Star Cast : Mammootty, Swetha Vijay, Kanika, Manoj K Jayan, Navya Nair, Thilakan, Suraaj Venjaramoodu, Ajmal Ameer, Bala, Dhanya Mary Verghese, Sai Kumar, Devan, K P A C Lalitha
Banner : Aroma Movie International
Music : Deepak Dev
Director : Shaji Kailas
Producer : M Mani

It has to be accepted that Drona is one of the best attempts by Shaji Kailas in recent times. This is unlikely to work in the film's favor though, because the last few of his cinematic outings have been anything but comparable. But the director who had flashed those sparks of brilliance some years back, and who had since disappeared into the shadows is out again in Drona. The film accentuates that all is not lost and the man still has got it in him.

What is it then, that works against this film? It is a real slow starter for one, and it's quite some time before things get gripping. Even then, the kicks that it delivers are not strong enough, and there is always a sense of something seriously lacking throughout. Soon it becomes pretty evident that what is missing is a passion that sometimes makes even the most mediocre of works appear outstanding.

When it comes to the account, there are some grave lapses in continuity that absolutely flusters the viewers. The flashbacks are in abundance and are arranged in a slapdash style, and with the present and past continually intertwining, the logical string that binds them all together eventually gets severed.

Singly though, the past almost appears out of the world in Drona, and Shaji has crafted the scenes with elegance. Thankfully those technical ploys that had almost become a trademark in his films are kept to the minimum here. Ekambaram's camera slithers around like a snake, never letting spookiness out of sight. And of course Don Maax too, who with his slick editing ensures that murder and mayhem could look modish as well.