With ‘Dhamaal 4’ nearing its release, Jaaved Jafferi talks about why pre-release nerves have never been a part of his experience, how ‘Dhamaal’ went from a mediocre box-office draw to a franchise with cult status, and why, in his view, the original film was let down by poor marketing rather than content itself. In every episode of the comedy series, the actor portrays the charming character Manav.
Javed: Jaffery: : No one imagined ‘Dhamaal’ as a franchise
Speaking to India Today, Jafferi expressed complete confidence in the film, saying that he believes the audience craves exactly the kind of light-hearted entertainment it offers. Interestingly, he revealed that no one associated with the first film envisioned Dhamaal becoming a franchise. He said, “When we started, no one thought it was a franchise. It was just a fun film. The first one didn’t do well at the box office. It was okay, but later it became a cult. Then they said, ‘Let’s do the second one.’ That’s good too, not big, but the money was recovered and it was profitable.”
Javed Jafferi in the franchise’s ever-changing cast
He talked about how the cast of the franchise changes with each new film. “Then they decided to make a third one. Sanjay Dutt wasn’t there anymore, so they added it Madhuri DixitAnil Kapoor and Ajay Devgn. In this one, Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit are absent, but Ajay is back. Ritesh, Arshad and I have always been, and to some extent Sanjay Mishra again, even though he changed characters.”
Jaaved Jafferi when the franchise started in India
He also feels that the deliberate approach to building franchises only happened in India after 2010. He added, “No one thought of films as franchises before. Nowadays, projects are made keeping in mind that they can become franchises, whether they are films or web series with multiple seasons. I think the whole mindset and business model came post-2010. arcs of multiple seasons. It’s essentially the same format as the films, just longer.
Jaaved Jafferi compared ‘Dhamaal’ to Star Wars and Hollywood franchises
Shifting focus to Hollywood, he holds up Star Wars as the ultimate example of franchise building. “In the West, you have Rocky, Star Wars, The Godfather. But if you look at getting the maximum juice out of a property, Star Wars did the best. It expanded into The Mandalorian and many other stories. Then came Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the Marvel Universe.” Back in India, Jafferi credits Dhamaal with starting the franchise trend. “In India, if I am not mistaken, Dhamaal is the first film franchise. I may be wrong, but I think so. Welcome comes later, Golmaal comes later. Even action franchises like Tiger, War and Drishyam are late.
Jaaved Jafferi on the sales disappointment of the first film
Although the franchise is enjoying huge popularity today, the actor admitted that the team failed when the first film did not go well on release. “Yes, we are disappointed because I personally feel that it was mis-marketed.” Using an analogy to make his point, he explained, “You can’t say I want to sell a Nike shoe but sell it like Nirma. It’s a completely different target audience and a completely different way of putting it.“He felt that the unconventional nature of the film was not conveyed properly. “I felt there was some kind of miscommunication in the marketing because the film was very unusual for its time. There are no heroes in the film. There was only one song, and that happened at the end as part of the celebration after the climax. It wasn’t a promotional song.” Reflecting on it now, he says the cast never doubted they had done something special. “We were disappointed because I thought it was amazing. We loved it while we were making it. We know it’s something special. But like I said, I think it’s being marketed wrong.
Javed Jaffery. “I’m not nervous at all” about ‘Dhamaal 4’
On the subject of ‘Dhamaal 4’, he said, “I’m never nervous. I’m not nervous about these things. We’re doing our best. We’re putting it together. It’s up to the people.” According to the actor, the pressure of a film’s success feels different when an actor is responsible for carrying it. “I think the people who are nervous are the people who put the money in. And to a certain extent, when you’re a solo lead in a film, there’s a weight on your shoulders because a lot of your career depends on whether it’s a hit or a flop. But this is an ensemble cast; it is not just one person who carries it. Ajay Devgn is technically the biggest name we have, but it’s still an ensemble cast. “Jafferi believes that the biggest strength of Dhamaal 4 lies in its ability to help people forget their worries for a few hours. “It’s something we really enjoyed creating, and it’s a world we’re excited about. I think it’s a funny mess, a leave-your-brain-behind kind of funny joke. Relieves stress. Especially now, when there is a lot of violence happening not only in the cinema but even in the real world, films like this or comic books become a de-stressor in some ways. So we are comfortable. Hope people like it. I haven’t seen the film yet, but I have a feeling it will work. It’s a good, clean, family comedy.”
Javed Jafferi for being one of the franchise’s regulars
Given that ‘Dhamaal’ now ranks among Bollywood’s longest-running comedy franchises, it seems the actors will feel pressure to live up to its legacy. Jafferi, however, sees it in a different light. He said, “Technically speaking, Arshad and I were the only constant characters in the entire series. Ritesh was there in all the four films, but he switched characters from the third and onwards. In the first and second films, he was a wannabe detective. In the third, he becomes a Bihari conman-ish guy. So Arshad and I were the only two constants in all the four films.
Jaaved Jafferi compared the format of Dhamaal to the classic comedy series
He made a comparison between the franchise and the classic film series that only put familiar characters on new adventures each time. “I just feel, like in the ’60s and ’70s, there used to be these formats with the same characters placed in different situations. There was the Carry On series – Carry On Doctor, Carry On Nurse, Carry On Up the Jungle. Those formats have existed forever. ‘Dhamaal’, very unique, was always about a quest and a chase for money or quest. This time it was buried treasure that was 100 years old or something. Basically, it’s a journey from Point A to Point B, and all the punches, gags and sketches happen along the way. It’s like a mix of a film and a sketch show where the sketches keep guiding you from Point A to Point B. Of course, there are emotional moments too, but always within the parameters of a family-friendly comedy.