Dhamaal 4 (2026): Familiar Laughter, Tired Tricks — A Franchise Running on Fumes
The CBFC’s scissors did more talking before release than any gag in the film, hand gestures clipped, words swapped, a U/A 13+ slapped on what should be a no-brainer family comedy. That pre-release controversy sets the tone for a picture that arrives with baggage it never quite shakes off, even as its four lead comedians try their damnedest to resurrect a beloved franchise.
Ajay Devgn’s Guddu Is Now a Brand, Not a Character
Devgn walks through Dhamaal 4 as the franchise’s gravitational center, but the material gives him little beyond his established deadpan swagger. His Guddu Rastogi has calcified into a catchphrase delivery system rather than a comic creation.
Where the original film let him play straight man to chaos, this outing reduces him to a marketing bullet point. The star power is undeniable, his presence alone justifies the expanded cast, but the performance feels like a contractual obligation rather than a reinvention.
Indra Kumar’s Direction: Ensemble Management Over Comic Vision
Kumar deserves credit for keeping four veteran comedians on the same wavelength, a logistical feat that shouldn’t be underestimated. The rhythm between Devgn, Arshad Warsi, Riteish Deshmukh, and Jaaved Jaaferi remains the film’s only genuine asset.
Yet the screenplay, credited to four writers, lacks the structural discipline that made the 2007 original work. The adventure beats feel like filler between comic setpieces, and the mixed reception suggests Kumar prioritized broad gags over narrative momentum.
I kept waiting for a sequence that justified the franchise’s return, but the film coasts on goodwill instead of earning fresh laughs.
The Comedy: Gesture-Based Humor in a Post-Censorship World
The CBFC-mandated edits reveal the film’s comic DNA, obscene gestures and wordplay that required modification for theatrical release. This is comedy built on adolescent transgression, not wit, and the cuts expose how reliant the humor is on cheap shock value.
When the ensemble fires together, Warsi’s manic energy bouncing off Deshmukh’s cluelessness and Jaaferi’s smug reactions, the film approximates its former glory. These moments are scattered but genuine, suggesting the core chemistry remains intact even when the writing fails them.
The adventure elements feel perfunctory, a genre label applied without conviction. There’s no setpiece here that matches the original’s chaotic treasure-hunt energy, and the pacing drags whenever the quartet splits up.
Warsi, Deshmukh, and Jaaferi: The Comedy Engine That Keeps Spinning
Arshad Warsi remains the franchise’s secret weapon, his Aadi bringing a desperate, hungry energy that the others can react against. His pairing with Riteish Deshmukh still generates the film’s most reliable comic sparks, their established dynamic needs no setup, just screen time.
Jaaved Jaaferi’s Jai operates as the smug counterweight, his timing precise even when the material is beneath him. The trio’s collective familiarity with this universe is palpable; they know these characters better than the writers do.
New additions like Esha Gupta and Sanjeeda Sheikh exist mostly as decorative presences, their roles underwritten to the point of invisibility. Ravi Kishan and Sanjay Mishra bring weight to whatever scenes they occupy, but the screenplay doesn’t give them room to build anything memorable.
The Censorship Question and a Mixed Commercial Verdict
Hindustan Times, citing Sacnilk, reported at least ₹65 crore net over the opening weekend, proof that franchise loyalty still moves tickets. The first Sunday alone pulled ₹27.83 crore, per Sacnilk’s tracking, suggesting family audiences showed up despite the mixed word of mouth.
But the censorship controversy lingers as the film’s most discussed element, which tells you everything about how little the comedy itself is generating conversation. Trade coverage describes reception as mixed, and the absence of any breakout scene or dialogue in the discourse is damning for a comedy.
The film’s positioning as broad family entertainment is commercially sound, but the execution suggests a franchise running on autopilot, content to recycle old formulas with a bigger cast and a bigger budget.
For those who loved the earlier Dhamaal films, this fourth outing delivers exactly what the trailer promised, no more, no less. The ensemble chemistry remains intact, but the writing has grown lazier, the humor more dependent on gestures that even the censors found objectionable.
If you’re a franchise loyalist, a regular cinema screening will do, there’s nothing here demanding a big screen. Hindi Comedy reviews have covered worse sequels, but also far better ones.
Dhamaal 4 is a film that understands its audience’s nostalgia but respects it too little to build something new. For a similar blend of star power and uneven execution, Aroopi review offers a more interesting case study in franchise fatigue.
At 143 minutes, this is a comedy that laughs at its own jokes before the audience gets the punchline, a 2.5/5 outing that only hardcore franchise fans need to catch in theaters.
For another look at star-driven spectacle wrestling with familiar formulas, Ananthan Kaadu verdict explores similar tensions with far more ambition.
Ankit Jaiswal is the Chief Author, covering Indian cinema and OTT releases with honest, no-filler criticism. An SEO strategist by background, he brings a research-driven approach to film writing, cutting through hype to tell you exactly what's worth your time.