TheReviewMonk
Dishoom backdrop
29 July 2016Hindi120 min

Dishoom

5.539 reviews
CriticsMixed

Bayesian avg · 39 critic reviews

7.5+ Exceptional · 6.5 Recommended · 5.0 Mixed

5.410 ratings
UsersUnfavorable

User Score · avg of 10 ratings

8.0+ Exceptional · 7.0 Recommended · 5.5 Mixed

Rohit Dhawan DirectorRohit Dhawan ScreenplayTushar Hiranandani ScreenplayRohit Dhawan StoryPritam MusicAbhijit Vaghani MusicAyananka Bose Cinematography

When India's top cricketer is kidnapped in the Middle East, a loose cannon and a rookie cop are tasked with finding him before the high-stakes match with Pakistan.

Critic Consensus

Critical reception for Dishoom skews mildly positive, with most reviewers acknowledging it as an undemanding, formulaic entertainer rather than a standout action film. The chemistry and camaraderie between John Abraham and Varun Dhawan is the most consistently cited strength, with several critics noting that the lead pair makes an otherwise thin film watchable. Common criticisms center on a weak, predictable, and logic-defying script, with reviewers repeatedly pointing to style taking clear precedence over storytelling. A minority of critics found the film too derivative and clichéd to recommend, while the majority conceded it fulfills its modest goal of lightweight entertainment.

39 reviews · 15 positive · 12 mixed · 1 negative

Praised: John-Varun chemistry and bromanceCriticised: Weak, formulaic, predictable script

AI-generated summary of 39 critic reviews · may contain errors

Report inaccuracy

Critic Reviews (39)

