Dhamaka

Dhamaka (meaning “Blast”) is a 2022 Telugu action comedy directed by Trinadha Rao Nakkina, written by Prasanna Kumar Bezawada and produced by People Media Factory and Abhishek Agarwal Arts. Ravi Teja stars with Sreeleela and Jayaram, alongside Chirag Jani, Sachin Khedekar, Tanikella Bharani and Rao Ramesh. Bheems Ceciroleo composed the music. Released on 23 December 2022 for the Christmas weekend, it drew mixed reviews that praised Ravi Teja, the humour and the songs, and it became one of the biggest Telugu hits of 2022. It has streamed on Netflix since 22 January 2023.

What the story is about

J. P., a ruthless business magnate who takes over companies for sport, wants to seize People Mart, the firm run by Nanda Gopal Chakravarthy, as a birthday present for his son, and its heir, Anand, stands in the way. Meanwhile Swami, a street-smart, jobless young man who looks exactly like Anand, is struggling to pay for his sister’s wedding when he meets and falls for Pranavi. Her father has other plans: he wants her to marry Anand. The two look-alikes, the corporate war and a love triangle collide in the mass-entertainer fashion the film promises; its twists are best left unspoiled.

Cast

• Ravi Teja as Swami and Anand Chakravarthy
• Sreeleela as Pranavi
• Jayaram as J. P. and Chirag Jani as his son Atharva
• Sachin Khedekar as Nanda Gopal Chakravarthy and Rao Ramesh as Pranavi’s father
• Tanikella Bharani, Brahmanandam, Ali, Hyper Aadi and Suhasini Maniratnam in supporting roles

How it was made

The title was revealed in October 2021 and shooting began on 4 October 2021, with an action sequence filmed in Hyderabad in February 2022 and a song at Spain’s Plaza de España in March 2022. Filming wrapped on 22 September 2022. Karthik Gattamneni was the cinematographer and Prawin Pudi the editor.

Music

Bheems Ceciroleo composed the songs and score. The singles “Jinthaak” (18 August 2022) and “Mass Raja” (23 September 2022) were released ahead of the film, and reviewers counted the music among its strengths.

Release and box office

Dhamaka opened on 23 December 2022. The Times of India reported a first-day worldwide gross of about ₹10 crore, and News18 ₹32 crore worldwide over the opening weekend. News18 Telugu put the 11-day worldwide gross at ₹68.45 crore, with a distributors’ share of ₹36.17 crore. Wikipedia gives a final worldwide gross of over ₹110 crore, and The Indian Express reported that the film was declared a blockbuster. It was the highest-grossing film of Ravi Teja’s career until Irumudi.

What critics said

Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India (3 out of 5) called it “an action-packed comedy” made entertaining by “Ravi Teja’s energy”, and Ram Venkat Srikar of Cinema Express (3 out of 5) said it “delivers what it promised”. Idlebrain.com (2.75 out of 5) wished for a better second half. India Today (2 out of 5) and The News Minute (1.5 out of 5) both felt it echoed Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo.

Where to watch Dhamaka

Dhamaka began streaming on Netflix on 22 January 2023, according to Wikipedia; Star Maa holds the television rights and ZEE5 the Hindi version. Availability varies by country, so check the platform before subscribing. The OTT box on this page has the details we hold.

Sources: the Wikipedia article on Dhamaka (2022) and the reviews and reports it cites, linked above; Wikidata; our own cast, crew and OTT records.