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DROHI (1993) (Telugu Title: ANTHAM)
Written and Directed by: Ram Gopal Varma Music: R.D. Burman Starring: Nagarjuna, Urmila, Danny, Salim Ghouse, Akash Khurana, Narra Venkateswara Rao, Rallapalli, Sunaiana, Horse Babu
Running Time: 130 Minutes
CineRating: 5.5 out of 10
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A violent thriller that recalls many of the Hong Kong gangster/hitman flicks of the late 80s and early 90s, Drohi is a moderately compelling early work from the highly regarded director Ram Gopal Varma that is probably best viewed as a practice run for his far superior Satya [1998]. As with John Woo's The Killer [1989] or lesser HK efforts such as The Other Side of the Sea [1994] and Beyond Hypothermia [1996], the film's plot concerns a cold-blooded professional hitman who falls in love with an unsuspecting innocent and is soon forced to confront his reawakened sense of humanity.
Portrayed by the South Indian actor Nagarjuna (who previously starred in Varma's Shiva), Raghav the hitman works for wealthy businessman J.P. Sethi (Danny), whose factory is a front for various illegal activities. In an effort to stem a police crackdown, Raghav assassinates the meddling mayor (Akash Khurana, from Varma's Company), but must go into hiding in order to escape the investigative eyes of the tough, no-nonsense Inspector Krishna (Salim Ghouse). Once in the countryside, Raghav steps in to rescue the birdwatching Bhavana (Urmila) from an assault by a gang of thugs. The two develop a friendship that quickly turns to love, but matters are greatly complicated when Sethi discovers that the object of Raghav's affection happens to be none other than the sister of Inspector Krishna.
Originally released in Telegu as Antham before being dubbed into Hindi, Drohi was the highly anticipated followup to Varma's groundbreaking debut film Shiva [1989] and its acclaimed successor Kshanak Kshanam [1991], but the movie ended up being both a boxoffice and critical flop. While Drohi's contrived plot robs it of the gritty realism of Varma's signature gangster movie Satya, the film actually displays major characteristics that would form the foundation of the later project. The plots of the two films bear more than a vague resemblance, with each centering around a romance between an underworld figure and the naive young woman (both played by Urmila) who spends most of the story blithely unaware of her paramour's gangland connections. In each film, the love-smitten killer decides to leave his sordid past behind and start his life anew, only to find himself unable to escape the clutches of the underworld. Most striking are the final few minutes of Drohi, which are startlingly similar to the ending of Satya, albeit played out in a far less effective manner.
Varma's directorial expertise would take some gigantic steps from here to Satya and Company [2002], but Drohi does boast a few highly effective sequences, including a flashback to Raghav's childhood encounter with the paternal Sethi, which would change his life forever. Varma's empathy for his characters keeps the film from devolving into a mere stringing together of gangster movie cliches, but the plot is too predictable and the violent action scenes too clunky for the film to register as anything more than a minor blip on the director's filmography.
For a movie as dark and grim as Drohi, the colorful and romantic song-and-dance numbers often seem at odds with the seriousness of the narrative, but there's no denying the entertainment value in watching Urmila parade around in various sexy costumes to R.D. Burman tunes as infectious as "Dhadkati Mere Dil Ko." Ram Gopal Varma has often made clear his distaste for having to shoehorn musical numbers into stories that seem capable of standing on their own, but in this case one can easily forgive the musical setpieces for interrupting the methodical flow of an overly familiar storyline.
Presented in a 1.85:1 ratio, the Eros DVD showcases a very soft and dull looking picture from a worn print that is further compromised by serious artifacting. The English subtitles often lag behind the dialogue. Varma's horror film Raat remains one of the worst looking DVDs ever released by Eros, but Drohi isn't far behind.
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DVD Specs:
Eros DVD
All Regions
Removable English Subs (None for the songs)
Trailers for Beti No. 1; Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai; Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega; Josh; Jungle; Eros DVD Gold Collection
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