# Dum (2003 Hindi film)
**Dum** is a 2003 Hindi-language action crime film directed by E. Niwas, starring [Vivek Oberoi](https://www.edgepedia.org/vivek-oberoi) as Uday Shinde, an aspiring police officer who clashes with a corrupt, violent policeman named Shankar ([Atul Kulkarni](https://www.edgepedia.org/atul-kulkarni)). It was produced by Cineyug Films and released in India on 24 January 2003.[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/cast/) • [2](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=543) The film is a remake of the Tamil hit *Dhil*, directed by Dharani and starring Vikram.[3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bollywood/dum/articleshow/35767610.cms)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 24 January 2003 (India), Hindi language[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/cast/) |
| Director | E. Niwas, who took over after the death of original director Bunty Soorma[4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm) |
| Source | Remake of the Tamil hit *Dhil* (Dharani, starring Vikram)[3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bollywood/dum/articleshow/35767610.cms) |
| Lead cast | Vivek Oberoi (Uday Shinde), Dia Mirza (Kaveri), Atul Kulkarni (Encounter Shankar)[2](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=543) |
| Music | Sandeep Chowta; item song "Babuji" picturised on Yana Gupta[2](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=543) • [4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm) |
| Box office | India net ₹50.3 million (₹5.03 crore), worldwide gross ₹79.7 million (₹7.97 crore); verdict: flop[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/box-office/) |
| Runtime | 151 minutes per Box Office India; 166 minutes per IMDb[2](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=543) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314006/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
Uday Shinde (Vivek Oberoi) is training to become a police officer when he gets into a public altercation with Shankar (Atul Kulkarni), a deranged cop who answers to no one and is described in reviews as a law unto himself.[4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm) An upright officer who tries to guide Uday ([Mukesh Rishi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mukesh-rishi)) tells his protégé to steer clear of Shankar until he clears his enrollment exam, but Shankar becomes obsessed with the man who beat him in public and pursues Uday with a vengeance, turning the film into a cat-and-mouse game between the two.[4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm) Kaveri ([Dia Mirza](https://www.edgepedia.org/dia-mirza)), a television host, is Uday's love interest.[7](https://getahead.rediff.com/movies/report/niwas/20030123.htm)
The supporting cast includes Sushant Singh as Uday's loyal friend Mohan, Govind Namdeo as Deshmukh, Yashpal Sharma as Babu Kasai, Sheeba, Neena Kulkarni, and [Harsh Chhaya](https://www.edgepedia.org/harsh-chhaya).[2](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=543)
## Production
Cineyug, the production company behind [Sunny Deol](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunny-deol)'s *[Arjun](https://www.edgepedia.org/arjun-1985-film)*, bought the remake rights to *Dhil* and asked E. Niwas to direct the Hindi version; Niwas said he had noticed Vivek Oberoi on the sets of *[Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/company-2002-film)* and recommended him to the producers, who cast him on that recommendation without an audition.[7](https://getahead.rediff.com/movies/report/niwas/20030123.htm) Co-producer Bunty Soorma was the film's original director, and Niwas took over after Soorma's sudden demise.[4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm) The credited producers were Bunty Soorma, Karim Morani, and Ali Morani.[1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/cast/)
Sandeep Chowta composed the music, with lyrics by Sameer, Nitin Raikwar, and [Abbas Tyrewala](https://www.edgepedia.org/abbas-tyrewala), and playback singers including [Sonu Nigam](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonu-nigam), Sukhwinder Singh, and [Sonu Kakkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/sonu-kakkar).[2](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=543) • [1](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/cast/) The item number "Babuji", picturised on model Yana Gupta and choreographed by Ganesh Hegde, drew critical attention; Rediff's reviewer called it "typically vulgar", while Bollywood Hungama's review judged the picturisation of the title track and "Babuji" exemplary.[4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm) • [8](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/critic-review/dum-movie-review/)
