# Dhoom
**Dhoom** (धूम) is a 2004 Hindi-language action thriller produced by [Yash Raj Films](https://www.edgepedia.org/yash-raj-films), directed by Sanjay Gadhvi and produced by [Aditya Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/aditya-chopra), in which a Mumbai police officer teams up with a motorcycle mechanic to catch a gang of hi-tech bike-riding robbers. Released on 27 August 2004, it became a surprise box office success and launched one of the most successful franchises in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema), with sequels *Dhoom 2* (2006) and *Dhoom 3* (2013).[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom) • [2](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/about-us/yrf-milestones) • [3](https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/653/912/8768)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 27 August 2004, Yash Raj Films[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom) |
| Director / producer | Sanjay Gadhvi / Aditya Chopra; screenplay and dialogues by Vijay Krishna Acharya[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom) |
| Lead cast | Abhishek Bachchan (Jai Dixit), John Abraham (Kabir), Uday Chopra (Ali), Esha Deol (Sheena), Rimi Sen (Sweety Dixit)[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom) |
| Music and crew | Music by Pritam, lyrics by Sameer, cinematography by Nirav Shah, action direction by Allan Amin[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom) |
| Runtime | 123 minutes (Box Office India); 128 m 47 s in the BBFC-classified cinema version[4](https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=450) • [5](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dhoom-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zntizmzy) |
| India gross | ₹465,800,000 (India gross, Box Office India)[4](https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=450) |
| Reception | 76% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes (2 reviews); audience rating of 3.9/5 from more than 10,000 ratings[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dhoom) |
| Franchise | First of three films: *Dhoom 2* (2006) and *Dhoom 3* (2013)[3](https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/653/912/8768) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and characters
The story begins in Mumbai, where a sophisticated gang of robbers sweeps through the city on hi-tech bikes and disappears before the police can respond. Officer Jai Dixit ([Abhishek Bachchan](https://www.edgepedia.org/abhishek-bachchan)) is brought in on the case and pursues the gang's leader, Kabir ([John Abraham](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-abraham)), described by the studio synopsis as an arrogant perfectionist. Jai recruits Ali ([Uday Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/uday-chopra)), a happy-go-lucky garage mechanic and skilled bike rider; the two initially clash but become a team. When Kabir learns of the partnership, he takes up the challenge openly, and the chase moves from the streets of Mumbai to the beaches of Goa.[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom)
[Esha Deol](https://www.edgepedia.org/esha-deol) plays Sheena, Ali's love interest, and [Rimi Sen](https://www.edgepedia.org/rimi-sen) plays Sweety Dixit, Jai's wife.[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom) • [7](https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/37688/1/Tanvir%20ETD-final.pdf)
## Production
Yash Raj Films, a studio known until then for romances and family dramas, entered the action-thriller genre with this film. According to a Hollywood Reporter India feature, producer Aditya Chopra, taking over the company from his father [Yash Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/yash-chopra), wanted to reinvent the studio's image, and explained his vision in the Netflix documentary *The Romantics* as "I wanted to combine Manmohan Desai and Michael Bay."[8](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/features/columns/quarter-century-how-dhoom-gave-bollywood-its-own-mission-impossible)
The film's crew included cinematographer [Nirav Shah](https://www.edgepedia.org/nirav-shah), editor Rameshwar S. Bhagat, action director Allan Amin, and background music by Salim-Sulaiman; visual effects were by Tata Elxsi-VCL.[1](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom) In a 2024 retrospective interview, action director Allan Amin said the action was performed without reliance on effects, including a fight staged on top of a trailer between John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan.[9](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/20-years-dhoom-exclusive-action-real-made-john-abraham-abhishek-bachchan-fight-top-trailer-even-today-looks-better-action-recent-films/)
## Reception and box office
Yash Raj Films' own milestone record calls *Dhoom* a "runaway hit" that marked the first in the popular franchise.[2](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/about-us/yrf-milestones) Box Office India lists an India gross of ₹465,800,000.[4](https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=450) Contemporary reviews were mixed on the story but noted the film's style: [Anupama Chopra](https://www.edgepedia.org/anupama-chopra), writing in *India Today* in September 2004, called the film "adolescent heaven" with fast bikes and action, while judging the plot the least crafted element.[10](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/your-week/story/20040913-film-review-dhoom-starring-abhishek-bachchan-john-abraham-uday-chopra-789345-2004-09-12) On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 76% Tomatometer from two critics and an audience score of 3.9 out of 5 from more than 10,000 ratings.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dhoom)
