Hrithik is one of those rare actors who’s not only abundantly talented, but he’s also blessed with a presence that’s electrifying. With the grace of a dove he throws himself into the film’s many challenging stunt scenes – skydiving, sand-surfing, scuba-diving, roller-blading, bungee-jumping – and he does it all so well.Whether it’s in the action scenes, or the songs, whether he’s romancing Aishwarya or jumping off a cliff, it’s hard to take your eyes off him.

This is a film that makes the big-screen spectacle look jovial and casual. Look underneath. There’s a method to the smirking madness. The grueling glamour of a stunt-driven drama has never been more fluently placed before us.

Cut the crap’ Cut the gyan’ Let’s come to the point straightway: Is DHOOM 2 as big as its hype? Does it meet the monumental expectations? Or is it a gas balloon with a leak? Yes, DHOOM 2 works big time.

The anticipated result is a wonderfully crafted mall product; much of it goes well with the pop-corn. This is more or less what I felt the posters had promised. They just about meet those expectations. Be extremely wary of the hype though.

It is also cinema of the stars, of larger-than-life glamour. Ash and Bipasha display bronzed, toned bods in hanky-small dresses. Dhoom 2 teases, titillates, caters to the voyeur in every viewer. But there’s no gender divide here. We women too have been given an equal opportunity to ogle at dishy Hrithik.

Director Sanjay Gadhvi plays on all the strengths of the original and then adds more chutzpah in the form of a bigger star cast and the breathtaking locales of Rio de Janeiro and Durban, the expanses of the Namib Desert, the fortresses of Rajasthan and the backwaters of Goa.