My second article to get published at PFC (on 11th Oct'08).

I thought I was done with Drona when I wrote its review here and later on I read the interview of Goldie Behl (Director of Drona) and I believe he needs to SHUT UP and yes, in Marathi. That’s up to him how he does that? At least one person (Raj Thackeray) would be eternally happy knowing people are not just speaking but shutting up too in Marathi.

So there goes the interview which he gave and my reaction fed in between it:

Director Goldie Bhel's recently released fantasy adventure Drona didn't get an overwhelming response at the box office, but the director is happy with the fact that superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his son Aryan loved the movie. "It's important for children to enjoy Drona. I'm glad Aryan enjoyed it. I made the film for children, not for those who like their cinema twisted and perverse," Behl told IANS. Behl is determined to make a sequel to Drona and says he will dedicate it to Shah Rukh's son and his son Ranvir.

I say: Alright, so you ought to make it clear from the beginning that you are making Drona exclusively for SRK and his puttar. Why this sudden revelation after the Drona’s disapproval from almost all the sections?

Isn’t it important for children to enjoy any movie that is made, why single out Drona? Don’t give its-my-baby crap now. And look who is talking of twisted and perverse cinema? "Bas Itna Sa Khwaab" is etched forever in mind for being one of the most abnormal cinema and Drona goes beyond the limits of absurdness.

Ok, why not dedicating the sequel to SRK’s dogs and bitches as well. They will for sure be missed in the credits else.

"And all the children of our country who have to watch crime thrillers and sex comedies because fantasies are not made in the country. No matter what the outcome of Drona is at the box office, the sequel will most certainly happen,” he said.

I say: What? Did you run out of your 2.5 grams of brain? Children are getting their share of entertainment. And last one year in particular from this day had been blissful for them. Toddlers or Tweens; everyone had their share of fun and entertainment. And wasn’t Hari Puttar released a week before your film?

Ok, go ahead make the sequel like a gentleman. No matter how much we criticize you won’t stop, so why so much of tom-tomming?

Commenting upon the criticism, Behl said, "As far as we're concerned we've made a film that dares to go into an unexplored genre. Critics are all the time complaining about our films being borrowed from foreign sources.
"When I've attempted something original, why shouldn't I carry the story forward?


I say: And there you blurted it yourself. Did you just say ‘something original’? Well, then you are not doing the reading or listening of the criticism by the book? More or less everyone has pointed out how Drona is muddled up product of many Hollywood movies. Yours truly himself has taken the names of Harry Potter, Fast-n-Furious in his review. And few that I forgot to mention then could be Troy (Brad Pitt meeting his mother), Matrix (The highway chase scene where Trinity and Keymaker are on motorcycle), and some part reminds of Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino starrer 'The Devil's advocate' where Al is a satan. I guess that's enough. You can excuse yourself in case after the debacle of BISKH you have been living in some remote island penning the script of Drona and not aware of who-the-heck is Potter and what-the-heck-those-movies-are which I mentioned? From beginning till end you have borrowed ideas from all possible fantasy stories. Accept it like a man.

Shah Rukh loved the film. He told me his son loved the film. My three-year-old son Ranvir saw the first film of his life at the premiere of Drona. And he couldn't take his eyes off the screen,” he said.

I say: So SRK is the one to love it, huh!!! He for one has not forgotten his Asoka and waits every moment for that to be declared a classic someday.

I do not hold your son guilty. What a three year old can make out of any happenings on big screen anyways? For a first film in theater even I as four-year-old tot could not take my eyes off the screen when I saw Silsila which was based on infidelity. Of course I could not have made anything out of it. And does that mean more movies on extra-marital affair should have been promoted that time just because a four-year-old tot could not take his eyes off the screen? But my dad was not SRK or you and I thank my stars for that.

Do you really think you are being rational here by bringing such analogy? If you are not then why would we? Many parents have already replaced ‘So jaa varna RGV Ki Aag dekhani padegi’ with ‘So jaa varna Drona dekhani padegi’ giving RGV’s film some kind of popularity for over an year only now till your movie took the coveted phrase.

Abhishek Bachchan, who played the title role in the movie, welcomes the idea of a sequel. "It a very interesting possibility. And taking the story forward is an idea that we've planted into the climax of the story. I don't see why we should change our minds," said Abhishek who was seen in sequels like Dhoom 2 and Sarkar Raj.

I say: He needs to save his face any which ways. From day one he has been getting offers without much sweat, so how does Drona being totally neglected would affect him? He has nothing to lose in both the cases of sequel being made or not; and the gain could be Drona-2 might hit the nail. So, he is just being the insightful businessman as expected of actors.

"It's a new genre. There're no reference points to Drona in the audiences' movie-viewing experience. Initially, they were bound to be a bit confused, as we always are by something new. We were prepared for that," said Abhishek.

I say: And so are we now to face your next classic.

"At the end of the movie Drona's son, played by producer Shristhi Arya's son Veer, is being shown tailed by the same supernatural powers as his father. The sequel, it is understood, will launch a new young actor as Abhishek's son and will carry the adventures of Drona into a new realm.”


I say: Hey, take Aryan (SRK’s son) for heavens sake. Why mere a dedication to him? Launch him straightaway.

"Goldie Behl may take a break to make another film. But most probably he'll go to the sequel as the very next one. The story of the Drona-in-waiting has to be told. In fact, Goldie has already written a major part of the script for the sequel and will be casting soon," said a source.

I say: All The Best. (How do I say that in Marathi?)