The [British Board of Film Classification](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-board-of-film-classification) passed the cinema version on 23 August 2004 at 128 m 47 s, noting "moderate action violence and soft drug use."[5](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dhoom-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zntizmzy)
## Legacy and franchise
*Dhoom* established the storytelling framework for what became one of Hindi cinema's most successful franchises. Bachchan and Chopra returned in every installment, while each new film cast a bigger star as the criminal mastermind: [Hrithik Roshan](https://www.edgepedia.org/hrithik-roshan) and Aishwarya Rai in *Dhoom 2* (2006), and [Aamir Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/aamir-khan) and [Katrina Kaif](https://www.edgepedia.org/katrina-kaif) in *Dhoom 3* (2013).[3](https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/653/912/8768) A FICCI-KPMG industry report noted that the *Dhoom* sequels each performed better than the original.[11](https://www.in.kpmg.com/securedata/ficci/Reports/FICCI-KPMG-Report-2011.pdf) *Dhoom 3* was the highest-grossing foreign-language film in the United Kingdom in 2013, according to the BFI Statistical Yearbook.[12](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/68/88/68887071c8a0823a16550dfc78d3df3fca6128ef?Expires=1776376500&Key-Pair-Id=K87HJKWMK329B&Signature=PwPCKn241cG8vvMqmrClSO9xHVt~gpp9kcCbPMjlno61dfh8s0qX1qjmHhwl03iJp8HxSGy~eySzvf5Fgpa-wkl9a~a6DhKlYchw0ALMJi~KHraF8I1d7606Saov0bBeuvHo5Aliv1dM-5fUNOAGkG~8o3xJUZn3n6Uij3lXFA~3rhS65g0FQ6GcgRZ5TC~sqWoGgSdMozSkjRQRmEwfUHUowBt1ceJXffexH9NldIAM0Db0mw3NBmwBwJ1DF1AXoh3GFE8mZsfn26o~ogctzq0nRqBMorEkUA-0yWwOLyQqLfFPYU54z3V27bdbwmiFOKWdbR-o5Yg97TRhciCIHg__&response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%22bfi-statistical-yearbook-2014.pdf%22&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf)
The first film's influence extended beyond the box office. Commentators credit it with giving Hindi cinema a template for the heist-action genre, with cool bikes, a glamorous villain, and a cop-and-conman pairing.[8](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/features/columns/quarter-century-how-dhoom-gave-bollywood-its-own-mission-impossible) The film remains available on streaming platforms in India, including Netflix.[13](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/dhoom)
## References
1. [Dhoom – Movie page, Yash Raj Films](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/movies/dhoom)
2. [Achievements and Milestones over the years, Yash Raj Films](https://www.yashrajfilms.com/about-us/yrf-milestones)
3. [Transmedia Storytelling of Hindi Cinema: A Case Study of Yash Raj Films, ShodhKosh](https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/download/653/912/8768)
4. [Dhoom – Box Office India](https://boxofficeindia.com/movie.php?movieid=450)
5. [Dhoom – BBFC classification record](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dhoom-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zntizmzy)
6. [Dhoom – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dhoom)
7. ["Dhoom Machale:" Biography of a Broken Song, University of Pittsburgh dissertation](https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/37688/1/Tanvir%20ETD-final.pdf)
8. [Quarter Century: How 'Dhoom' Gave Bollywood Its Own 'Mission: Impossible', Hollywood Reporter India](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/features/columns/quarter-century-how-dhoom-gave-bollywood-its-own-mission-impossible)
9. [20 Years of Dhoom EXCLUSIVE: Allan Amin interview, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/20-years-dhoom-exclusive-action-real-made-john-abraham-abhishek-bachchan-fight-top-trailer-even-today-looks-better-action-recent-films/)
10. [Film review: 'Dhoom' by Anupama Chopra, India Today, 13 September 2004](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/your-week/story/20040913-film-review-dhoom-starring-abhishek-bachchan-john-abraham-uday-chopra-789345-2004-09-12)
11. [FICCI-KPMG Indian Media and Entertainment Report 2011](https://www.in.kpmg.com/securedata/ficci/Reports/FICCI-KPMG-Report-2011.pdf)
12. [BFI Statistical Yearbook 2014](https://www.open.edu/openlearn/68/88/68887071c8a0823a16550dfc78d3df3fca6128ef?Expires=1776376500&Key-Pair-Id=K87HJKWMK329B&Signature=PwPCKn241cG8vvMqmrClSO9xHVt~gpp9kcCbPMjlno61dfh8s0qX1qjmHhwl03iJp8HxSGy~eySzvf5Fgpa-wkl9a~a6DhKlYchw0ALMJi~KHraF8I1d7606Saov0bBeuvHo5Aliv1dM-5fUNOAGkG~8o3xJUZn3n6Uij3lXFA~3rhS65g0FQ6GcgRZ5TC~sqWoGgSdMozSkjRQRmEwfUHUowBt1ceJXffexH9NldIAM0Db0mw3NBmwBwJ1DF1AXoh3GFE8mZsfn26o~ogctzq0nRqBMorEkUA-0yWwOLyQqLfFPYU54z3V27bdbwmiFOKWdbR-o5Yg97TRhciCIHg__&response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%22bfi-statistical-yearbook-2014.pdf%22&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf)
13. [Dhoom streaming – JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/dhoom)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released in the 2000s › Released 2000 to 2004*
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