New Delhi: As the superhit crime thriller ‘Dhoom’ completes 16 years on Thursday, Filmmaker Vijay Krishna Acharya who wrote first two instalments of the franchise before directing third, said the warm response of audiences to the first instalments came as a “surprise.”
“Honestly, as a writer, one always looks for appreciation, and I’m often unaware of the commercial aspect of things. I think all films are creative enterprises first and commerce is a by-product of that. But I think we were all pleasantly surprised by the response to the film (the first Dhoom),” said Acharya.
“We were confident at the script stage that the film was an entertainer, a film which was not taking itself too seriously and perhaps that is what struck a chord with the young in the audience along with the energy of the action and of course Dhoom Macha Le by Pritam,” he added.
With Dhoom’s anniversary, Acharya also known as Viktor completes 16 years of association with Yash Raj Films (YRF) and Aditya Chopra.
“To me, it seems like yesterday honestly. For me, it has always been about the people that I met and the relationships we forged. From the time of writing the first Dhoom, I have found in Adi a great generator and bouncing board for ideas,” he said.
“He is genuinely a creative producer and since he’s a writer and a director himself he understands the struggle of the creative process and the support that a director needs to bring that imagination to life. In a world which is seen as cut-throat and competitive he has managed to create an oasis of calm,” he added.
Talking more about the crime thriller, Viktor said the film is based in an “anti-hero world” rather than being set in the traditional style.
“Dhoom is more in an anti-hero world rather than a villain in the traditional sense. In the first Dhoom, the anti-hero is a rebel. Even though he is a thief, his persona is essentially a rebellious one,” the filmmaker said.
“There is something about youth and bikes and energy, none of which was a planned thing — it just seemed to come organically, instinctively I guess and the bank robbers are essentially cocking a snook at the establishment, which unconsciously is a thread that runs through in all the films of the Dhoom series,” he added.
When asked if directing a ‘Dhoom’ franchise film is now a pleasure or pressure point for him because of the soaring expectations from the upcoming instalments, he said, “Filmmaking is a healthy and sometimes unhealthy combination of pleasure and pressure. An almost symbiotic existence, which like all things dangerous has a unique attraction and thrill.”
“So, yes, it will always be a pleasure but I’m also aware that it will get tougher with each film to reinvent or rediscover the genre. Having said that, I remember what Adi said once while we were scripting Dhoom: 2 that we should never make a Dhoom only to satisfy the franchise. One should make it only if we would have made that film in any event, whether or not it was called Dhoom. So far, I think, we have managed to stick to that principle,” he added.
‘Dhoom’ is a crime franchise that is known for portraying the story from the lens of the villain or the thief of the story. All three instalments of the franchise have been superhit blockbusters.