Drishyam (2015) Review!!

Synopsis – Desperate measures are taken by a man who tries to save his family from the dark side of the law, after they commit an unexpected crime.

My Take – This movie is a remake of a Malayalam film also named Drishyam (2013), which was also remade in Kannada as Drishya (2014), Telugu as Drushyam (2014) & Tamil as Papanasam (2015). While you may be thinking of the reason behind its successful remakes, well its simple – a well crafted plot & an exceptional performances! As remakes were very well appreciated and received by the audience. So, now, it is the turn of a remake in Hindi. The film credits begin with the punch line: “Visuals can be deceptive”. Indeed it turns out to be so. What we see could be absolutely deceiving. This film does not deal with the ‘right / wrong’. It neither promotes the ‘right’ nor condemns the ‘wrong’. No justification is given through the screenplay. The film depicts what one could do in a particular crisis. Especially, when it comes to one’s family, he / she can turn out to be very protective and go to any extent to save his / her family. The film has to be watched not with the lens of wisdom, but with the lens of it being a piece of art, which showcases the journey of a head of a family who protects his family by all means. Visuals can be deceptive, don’t always believe what you see because you can be easily manipulated, is what a film like Drishyam preaches. For me the only concern I took in while watching this film is that I had seen the Telugu version Drushyam (with subtitles) a couple of months back (Of course I dint know a Hindi remake was in production). Judging by the trailers, it seemed like a scene to scene remake, (which it actually is) & felt the film wouldn’t do justice in comparison to the other version (which was awesome by the way), but nevertheless with such a strong story you cant go really wrong!

For people who haven’t seen the original this film could be a genre changing film, a suspense thriller that has not been seen on the Hindi screen celluloid. Its simply breathtaking! When the roots have already been built, it is about proper presentation in a particular amount of time which is where director Nishikant Kamat and his team come out triumphant. The best part about this movie is that it was presented and portrayed with utmost perfection in a manner in which the makers wanted it to be shown. The buildup was slow but every aspect was properly covered with enough evidence to win the audience. The story follows Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn), a 4th class fail cable service provider who lives with his wife Nandini (Shriya Saran) and two daughters Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrinal Jadhav). Vijay is also a great movie buff and he keenly watches various movies and also rationalizes the scenes. He emotes watching movies. Vijay’s happy family picture gets a blow when an unprecedented event hits them. This event sees the entry of IG Meera Deshmukh (Tabu) and her husband Mahesh Deshmukh (Rajat Kapoor) in the scene. Situations take such a turn where Vijay finds himself opposite to Meera and in the shackles of law. What is that one event which makes Vijay and his family land in trouble? How they find themselves in the clutches of law? What is the thread which connects Meera and Mahesh to this event? How do the story move further, and the events unfold? Will Vijay and his family’s lives be same ever again? Who is right: Vijay and his family or Meera & Mahesh? The climax is the high point of this movie, which is absolutely unpredictable. Watch it out yourself. Vijay’s character development is myriad throughout the film and it compels you to think away from the extreme principles of black vs white, right vs wrong, yin vs yang. His strong will and steadfastness to protect his family at all costs forms the backbone of the story. Even though the film is 2 hours and 43 minutes long, it binds the audience to their seats till the very last scene. The way the planning is done, the manner in which it is portrayed, the confidence with which the family handles tough interrogations, the way the sequences are shown is all just perfect. Hats off to the original writer Jeetu Joseph, he left no stone unturned. The adaptation by Upendra Sidhaye is really good with a few changes here and there. The story unfolds wholly in Goa. The writing & script was so good that for me, it easily comes up among st the best Bollywood has ever had.

And the way Nishikant Kamat has handled it is simply phenomenal. The less said the better for Nishikant Kamat who has won my heart with such a wonderful vision and achieving the ultimate goal through this vision. You might feel that the pace is slow in the 1st half, but it doesn’t bore you as its gripping. Some of the sequences are just scintillating especially after the arrival of Tabu. We have seen ample of movies regarding catching the criminal but this one is different, it’s about saving the family. There are just 2 songs comprising of the evergreen duo of Vishal Bharadwaj and Gulzar Saab but music isn’t what matters in this movie. It’s the haunting & terrifying back ground music by Sameer Phaterpekar which makes you deeply involved. I would specially like to point out the background music during the interrogation involving Tabu with her deadly eyes & the haunting music. I was at a disadvantage because i had seen the Telegu version like I mentioned above that left me in awe, and this film is a 100% remake but just in a different language, and that is probably a good thing because the film didn’t need any change. The first-hour is relatively slow-paced & although its never boring, the story doesn’t really move. Its the second-hour that does wonders. I strongly feel if the first-hour was crisper & stronger, the overall impact would’ve enhanced even more. Coming to the performances, Ajay Devgn delivers a phenomenal performance, one that will be remembered. His eyes speak a lot & he lived the character of Vijay Salgaonkar. Tabu is simply outstanding as Meera, playing the role of a tough cop & a concerned mother. She chooses her roles wisely and delivers a great performance most of the times. Shriya Saran is too young to play a mother but she also performs wonderfully well. She had a couple of difficult scenes and she did it really well. Debutant Ishita Dutta makes a really good debut. Rajat Kapoor is at his fluent best as he usually is. Child artist Mrinal Jadhav also does a decent job. But its Kamlesh Sawant who impressed me a lot, he was simply sensational. Martin’s cafe plays a crucial part in this movie and so does Martin uncle. Others were brilliant as well. Director Nishikant Kamat has done one hell of a job!! Even with such immense pressure to meet its successors, he has successfully crafted a brilliant thriller! On the whole, ‘Drishyam’, is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, does not tell you how to act during time of brutal crimes, but it finely creates a story so charming that you will be left in with your pounding heart, and a smile on your face at the end of the film. A genre changing film. A must watch if you haven’t seen the original or any of the bilingual versions.