Raja SenTop Critic· Rediff
6.0
"The film keeps trying to concentrate on the plot, which is weak, and because the action scenes and chases are long and repetitive, merely changing backgrounds don't help things as much."
Read full review ↗
Rajeev MasandTop Critic· IBNLive
6.0
"You won't remember Dishoom for its plot or for its performances. It's like junk food that's meant to be savored in the moment, but cannot be counted on for nutrition. At two hours flat it's that rare masala film that doesn't overstay its welcome."
Read full review ↗
Shubhra GuptaTop Critic· Indian Express
4.0
"John Abraham and Varun Dhawan's movie is designed like a fast-paced caper but lacks impact. It shines in bits and pieces but the rest is a stretch."
Read full review ↗
Srijana Mitra Das· Times Of India
7.0
"As an entertainer, Dishoom delivers. If you're good with laughter, not logic, Dishoom is actually two much fun."
Read full review ↗
Bollywood Hungama News Network· Bollywood Hungama
7.0
"DISHOOM has a predictable storyline. However, the engaging narrative, coupled with rich visuals and high octane action work in the favour of the film. Add to this the star power of John Abraham and Varun Dhawan which will definitely attract the youth. At the box office, the film faces no competion for next two weeks and hence it will ensure good returns to the makers."
Read full review ↗
R.M. Vijayakar· IndiaWest
7.0
""Dishoom" is timepass entertainment, and, since it has little competition till Aug. 12, will do well. Varun Dhawan, of course, will pull in the audience apart from the songs."
Read full review ↗
Pinkvilla Team· PinkVilla
6.0
"It is a good looking, pacy movie that flaunts bling, stunts and babes. Dishoom is well made and is a hell lot of fun."
Read full review ↗
IndiaGlitz· India Glitz
6.0
"'Dishoom' is a popcorn entertainer which is good time pass watch. One can enjoy it till it last. The movie could have been a huge entertainer if only there was a decent script and some logical moments attached to it."
Read full review ↗
Sreeju Sudhakaran· Bollywood Life
6.0
"Dishoom may not be the best action spectacle Bollywood has made. However, it is still entertaining thanks to John and Varun's camaraderie, and a few funny scenes. At two hours in runtime, it can be worth your ticket."
Read full review ↗
Subhash K Jha· SKJBollywoodNews
6.0
"Though I found Dishoom to be way too formulistic  to make as strong an impression as Rohit's directorial debut film Desi Boyz , there is virtue in vice. Dishoom proves it."
Read full review ↗
Ritika Handoo· Zee News
6.0
"The only thing which bothers is the fact that a lot of stuff happens while you still try to figure out the scene. But maybe that's because the entire film runs on a 36-hour-long deadlock. Be ready for many highs but do not think on 'how is it possible?'. Do not forget, it's Bollywood and nothing is impossible."
Read full review ↗
Vishal Verma· Glamsham
6.0
"DISHOOM lacks imagination, it's formulaic but John and Varun make it watchable. Go for it if you love John and/or Varun or you are looking for a harmless fun."
Read full review ↗
Ananya Bhattacharya· India Today
6.0
"...despite its decent-enough story, doesn't quite make a mark on the mind. The film is a crowd-pleaser, especially when Saare Jahan Se Achha plays in the background and you need to deal with the goosebumps."
Read full review ↗
Mehul S Thakkar· Deccan Chronicle
6.0
"This is an out and out pot boiler film which does have its moment where logic can be questioned. But as long as the film keeps you entertained, it won't hurt watching this film."
Read full review ↗
Sarita Tanwar· DNA India
6.0
"Despite the potholes, Dishoom is a fun for most part. Watch it for the John-Varun bromance and Akshay Kumar's outrageous cameo."
Read full review ↗
Manisha Lakhe· NowRunning
6.0
"If you said Hindi comedy, it meant ghastly sex comedies or completely stupid comedies which are loud and labled 'leave your brains behind'. Thankfully Dishoom is nothing like either. It's pure fun. Silly, but fun. You'll laugh at the funny lines, and you'll like where the story is going. And everyone in the cast looks like they had a great time at the movies."
Read full review ↗
5.0
"I wish a film that looked so good, would have felt that good as well. Despite all the swag, this is one is tepid show."
Read full review ↗
5.0
"No Disappointment, Only Entertainment In This Varun-John's Buddy Cop Film!"
Read full review ↗
Rohit Vats· Hindustan Times
5.0
"The relatively short length of the movie (124 minute) helps Dishoom rise above the clichés. It's a formula potboiler that serves the purpose of entertainment if you're looking for some light moments."
Read full review ↗
Sukanya Verma· Rediff
5.0
"Once the flaky fizz vaporises into nonsense and noise, a sense of tedium begins to steep in. Even so, at its 124 minutes running time, Dishoom doesn't hobble for too long to hurt one's butt or brain."
Read full review ↗
5.0
"As far as buddy cop films go, Dishoom is partly enjoyable. Varun Dhawan is entertaining and the only highlight other than the action in the film."
