A ruthless multi-billionaire named Dahyabhai Patel, who faked his own death and spent a lifetime cheating family, friends and strangers, undergoes a heart transplant that quietly rearranges his conscience. Left penniless and stranded in the Gujarat countryside, he is picked up by a sharp-tongued taxi driver, Kano, who agrees to help him retrace his path. Together they set out to find the wife and sister he once brutalised, so that Dahyabhai can seek forgiveness before it is too late.
Dhabkaaro, which means heartbeat, is Abhishek Shah returning to the register that won him a National Award with Hellaro, only this time the subject is guilt rather than defiance. A monstrous, self-made billionaire named Dahyabhai gets a new heart and, with it, an unfamiliar urge to repair every life he wrecked. A wry taxi driver called Kano becomes his listener, his conscience and his lift home to Saraspur and beyond.
The film belongs to Deven Bhojani. Known for comedy, he plays cruelty and remorse with equal conviction, and Koimoi's Rajiv Vijayakar argued that if this performance does not win an award it would diminish the award. Aarjav Trivedi is the perfect foil as Kano, his sarcasm keeping the sentiment honest, and Tejal Panchasara leaves a mark in a short late appearance. Mehul Surti's score, the Sufi qawwali in particular, carries the emotion without shoving it.
Shah writes the story, screenplay and dialogue himself, and the first half is the stronger stretch, funny and moving as Kano needles the penitent old man while his savage past unspools. Critics were broadly warm, with Koimoi at three and a half stars and praise elsewhere for its humanism, though most flagged avoidable melodrama and a couple of stretched patches after the interval. Around the central redemption, Shah threads in ideas about friendship, gender equality and caste, most pointedly when Dahyabhai must undo the very prejudice he once enforced on his own sister. The Gulf-money backdrop and the fake-death con give his cruelty a specific, believable shape rather than cartoon villainy.
The final twist, when Dahyabhai finally locates Urmila, lands as the right ending for a man chasing redemption. It is a message film that keeps its heart visible, and worth a watch for Bhojani alone.
Verdict
A redemption drama that lives on Deven Bhojani's shoulders. Abhishek Shah keeps the heart visible even when the melodrama swells.
What works
- Deven Bhojani's career-best turn
- Sharp, warm first half
- Aarjav Trivedi's foil as Kano
- Mehul Surti's Sufi-tinged score
What holds it back
- Avoidable melodrama after interval
- A few stretched patches
- Message occasionally underlined too hard
- Modest theatrical footprint
Cast & crew
Writers: Abhishek Shah
Music: Mehul Surti
Cast: Deven Bhojani (Dahyabhai Patel), Aarjav Trivedi (Kano Kathiawadi), Tejal Panchasara (Urmila), Kumud Mishra (Gaffar), Ami Trivedi (Ganga)
Producers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Abhishek Shah, Aayush Patel, Prateek Gupta
Watch the trailer
Play the official trailer on YouTubeMore from Abhishek Shah
More Drama Gujarati films
Frequently asked
Is Dhabkaaro worth watching?
A redemption drama that lives on Deven Bhojani's shoulders. Abhishek Shah keeps the heart visible even when the melodrama swells. Kevu Che rates it 3.5 out of 5.
What is Dhabkaaro about?
A ruthless multi-billionaire named Dahyabhai Patel, who faked his own death and spent a lifetime cheating family, friends and strangers, undergoes a heart transplant that quietly rearranges his conscience. Left penniless and stranded in the Gujarat countryside, he is picked up by a sharp-tongued taxi driver, Kano, who agrees to help him retrace his path. Together they set out to find the wife and sister he once brutalised, so that Dahyabhai can seek forgiveness before it is too late.