Droh Kaal

One of the best given the topic 'Terrorism'. Remember, this movie was made in 1994, much before 9/11 and yet, one can see the similarities between 9/11 plot and this movie. For example, 9/11 hijackers hid among us, just as the terrorists in this movie wore the mask of a common man. 9/11 hijackers were known to be soft spoken and polite, yet extremely secretive. Same with the terrorists in this movie. Anyway, everything from the plot to characters were excellent. Even the music (by Jaidev) is extraordinary. Only the far-fetched bravado by Abhay Singh (Om Puri) seemed unreal, but then, it takes extraordinary courage and deeds to counter the 'cancer' of terrorism. In that respect, Abhay Singh's bravado also seems appropriate. As usual, Naseer puts the 'sher' in the character of Abbas Lodhi.

I remember, I was in Bombay during the film festival in Dec. 1994. This powerful movie made me cry and repeat it the very next day. Thanks to Govind Nihalani, who personally let me in his special movie, I could enjoy to the full. No wonder I am his fan and Thank you Govind!

If you are a Govind Nihalani or a Naseer or an Om Puri or a Amrish Puri fan, this movie is a MUST SEE.

When I first saw this movie I thought it was one of the best movies I'd ever seen. When I saw it again a couple of years ago, as a more experienced viewer, my opinion diminished significantly. Having said that, the movie has some good performances.

In spite of the presence of stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri, it is Ashish Vidyarthi who has the film's best performance.

In my opinion, Droh Kaal is one of Govind Nihalani's lesser films. I recommend Aakrosh as an example of one of his better ones. Ardh Satya isn't too bad either.

Govind Nihalani is a fine film-maker from India, and I recommend his films (especially his earlier films). At the same time, and without a great deal of effort, I can think of at least three other Indian film-makers who have consistently made significantly better films: Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, and Girish Karnad.

Govind Nihalani casts his favourite actor Om Puri again, this time with Naseeruddin Shah, Ila Arun, Mita Vashisht and Ashish Vidyarti. Nihalani has earned a reputation of making hard-hitting raw films depicting that darkness of middle-class society that is weaved from corruption, chaos and crime. His 'Ardh Satya' was definitely notable and 'Thakshak' and 'Hazaar Chaurasi ki Maa' were quite decent and 'Dev' highlighted Om Puri's performance. Puri has done some of his best works in Nihalani's films and 'Droh Kaal' is no exception.

However, as a film, it's among the director's weakest. The writing is very poor and some of the plotpoints are quite ridiculous. Not only is the script full of plot holes, but the pacing is extremely slow. Things only get a tad better in the second half as the pace picks up and there is an attempt to build suspense. At times, quite frequently, it gets preachy. It tries to make some political point but that's all lost in the writing. I was also surprised by the flat cinematography (considering that Nihalani is also a well-reputed cinematographer).

What stands out are the performances. Puri is brilliantly supported by Mita Vashisht. Naseeruddin Shah and Manoj Bajpai are wasted. Ila Arun does well in a brief role. Ashish Vidyarti is passable.

Overall, 'Droh Kaal' is a major disappointment. It doesn't have anything new to offer. It's lacking in both style and substance.

Droh Kal was undoubtedly ahead of its time. Released in 1994, it emerged during an era when terrorism was beginning to show its brutal face, peaking in 1996. The Tamil remake, 'Kuruthipunal,' featuring Kamal Hassan, is equally compelling. While the climax may not appeal to everyone, this is one film that truly deserves a sequel. Though some scenes might seem exaggerated, however the storyline is captivating and keeps you engrossed throughout. Most of the movie being churned out these days tend show a one sided affair with the hero having an upper hand through out the movie. Interestingly, A R Rehman was supposed to compose for the film but his computer crashed losing his work.

This is one of the best Indian Cop movies fighting against terrorism. The film is real, Hard-Hitting and very edgy. This film featured some of the Great actors and every character was fleshed out beautifully. Ashish Vidyarthi as the antagonist was terrific.

BGM, dialogue, cinematography, everything was superb in this film. You'll feel goosebumps & little tears will be there during ending of the film. Respect for the honest police officers will increase after finishing the movie. This was remade in Tamil as Kuruthipunal and that remake was the India's official entry for Oscars.