| | |  | | | Home > Movie Reviews | |
| DROHI
MOVIE REVIEW |
|
| Review
by : Behindwoods review board |
|
| Starring:
Srikanth, Vishnu, Poorna, Poonam Bajwa,
Pooja.
Direction:
Sudha K Prasad
Music:
Selvaganesh
Production:
Mano Akkineni
Sudha
K Prasad might have come from Mani Ratnam’s
school of filmmaking, having apprenticed
under him in many of his successful movies.
But nothing in Drohi suggests a semblance
of her dependency of Mani’s filmmaking
bible – like the subtlety or the
layered themes his movies have. Of course,
her Mani connections are not yardsticks
to measure her talent as a standalone
director but the lessons she learnt there
ought to have helped her in her directorial
debut.
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
Sudha
has audaciously ventured into the North Madras territory
with the gut wrenching theme of contract killers who
would do anything for money. The movie dabbles in
a friendship that has gone awry owing to a skewered
murder plan. So the ironic title is hence allegoric
to the friendship the two kids were supposed to enjoy
that in turn develops into animosity.
The movie opens with Srikanth being tied to a railway
track and goes back in flashes when he reminisces
about his life. Pooja is recently appointed as a teacher
in a North Madras school. She pledges to impart education
to the children, something other teachers failed to
do. However, in the process she gets into a minor
tussle with a rowdy and gets killed. Young Vishnu
and Srikanth, who are her students, are witness to
the incident. They plot a scheme to get back at their
teacher’s murderer.
Drohi has kids in sixth grade plotting murder expertly,
in a rather blood curdling manner. Although their
upbringing could have had an effect on them - or that
is what you are supposed to infer - the ease with
which the murder is planned is appalling. The minutest
details are planned and prepared for. “Slice
his face from ear to the throat so he won’t
shout,” says one with an expert’s ease.
Vishnu eventually gets caught after successfully executing
the murder. Although, in police custody, he remains
tight-lipped about the reasons of the murder, Srikanth
spills the beans and sows the seeds of enmity between
them. Out of the jail, they part ways and Vishnu goes
on to become an IPS officer while Srikanth joins the
local don Thyagarajan’s goons. Their tryst with
destiny rattles them to both low and high points in
life and when they meet, they must relive the once-forgotten,
dark secrets of their life.
Sudha’s efforts in capturing the North Madras
locale do successfully come across earnestly. But
the fact is that it’s all too repulsive to stomach
and hence the lack of a touching story, despite the
existence of a friendship thread is felt. Vishnu scores
with his body language and he pulls it off with ease
in the usual song-and-dance-routine as well.
The once chubby-and-mama’s-boy Srikanth is completely
stripped off his boyish charm. He is notable, however,
in his character as good-Brahmin-boy-gone-bad.
Of
the women, Pooja appears for a flicker of a second
and is martyred in the beginning of the movie. More
of a cameo but she does tug at the heart. Poorna as
the Royapuram girl gets full marks while Poonam Bajwa
gets less screen space and hence just about ok.
Nefarious
goons, wretched friendship, sodomy, murder and lawlessness
are at the heart of Drohi. A tight rope walk for Sudha
since the subject is a double-edged sword. While she
has effectively done the portrayal of two lives amidst
wretchedness, she has failed to balance it out with
a more purposeful screenplay.
Verdict – Too much to stomach!
| |
| Tags
: Drohi,
Srikanth,
Vishnu,
Poorna,
Poonam
Bajwa, Pooja |
| | | | | | |
