Much like a character in the film who makes a promise to God only to break it once their wish is fulfilled, Dhamaal 4 feels like it is tricking and short-changes its audience. Director Indra Kumar’s latest comedy venture, Dhamaal 4 tries to follow the standard blueprint of its predecessors, offering a mixed bag of slapstick nostalgia and chaotic storytelling. Sticking to it’s earlier core, this installment is centered once again around an ensemble chase for massive wealth. What doesn’t quite work out is that the film leans heavily on familiar franchise elements while adding newer, increasingly absurd situational gags.
The latest film continues with the core of greed and selfishness, which began from the 2007 original film where four unlucky friends hunted for treasure buried under a giant ‘W’. In this story, the narrative catalyst this time shifts to the letter ‘M’. The plot tracks four greedy but perpetually misfortunate friends who discover the existence of ₹50 crore hidden beneath the mysterious symbol.
Consequently, it becomes an erratic race against time and each other, packed with wrong clues, accidental brawls, and jungle mishaps. The fundamental comedic driver remains unchanged: the characters’ own short-sightedness and sheer stupidity consistently dismantle their million-dollar aspirations, transforming a straightforward treasure hunt into total pandemonium.
Highlight Performances and Ocean Escapades in Dhamaal 4
The screenplay bifurcates the sprawling ensemble cast to keep the momentum going, paving the way for some standout acting. Riteish Deshmukh delivers a brilliant performance as Lallan, revisiting his iconic habit of making false promises and hilariously trying to bargain with God whenever danger looms close. This particular trait takes center stage during a high-stakes sequence where he finds himself navigating a runaway hot air balloon drifting far into deep sea waters.
Similarly, equally entertaining is the hilarious pirate pair played by Ravi Kishen and Vijay Patkar. Their impeccable comic timing and eccentric energy inject a fresh layer of laughter into the film’s second half.
Meanwhile, Guddu (Ajay Devgn) pairs up with Jonny (Sanjay Mishra) as they plot a route to a distant island. In a sequence seemingly designed to one-up Devgn’s historic two-motorcycle balancing act from his debut film, the actor is seen riding across the ocean on the backs of two dolphins. The parallel group comprising Adi (Arshad Warsi), Manav (Jaaved Jaaferi), and Rosy (Sanjeeda Sheikh) faces their own logistical nightmare, as their journey toward the treasure is aggressively hindered by a swarm of octopuses.
A Sudden Shift in Tone
The chaotic, high-decibel chases eventually culminate when the characters finally land on an incredibly serene, cool, and silent island. This sudden geographical shift brings a stark change in pacing to the final act.
The dialogue, however, remains hit-or-miss throughout. In one of the more uninspired exchanges, Devgn’s character responds to Esha Gupta’s concerns by assuring her that everything is moving “as smooth as water”—a punchline that feels decidedly flat given the surrounding narrative storm.
A Clean Family Watch
Ultimately, Dhamaal 4 attempts to inject a moral anchor into its manic pacing. As the dust settles on the treasure hunt, Devgn’s character delivers a closing realization, surmising that a man’s true treasure is his family rather than worldly riches. To illustrate, while the sentiment is well-meaning, it feels somewhat disconnected from a film that spends most of its runtime celebrating unadulterated greed and absolute chaos.
To summarize, thankfully, the film is a genuine family watch. Free from crude humor or inappropriate double entendres, this 143 minutes film is a lighthearted entertainer that you can safely watch with children for an afternoon of pure, mindless fun.
Cast of Dhamaal 4:
Ajay Devgn as Guddu Rastogi
Riteish Deshmukh as Deshbandhu Roy (Lallan)
Arshad Warsi as Aditya Srivastav (Adi)
Jaaved Jaaferi as Manav Srivastav (Manav)
Ravi Kishan as Adhoora (The Pirate)
Sanjay Mishra as Jonny
Upendra Limaye as Prithvi (Treasure map decoder)
Anjali Anand as Paaro (Lallan’s wife)
Sanjeeda Sheikh as Rosy (Guddu’s wife)
Esha Gupta as Alia
Vijay Patkar as Jheenga (Adhoora’s right-hand man)
Akshara Padwal as Amaira
Riyansh Dabhi as Aarav
Brijendra Kala as Gopaldas Seth (Paaro’s father)
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Credits of Dhamaal 4:
Production companies – T-Series Films, Panorama Studios, Devgn Films, Maruti International, Anand Pandit Motion Pictures
Produced by Ajay Devgn, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Ashok Thakeria, Indra Kumar, Anand Pandit, Kumar Mangat Pathak
Directed by Indra Kumar
Screenplay by Paritosh Painter, Balvinder Singh Suri, Vedd Prakash, Bunty Rathore
Dialogues by Bunty Rathore
Narration – Vijay Raaz
Cinematography – Sudhir K. Chaudhary
Edited by Sanjay Sankla
Songs: Tanishk Bagchi, Aditya Dev, Neelkamal Singh, Sanju Rathod, Guru Randhawa, Gill Machrai, Rony Ajnali,
Score: Amar Mohile
