Dhamaal 4 Release Date and Review: Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt's Comedy Treasure Hunt in Theatres Now

The Dhamaal franchise has never pretended to be anything other than pure, loud, chaotic comedy, and the fourth installment is not about to change that formula now.

Dhamaal 4, directed by Indra Kumar, opened in theatres on July 10, 2026, bringing back the franchise's signature blend of slapstick and treasure hunting madness with a cast stacked deep enough to headline three separate films.

The Dhamaal series has run on one dependable engine since its 2007 debut, a group of characters chasing after a hidden fortune while stumbling through increasingly absurd obstacles along the way. Dhamaal 4 follows that same blueprint, sending its ensemble on another wild race for a massive treasure, with director Indra Kumar once again at the helm after steering the franchise through its previous installments, including the hit sequel Total Dhamaal.

What sets this entry apart on paper is the sheer scale of its cast. Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh return as franchise mainstays, joined by Arshad Warsi and Jaaved Jaaferi rounding out the returning ensemble, while Sanjay Dutt joins the chaos as a new addition to the cast. That is five major comic and dramatic actors sharing screen time in a single film, a scale of ensemble casting that few Hindi comedies attempt anymore given how difficult it is

to give every star meaningful material without the film sprawling out of control.

The Dhamaal franchise has historically leaned into broad physical comedy over sharp dialogue driven humor, and everything in the promotional material for the fourth film suggests that approach remains unchanged. Indra Kumar has built a career on exactly this kind of high energy, low subtlety comedy, and the franchise's commercial track record, particularly Total Dhamaal's box office run, suggests audiences continue to show up for it regardless of critical reception, which has historically been mixed at best across the series.

That critical versus commercial gap is worth flagging heading into this release. Previous Dhamaal films have consistently underperformed with critics while overperforming at the box office relative to expectations, a pattern driven largely by the franchise's built in family audience and its reliable comfort viewing appeal during releases that avoid direct competition with heavier prestige titles. Dhamaal 4 arrives in a fairly open theatrical window, which historically has worked in the franchise's favor.

Sanjay Dutt's addition to the cast is the film's biggest marketing hook, since it marks his first appearance in the franchise and gives the film a genuine novelty factor for longtime fans who have watched the same core group for three previous installments. How his character integrates into the established group dynamic, and whether the film gives him material distinct from simply slotting into the franchise's existing comic rhythms, will likely be a key point critics focus on.

Since Dhamaal 4 only opened in theatres today, a full critical consensus has not yet formed, and AltBollywood will update this piece with detailed review coverage as trade reactions and audience scores come in through the opening weekend. Early buzz from preview screenings has focused heavily on the ensemble's comic chemistry and on a handful of elaborate set piece sequences built around the treasure hunt's escalating stakes, consistent with what the franchise has delivered in previous entries.

For a franchise that has always prioritized volume and spectacle over narrative sophistication, the real test for Dhamaal 4 is whether it can still feel fresh four films deep, or whether the returning cast and familiar structure start to show diminishing returns. Franchise comedy sequels face this challenge more acutely than most genres, since the entire appeal depends on repeating a formula audiences already love without letting it curdle into repetition.

With five major stars, a returning director who knows the franchise inside out, and a wide open theatrical window, Dhamaal 4 has most of the ingredients that have made this series a reliable commercial performer. Whether it can also win over critics this time remains the open question as reviews begin rolling in this weekend.

The franchise's production partnership also reflects continuity, with T-Series and Maruti International backing the film alongside Pen Studios handling distribution, the same combination that has powered previous installments through wide theatrical release patterns rather than the more limited or platform exclusive rollouts several comparable comedies have opted for in recent years. That distribution muscle typically translates into a wide opening screen count, giving Dhamaal 4 a strong first weekend runway regardless of how reviews

ultimately land.

Comedy franchises built on returning ensembles tend to face a specific kind of scrutiny that action or drama sequels do not, since audiences arrive already knowing the comic rhythms and chemistry of the cast and are less forgiving when a new entry feels like it is simply repeating beats from earlier films rather than finding fresh material. Sanjay Dutt's arrival gives Indra Kumar and his writing team an obvious opportunity to shake up that dynamic, and how meaningfully the film uses him beyond a cameo level role will likely be the single biggest factor separating a strong reception from a merely adequate one.

The franchise's box office history also gives useful context for what Dhamaal 4 needs to achieve to be considered a success. Total Dhamaal opened strongly and held well through its theatrical run despite mixed reviews, largely on the strength of family audiences returning for repeat viewings during festival and holiday windows. Dhamaal 4 will be measured against that same benchmark, and its performance over the coming weeks will likely determine whether the franchise continues into a fifth installment or whether Indra Kumar and the ensemble decide four films is a natural stopping point.

Quick Facts

• Release Date: July 10, 2026

• Format: Theatrical release

• Director: Indra Kumar

• Cast: Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Sanjay Dutt

• Genre: Comedy

• Franchise: Fourth installment in the Dhamaal series

FAQs

Is Dhamaal 4 a sequel to Total Dhamaal?

Yes, Dhamaal 4 is the fourth installment in the franchise that began in 2007, following the same comic treasure hunt formula as its predecessors.

Who is new to the cast in Dhamaal 4?

Sanjay Dutt joins the franchise for the first time in this installment, alongside returning stars Ajay Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, and Jaaved Jaaferi.

Is Dhamaal 4 releasing in theatres or on OTT?

Dhamaal 4 released exclusively in theatres on July 10, 2026, with no OTT release announced yet.

Who directed Dhamaal 4?

Indra Kumar, who has directed the franchise across its previous installments, returns to direct Dhamaal 4.