Directed by Ragav Mirthath, Drones stars Siddhi Idnani, Anjali Nair, Dravid Selvam, Devadarshini, Quraishi, Cinemawala Sathish, Sassi Selvaraj, and RJ Dheepak in lead roles. As children, many of us would have read comic-book stories about friends who get trapped in the clutches of a witch, mistaking her for an angel, and struggle to escape. What if one such story were adapted into a film? That is essentially the premise of Drones.
The film revolves around a group of friends who find themselves trapped after mistaking a witch for an angel. The screenplay follows their desperate attempts to escape her clutches and explores how they eventually find their way out of the predicament. The idea is interesting, but the execution could have been much better.
Coming to the casting, Siddhi Idnani looks beautiful as the angel and delivers a commendable performance. Devadarshini, as the witch, attempts a character unlike anything we have seen her portray before, and it is a good effort. Dravid Selvam, RJ Dheepak, and Anjali Nair, playing the friends, understand their respective characters and perform accordingly. However, a stronger screenplay could have made their performances more memorable. Some of RJ Dheepak’s comic timings work well, providing a few entertaining moments.
Cinemawala Sathish does a good job as the police officer. Quraishi, playing a mad scientist, tries to evoke laughter at several points in the first half. He also makes a considerable effort to keep the film afloat during this portion.
On the technical front, Jayanth Sethu’s cinematography is neat. However, Sathish Suriya’s editing could have made the narrative more gripping. Hari SR’s music manages to draw attention at certain moments.
Director Ragav Mirthath deserves appreciation for attempting to bring the world of comics to the screen. However, the story could have got to the point sooner. The second half and climax have several interesting elements, some of which could have been incorporated into the first half to make the overall narrative more engaging. The conversation about colour tones in the climax is particularly top-notch.
Despite having several promising elements, Drones misses the mark when it comes to delivering an engaging cinematic experience. The runtime, too, could have been considered more carefully to make the film tighter.
Overall, Drones is an appreciable attempt by a new team to explore a different concept. While the execution leaves room for improvement, the film can be watched with a little patience for its novel approach and the ideas it brings to the table.