhoom love. They explained that this movie wasn’t just a copy — it redefined Bollywood action films for the 2000s, setting the template for a slicker, music-driven, more globalized style of filmmaking. And yes, it turned John Abraham into a stone-faced icon of cool, even if we all agreed his acting is…let’s say, secondary to his bike-riding skills.
Winnie was most fascinated by how Dhoom operates in its own logic-free universe. She pointed out that the good guy (Abhishek Bachchan) being darker-skinned than the villain was a rare reversal in Bollywood at the time. We spent a long time laughing about Ali, the comic relief mechanic played by Uday Chopra, who somehow steals more bikes than the villains and gets rewarded for it.
Of course, we spiraled into a tangent about the pronunciation of “Dhoom” — with Khilli getting increasingly upset at us saying “Doom” instead of the proper “Dhh-oom.” Adam made it worse by theorizing that the movie’s success sent the word skyrocketing in Google search charts across India — a moment of cultural language shift none of us could verify but all of us found hilarious.
By the end, Nicky was still on the fence about whether Dhoom is “good bad” or just bad. But we all agreed: it’s stupid in the most watchable way possible. And yes, we’re absolutely watching Dhoom 2 and Dhoom 3 next.
From the start, Adam couldn’t get over how shamelessly the movie lifts from The Fast and the Furious. The heist scenes, the gang of motorbike-riding thieves, the cop infiltrating their world — it’s all there. Nicky flat-out called it a “Fast & Furious ripoff,” but was quick to admit that the Indian twist — complete with Tata Young’s English-language banger Dhoom Machale — gives it a goofy charm all its own.
Khilli, true to form, was all in on the Dhoom love. They explained that this movie wasn’t just a copy — it redefined Bollywood action films for the 2000s, setting the template for a slicker, music-driven, more globalized style of filmmaking. And yes, it turned John Abraham into a stone-faced icon of cool, even if we all agreed his acting is…let’s say, secondary to his bike-riding skills.
Winnie was most fascinated by how Dhoom operates in its own logic-free universe. She pointed out that the good guy (Abhishek Bachchan) being darker-skinned than the villain was a rare reversal in Bollywood at the time. We spent a long time laughing about Ali, the comic relief mechanic played by Uday Chopra, who somehow steals more bikes than the villains and gets rewarded for it.
Of course, we spiraled into a tangent about the pronunciation of “Dhoom” — with Khilli getting increasingly upset at us saying “Doom” instead of the proper “Dhh-oom.” Adam made it worse by theorizing that the movie’s success sent the word skyrocketing in Google search charts across India — a moment of cultural language shift none of us could verify but all of us found hilarious.
By the end, Nicky was still on the fence about whether Dhoom is “good bad” or just bad. But we all agreed: it’s stupid in the most watchable way possible. And yes, we’re absolutely watching Dhoom 2 and Dhoom 3 next.
Our Takeaways
“Dhoom is Fast & Furious for people who want less plot and more Tata Young.”Adam
“This movie changed Bollywood action forever — it made bikes cooler than guns.”Khilli
“It’s dumb. It’s cheesy. But I couldn’t stop yelling at the screen.”Nicky
“Ali is like a golden retriever with a motorcycle — completely harmless until he steals your bike.”Winnie
Weirdest Tangent
An extended pronunciation debate about whether it’s “Dhoom” or “Doom” — with Khilli getting irrationally mad and Adam speculating it altered Google search trends forever.
About Fear of Stairs
Fear of Stairs: Desi Films Decoded is a podcast where logic takes a backseat to dance numbers — and every staircase could be a death trap.
We’re four wildly different movie nerds diving into the chaos of Indian cinema. Sometimes we’re charmed. Sometimes we’re confused. Always entertained.
New episodes drop regularly covering the boldest, weirdest, and most unforgettable films from across Indian cinema — not just Bollywood.
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