Whoever coined the phrase that comedy is serious business could easily have been referring to contemporary Bollywood comedies. The amount of sincere absurdity being presented as humour today is almost impressive. Dhamaal 4 is the latest example to join that growing list.
Directed by Indra Kumar, the fourth instalment of the popular franchise once again relies on the formula that has defined the series from the beginning—a treasure hunt. The familiar ensemble returns with Ajay Devgn as Guddu alongside Sanjay Mishra, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh and Jaaved Jaaferi. New additions include Anjali Anand, Ravi Kishan, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Esha Gupta—who appears only briefly—and two child actors. However, none of the newcomers make a significant impact on a story that feels as difficult to locate as the treasure itself.
The film begins with a pirate, played by Ravi Kishan, searching for a hidden fortune. As news of the treasure spreads, more people join the chase, misunderstandings multiply, the stakes rise and chaos inevitably follows. While the premise sounds perfectly suited to the Dhamaal universe, the execution leaves the audience searching for something they abandon long before the characters do—laughter.
The screenplay throws every style of comedy into the mix, seemingly hoping at least one approach will succeed. There is jungle-based humour featuring AI-generated animals, body-shaming disguised as comedy where a plus-size character exists largely as the punchline, and frequent fourth-wall breaks intended as meta humour. Unfortunately, despite the film repeatedly suggesting that everyone is part of the joke, very little actually lands.
In fact, if you happen to fall asleep before the interval, you are unlikely to miss much. The narrative makes little effort to reward sustained attention.
The storyline itself is remarkably predictable, to the point where it feels less imaginative than a child's comic book. But the generic plot is not the film's biggest weakness. More distracting is its artificial visual presentation. Large portions of the film resemble unfinished AI-generated imagery rather than polished visual effects. Many scenes appear as though the filmmakers settled for the very first output instead of refining the final result, giving the entire film a noticeably synthetic appearance.
Fans of the original Dhamaal may remember the memorable 'W' that played a key role in the treasure hunt. This time, the hidden fortune lies behind a giant 'M'. Ironically, the gap between those two letters seems to reflect the difference in quality between the original film and its latest sequel. While each instalment has gradually drifted away from the charm that made the franchise popular, Dhamaal 4 arguably represents its weakest outing so far.
Ajay Devgn and Sanjay Mishra continue to share effortless chemistry, and a handful of their scenes succeed largely because of their natural comic timing rather than the strength of the writing. Watching them work with such limited material feels like seeing accomplished chefs being asked to prepare fine dining using instant noodles.
The greater disappointment, however, lies in the treatment of Arshad Warsi and Jaaved Jaaferi. Their Aadi-Manav pairing remains one of Hindi cinema's most entertaining comic duos, yet the screenplay gives them very little to work with. Instead of making the audience laugh alongside them, the film leaves viewers wishing they had been given better material.
Ravi Kishan's antagonist contributes little beyond extending the narrative. His character lacks purpose and serves mainly as a reminder that the film still has a considerable distance left to cover.
Riteish Deshmukh and Anjali Anand occasionally manage to create engaging moments, but those are more a reflection of their abilities as performers than the screenplay itself. Unfortunately, whenever the film begins to build momentum around their pairing, it reverts to making Anjali's body the basis of the joke. Much of the humour feels outdated, uninspired and oddly convinced of its own effectiveness.
The cinematography also has little opportunity to elevate the film. With digitally created backdrops dominating most scenes and nearly every frame appearing artificial, there is limited scope for the visuals to add authenticity or energy.
The writing remains rooted in an outdated style of Bollywood comedy that modern audiences have largely moved beyond. Instead of celebrating the latest instalment, the film leaves viewers nostalgic for comedies such as Dhamaal, Golmaal, Dhol and Welcome, which understood that volume alone is never a substitute for genuine humour.
By the conclusion, the characters finally uncover the giant 'M' they have been pursuing throughout the story. The audience, meanwhile, spends the entire film searching for a single genuinely funny moment. Unlike the treasure, that search proves unsuccessful.