Read full review ↗
Shaheen Parkar· Mid-Day
5.0
"The filmmakers have splurged on the styling in 'Dishoom', but not on the storytelling. Agreed it is a leave-your-brains-at-home entertainer, but some method to the madness would have packed a punch..."
Read full review ↗
IANS· Sify
5.0
"Dishoom offers nothing that you have not seen before, yet entertains you. An ideal watch for John and Varun fans."
Read full review ↗
Kunal Guha· Mumbai Mirror
5.0
"Dishoom jabs a hole into every action thriller ever made and packs in tested tropes - like two unlikely cops paired together for a mission to save someone of national significance. Harbouring much contempt for each other initially, their misadventures ensure that much bromance brews before the director calls it a wrap. Just like every other Will Smith or Bruce Willis or Chris Tucker movie."
Read full review ↗
Stutee Ghosh· TheQuint
5.0
"Dishoom is everything you expect a typical Bollywood masala entertainer to be. A wafer-thin plot, flashy action sequences, crowed pleasing dialogues and a bevy of beauties gyrating to some foot tapping number. But for all its silliness it is still watchable thanks to John Abraham and Varun Dhawan being easy on the eyes."
Read full review ↗
FridayMoviez Reviewer· FridayMoviez
5.0
"Dishoom has good production values. The helicopter chase scene is claimed to be the most expensive stunt performed by its makers. While the story is cliché, the screenplay is in focus since the high octane action sequences give it a high entertainment quotient. Masala Entertainer it is this weekend then. Go for it."
Read full review ↗
5.0
"While the first half is engaging, the second half is ridden with cliches and corny twists. A sight for the sore eyes was the bromance. As far as buddy-cops go, they are cute together. They have an impish charm about them, but it's painfully predictable. What holds up Dishoom, filmed extensively in the UAE, are the two A's: action and Abu Dhabi."
Read full review ↗
"The audience sits through the cacophony hoping for a genuine knockout blow to be delivered somewhere down the line. It never materialises. Dishoom doesn't land a single half-decent punch."
Read full review ↗
2.0
"If you can suspend disbelief, surgically detach your brains, laugh at illogical buffoonery that rolls out in the name of humour, then my dear friend, you DON'T need to watch this film. You need help."
Read full review ↗
"There's far more emphasis on style than script, but Dishoom won't disappoint fans of the buff leading men."
Read full review ↗
Nandini Ramnath· Scroll.in
"Dishoom's premise has promise – two mismatched police officers join hands to rescue India's cricketing jewel from a kidnapping – but Desi Boyz director Rohit Dhawan simply cannot get the film to jumpstart despite all the elements being in place."
Read full review ↗
Rachit Gupta· Filmfare
"The basic requisite of enjoying Dishoom is to not have any heavy duty expectations. This film by director Rohit Dhawan is the same brand of easy entertainment that his dad was known for. The movie starts with a song (Toh dishoom) and it ends with a song (Jaaneman). The new age filmmaker has just added a whole lot of style to the same old substance. And as it did 20 years ago, the gimmick still works out."
Read full review ↗
Komal Nahta· Komal Nahta's Blog
"Dishoom will emerge victorious at the box-office. The entertainer will keep its producers, distributors and exhibitors happy."
Read full review ↗
Tania Rana· BookMyShow
"Watch Dishoom if it is a fun time you are looking for. The jokes may be a little repetitive, but you are bound to love the action sequences, and will absolutely love the Dhawan-esque flavor of Dishoom. Go book your ticket, you will NOT regret it!"
Read full review ↗
Anna MM Vetticad· Firstpost
"Dishoom is a sporadically engaging, intermittently funny, yet always insubstantial film."
Read full review ↗
Namrata Joshi· The Hindu
"Dishoom is the cinematic equivalent of masala chai; an all too familiar but giddy infusion."
Read full review ↗
"The only redeeming quality of this film is Varun Dhawan and his comic timing that lightens the mood and makes some lines funnier than they would have been otherwise."
Read full review ↗
"Dishoom feels like a missed opportunity. All that budget, all these resources (read: stars), and the best Dhawan (whose previous directorial credit was the insufferable Desi Boyz) could make was a mildly amusing, templatised movie that couldn't go two hours without succumbing to mediocrity? What a waste."
Read full review ↗
Bindu Suresh Rai· Emirates247
"What works for 'Dishoom' is the chemistry that Abraham and Dhawan share, despite the cheesy and humourless lines. The fact that the twosome are easy on the eye probably earns them a few more points that they may have lost with their acting prowess or lack thereof. All said and done though, 'Dishoom' may not pack a steady punch like 'Sultan' or 'Kabali', but it doesn't bore at least."
Read full review ↗

