No, Dhamaka is not a real story and does not depict real events. Dhamaka is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language thriller film written and directed by Ram Madhvani. Produced by Ronny Screwvala, the movie stars Kartik Aaryan in the lead role, with Mrunal Thakur and Amruta Subhash in prominent roles. The movie was first premiered on Netflix on 19th November 2021.
Dhamaka is an official remake of the 2013 South Korean thriller, Terror Live, directed by Kim Byung-woo. The plot is entirely fictional and directly adapted from the Korean original. While the film criticises real issues like TRP-driven journalism and lack of ethics in the news media, the core storyline is a work of fiction. The original Korean film is also fictional.
Plot Summary
Arjun Pathak is a former prime-time news anchor who has been demoted to hosting a radio show after an embarrassing on-air incident. Recently divorced from his wife Saumya, a field reporter, he is disillusioned with his career and has turned bitter and cynical.
During a live radio broadcast, Arjun receives a phone call from a man claiming to have planted bombs on the iconic Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. Initially dismissing the call as a hoax, Arjun is shocked when the caller detonates an explosion and heavily damages the bridge.
Sensing a chance to resurrect his career, Arjun negotiates an exclusive live interview with the terrorist. The terrorist demands an on-air public apology from a government minister for a grave injustice in the past. Arjun’s ambitious channel head pushes him to sensationalise the coverage, discarding ethics in favour of TRP.
The situation escalates with more threats and explosions. However, it becomes personal for Arjun when his former wife’s life comes under threat. Arjun grapples with conscience, career ambitions and lives at stake, while uncovering twists about the terrorist’s real motives.
Adaptation From South Korean Thriller
Like Dhamaka, the protagonist in the original South Korean thriller, Terror Live, rides piggyback on the blasts to resurrect his failing career. Dhamaka replaces the setting from Seoul to Mumbai, while the blast site is changed from the Mapo Bridge on Han River to Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
While the terrorist in Terror Live demands an apology from the South Korean President, the one in Dhamaka demands the same, albeit from a minister.