DRISHYAM MOVIE REVIEW

Drishyam must be among the few films which have been remade in so many languages. All the remakes have been met with good reception and box-office success too. 

 

The story of the film is well-known by now and for those of you who aren't aware, the script is about a common man (Vijay Salgaonkar) who stands up for his family members when they are faced with a series of police investigations post a murder which they are forced to commit. The film is devoid of needless songs and other commercial inclusions and what we get in the name of breezy entertainment is just some laugh-worthy scenes involving Vijay's family and his young employee at his cable network office.

 

The first half is just over an hour long and the second half is the longer one, with all the investigation layers in it. There are a few extra elements added in the investigation episodes here and they work well. Tabu aces the role as the senior cop whose son goes missing. She has to helm the investigation and at the same time grapple with the emotional conflicts within. Rajat Kapoor as her husband holds firm too, as things keep getting intense and uncomfortable around him. The inspector Gaitonde who has a big role in the proceedings acquits himself well, kudos to actor Kamlesh Sawant for this performance.

 

Vijay's two girls score big time, what with the little one being really cute and adorable with her natural ways and means. The elder daughter (played by Ishita Dutta), around whom the plot revolves, looks pretty and passes with distinction when it comes to acting too. Shriya Saran is a limited actress but she looks really beautiful in attractive sarees. When you may question as to how come a young wife like her could have a teenage daughter, the director Nishikant Kamat presents us with a little adoption angle. 

 

Ajay Devgn underplays and shows the required intensity and purpose while protecting his family, come what may. If you compare his performance with Mohanlal's or Kamal Haasan's, there are no points for guessing the outcome! On the whole, the cast has been well-chosen with Tabu and the little girl standing out.

 

The Hindi version is set in Goa and the cameraman Avinash Arun treats us to a lot of aerial shots to present the picturesque beauty of the land. Composer Vishal Bhardwaj is in fine fettle with the few montage songs which we see on screen. They stay in memory.

 

With a run time of more than 2 hrs 40 mins, Drishyam still proceeds without boring us with the customary breathers or below-par moments. For those who haven't seen the original, this ought to be a delightful investigation story in the 2nd half. Those who have seen the other versions, may feel the magic missing here despite the overall quality with which the remake has been handled. Still, a worthy watch as such a brilliant script can't go wrong !