## Reception
**Critical response.** Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated the film 1.5 out of 5, writing that it has "an excellent first half, but a weak second": the opening confrontation, a two-wheeler sequence in which Shankar unknowingly hitches a ride with Uday, and the interval point were praised, while the post-interval screenplay was called patchy, with a long-drawn climax and excessive violence.[8](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/critic-review/dum-movie-review/) A Times of India review two stars gave the same split verdict, calling the first half splendid and the second half self-indulgent, while praising Surendra Rao's camerawork, Bharat's editing, and Atul Kulkarni's performance as the malevolent cop.[3](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bollywood/dum/articleshow/35767610.cms) Rediff's Deepa Gumaste placed the film in the anti-establishment tradition of *Arjun* but found it much less effective, faulting a plot in which the righteous hero uses unlawful means and noting that Oberoi looked miscast in a role she felt suited a younger Sunny Deol.[4](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm) Subhash K. Jha of Nowrunning, reviewing before release, described the film as grim and thrilling, with harrowing sequences of street violence.[9](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/193/bollywood.hindi/dum/78/review.htm)
**From the original's director.** Dharani, who made *Dhil*, saw *Dum* on its release day and said, "They have messed up the whole film." He objected to uncredited story changes, the casting, and the restructuring: in his view *Dhil* was about the making of a hero, whereas the Hindi version made its protagonist a hero from the beginning.[10](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/dharini/20030217.htm)
## Box office
The film was a commercial failure. Bollywood Hungama's trade figures record an opening day of ₹5.3 million (₹0.53 crore), an opening weekend of ₹15.9 million (₹1.59 crore), a first week of ₹27.6 million (₹2.76 crore), and a lifetime India net total of ₹50.3 million (₹5.03 crore; ₹69.9 million (₹6.99 crore) gross), with ₹9.8 million (₹0.98 crore) from overseas for a worldwide gross of ₹79.7 million (₹7.97 crore); its verdict is listed as flop.[5](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/box-office/) Box Office India's weekly figures show the same ₹50.3 million (₹5.03 crore) net total with a distributor share of ₹2,23,75,000, and also classify the film as a flop.[11](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/circuit_collection.php?area=domestic&cityid=118&movieid=543) IMDb records a US and Canada gross of $101,000 and a worldwide gross of $1,797,020.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314006/)
## Censorship and availability
For the United Kingdom release, the distributor removed sight of impact from a gunshot to a man's head in one scene to obtain a 12A classification; an uncut 15 classification was available, and the BBFC classified the cinema version on 24 January 2003.[12](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dum-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmza3otq) The film has since circulated on streaming services in India, including ShemarooMe.[13](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/dum)
## References
1. [Dum Cast & Crew, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/cast/)
2. [Dum, Box Office India cast and credits](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/cast_crew.php?movieid=543)
3. [Dum review, Jitesh Pillai, Times of India (28 January 2003)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bollywood/dum/articleshow/35767610.cms)
4. [Might is right, right is not right in Dum, Deepa Gumaste, Rediff.com (24 January 2003)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dum/20030124.htm)
5. [Dum Box Office Collection, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/box-office/)
6. [Dum (2003), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314006/)
7. ['Vivek-Diya are fresh, not a repetitive pair', Rediff.com interview with E Niwas (23 January 2003)](https://getahead.rediff.com/movies/report/niwas/20030123.htm)
8. [Dum Review 1.5/5, Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama (23 January 2003)](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/dum/critic-review/dum-movie-review/)
9. [Dum Movie Review, Subhash K. Jha, Nowrunning](https://www.nowrunning.com/movie/193/bollywood.hindi/dum/78/review.htm)
10. ['They have messed up the film!', Shobha Warrier, Rediff.com interview with Dharani (17 February 2003)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/dharini/20030217.htm)
11. [Dum weekly collections, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/circuit_collection.php?area=domestic&cityid=118&movieid=543)
12. [Dum, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/dum-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmza3otq)
13. [Dum streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/dum)
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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 › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 2000s › Action and thriller films*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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