There’s a hot new thriller movie that breaks all your notions about suspense and murder mystery. Abhishek Pathak’s Drishyam 2 serves as a sequel to Nishikant Kamat’s 2015 release Drishyam and moves a notch higher in impressing audiences. Its biggest star is the screenplay, and the credit goes to the original concept by Jeethu Joseph who wrote and directed the Malayalam version of Drishyam 2 that was released in 2021. The 145-minute Hindi version does not deviate from the crackling story, and sticking to the OG hit idea definitely works in its favour.
The film opens with David Braganza accidentally killing a man and eventually being arrested after attempting to flee from the police. The year is 2015, Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) buries the body of Sam Deshmukh, son of Mahesh (Rajat Kapoor) and Meera Deshmukh (Tabu) at Pondolem police station. Seven years later, Vijay has moved up in life from being a cable operator to owning Miraj Cinemas and also planning to produce a film.
In Drishyam 1, Vijay’s daughter Anju has epilepsy and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which she developed after Sam blackmailed her with her nude video. Now, in Drishyam 2, Nandini (Shriya Saran), Vijay’s wife, tries her best to create a normal life but is often troubled by the idea of the truth getting revealed. Her neighbour Jenny, who has an abusive alcoholic husband, becomes Nandini’s confidante as she tries to navigate through life shadowed by her past.
The new Inspector General Tarun Ahlawat (Akshaye Khanna) wants to solve the case egged on by Meera, who cannot let go that Vijay got away with murdering her son. How the police reopens the case and whether Vijay manages to escape again is what unfolds in the sequel.
Powerful performances
Ajay Devgn as Vijay delivers a seamless performance as the middle-class man who loves his family more than anything else. What propelled the success of both the Malayalam and Hindi versions’ first instalment is how this underdog figure outsmarts the best in police to save his family. Devgn manages to retain the sympathy of the viewer who sides with him despite his criminal record.
There are no knee-jerk or over-the-top moments, and that helps make Vijay both convincing and impactful as the man who plans his every move. There is a fine line between a maniac and a common man doing what he can to save his family, and Devgn walks the tightrope effortlessly.
Akshaye is the new entrant to the world of Drishyam movies as Goa’s new Inspector General, and he is the perfect foil to Devgn’s Salgaonkar. In fact, his past stint as inspector Dev in Ittefaq (2017) and now in Drishyam 2 makes you wonder why he doesn’t act in more films. His eccentric, menacing cop act is the best in the business if nothing else.
Tabu has a limited role as the grieving and vengeful mother, but she does not miss any beat. Rajat Kapoor as the father trying to let go of what happened balances Tabu’s need to punish Vijay and his family. Kamlesh Sawant as sub-inspector Gaitonde provides humour in the film.
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Whodunnit with a twist
Drishyam and Drishyam 2’s power lies in the idea of manipulating viewers. In a classic unreliable narrator style, the story keeps you wondering if everything you see is indeed the truth. The layering of fiction and truth and making the viewer an accomplice in the crime involves the audience in the unfolding of the plot.
Whether the underdog beats the perpetrators or if he is the perpetrator is something that is elusive. But, in the end, it is a straightforward world of ‘good versus evil’. It is a battle for survival, and there is no dilemma about who you will root for.
Drishyam 2 is also a lesson on how to remake a film with no unnecessary garnishings. For those who have already watched Mohanlal’s Malayalam one from 2021, this still manages to evoke intrigue as you’re kept on the edge to know whether it will all come together in the same way. The enjoyment stems not from the suspense of hidden knowledge but the fact that you know the plan put in motion — you want to know what happens next. There is a thrilling satisfaction in watching the final move play out.