Cast & Crew

Cast

Details

Release Date
29 July 2016
Runtime
120 min
Language
Hindi
Genres
Comedy, Action

User Ratings & Reviews

Users5.410 ratings

10 ratings from the community

Community Reviews (4)

TEJul 2016

This adventure has some good action for fans of that genre, but it seems logic wasn't invited.<br /> <br /> When a popular Indian cricketer is kidnapped by an unknown assailant, the government sends Kabir (Abraham), a no-nonsense, disobedient, and beasty special ops officer, to Abu Dhabi to salvage the situation. He teams up with Junaid (Dhawan), a fledgling cop with a comic nerve. Together, they trace the cricketer's last known whereabouts, which becomes the foundation of the story.<br /> <br /> The first ten minutes will intrigue anyone who is interested in thrillers, but Kabir's entry with the arrogant, to-the-work attitude plays with our patience. To add to the annoyance comes Junaid in his perpetually oversmart air, trying to find humor in every effing thing around him. The narrative throws in characters and special appearances like that malfunctioning automatic tennis ball thrower which does not stop at all. We have Akshay Kumar playing a homosexual man who wants to see the protagonists in their unmentionables, Jacqueline Fernandez who plays a small-time, identity-stealing thief, Rahul Dev as a left hand guy, and finally Akshaye Khanna in a role that he portrays quite smoothly. Be that as it may, the character thrower does not stop even towards the end. And over everything, everyone in Abu Dhabi seem to understand and be able to converse in Hindi.<br /> <br /> Dishoom is just another of the mindless action comedies that rely on the lead actors' muscles and lead actresses' clefts; why else would they cast Nargis Fakhri in a 20-second role? There are a couple of twists and turns towards the second half which has the ability to keep the audience partially hooked. However, at the end of the whole charade, one WILL ask if it was worth it. And the answer will most probably be on the negative.<br /> <br /> Abraham does what he does best: showcasing of his fit bod. Dhawan complements him, but in addition, tries very hard to be funny. It was great to see both Dev and Khanna after a very long time. They both do a fine job. Had no expectations from the actresses because all they do nowadays in male-centric films is flash their assets and laugh at their male co-stars' jokes. <br /> <br /> The writing is stale, but the execution is what I have given four stars here for. Some good locations were chosen and some good angles in the photography. Overall, it's just an afternoon watch on Netflix six months from now.<br /> <br /> BOTTOM LINE: Rohit Dhawan's Dishoom is a rundown action film where the unintended humor wreaks havoc with the story flow, which is not that great in the first place. Wait for TV premiere!<br /> <br /> Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

ANAug 2016

The film has been directed by Rohit Dhawan. He explains the whole plot of 36 hours in an accurately 120 minutes run time. His story starts from the topic of Cricket. A Batsman named Viraj (one of the very best cricketers) gets kidnapped by an unknown person just one and a half day before the much awaited India-Pak match. Then we see John Abraham come from India to find Viraj. He is from Special Task Force Department. He with Junaid, a fool cum slightly smart character played by Varun try to solve this out. And midst of this hustle bustle the duo meets Jacqueline, who is genuinely a wasted artist. And fails to add some glamour to the film. Wil the trio be able to dissolve out this spectre for India? In the Star Performances Varun-John's bromance will be remembered the most. Akshay Kumar and Nargis Fakhri and Parineeti Chopra do not add any colours to the film and lack completeness in their cameos. Also Akshay might jeopardize his personality as one of the big actors. Jacqueline does not need any special mention and like as always she remains spiritless. Both the Dhawan brothers fail to enthral the audience this time since Rohit lacks originality whereas Varun is awfully overacting. But the show is stolen by John's impressively well-made character. Also we have Akshaye Khanna in the film as the villain and we see him do a perfect job. Overall Dishoom is dizzily attractive not only for the dialogues and the screenplays. But in addition for few gags devoid of humour. It fails to illuminate the real cop concept fairly and slightly collapses from the expected mark not giving anything new. The film lends itself 5 stars.

SHOct 2017

There are just nothing to enjoy.

Despite its many contrivances, 'Dishoom' of Rakesh Dhawan is actually far from unwatchable. Actually, it is even more than watchable with its testosterone-flunged action, and drama-soaked comedy especially delivered by Varun Dhawan. John Abraham as the 'Mr. Serious' is dangerously so, which is ridiculous but funny still. Akshay Kumar delivers a promising cameo, and Jacqueline and Parineeti (another cameo) are extremely watchable in their seductive hairstyle and unmatchable costumes. The writing is little, but the direction ensures that throughout the viewing the film remains a very entertaining one that never overstays its welcome and never rushes through. But it has undervalued substance which is smug, and beyond the style the film is a pure drag. It could have used much, much more delivery of humor than it does: real, funnier, more jokes. Also, some punch-liners immersed in desi-ness could have helped as well. These things do let down 'Dishoom', which otherwise is very enjoyable.

TMDB

This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.