Even after an array of flops, it seems that director Shaji Kailas has not yet figured that style and substance alone cannot make a good, commercial potboiler. What essentially needed is a promising story that can make the viewers sing-to its tunes and wonder at its narratives. Shaji's latest product `Drona 2010' also seems to a confused product, which hardly will appeal too much of the masses.
The highlight of the movie is definitely its lead star Mammootty, this time in twin roles as the young Kunjunni and his brother Pattazhy Madhavan. Kunjunni, the younger Mammootty is basically an atheist who lives a flamboyant life. Not believing much in the stories about the ghosts in Nelloore Mana, he comes up to buy the ancestral house. But inside the Mana he gets the real taste of the unusual and even after a tough fight to escape, he fails. And now arrives Patatzhi Madhavan, his elder brother who lives like a sanyasi, to clear off the mystery that is surrounding the house of horror. He succeeds in driving out the screaming ghost from the house but there was much more which intrigued him and make him realise that the whole revenge story happening there is dated back to generations.
The former half of the movie is the better with spectacular built ups but is not complemented with any good backup in the later half. With full of references to Brahmin ethos, rituals, mantras, and with plenty of flashbacks and sub lines, the movie digs up mysteries after mysteries which can be pretty confusing at times. Almost all the characters in the frame seems to be knowing Vedas or Black magic. And the script seems to be half baked and confused product with characters and happenings often defying any logic. Heavily inspired from the likes of 'Manichithrathazhu' and 'Ananthabhadram', the problem with `Drona 2010' seems to be that the scriptwriter A K Sajan has taken the proceedings too lightly than was needed. The base thread of `Drona' doesn't have that zing to keep you hooked into the screen for most parts. The pace at which the confused product unravels and the length of the movie also makes you break into a yawn at several points of the narrative. And by trying chances in every genres, the movie ends up neither as a horror film, an action thriller or a mystic entertainer.
What holds the movie together is Mammootty who is brilliant as ever in both the roles. This is also a treat for all his fans, for his looks and performance as he breathes some life to a comatose script. All others including Thilakan and Manoj K Jayan manages to give their best. Navya Nair is featured in a small role while Kaniha seems misfit as the village belle. Youngster Dhanya Mary Varghese have a very special role in the movie.
The director in Shaji has worked fairly well than his recent outings. Naturally the technical side of the movie are also fine with Ekambaram creating some good visuals and Don Max, opting for only the needed cuts. Deepak Dev has done a good job in music while Rajamani's BG scores are also fine.
Altogether, the movie ends up clarifying that no amount of gloss can substitute for an engaging plot lines. Prescribed only for the die hard fans of Mammootty, `Drona' may find it hard to satisfy every type of audience.
