drishyam malayalam movie review in english

Thanks For Rating

Reminder successfully set, select a city.

• Nashik Times
• Aurangabad Times
• Badlapur Times

You can change your city from here. We serve personalized stories based on the selected city

• Edit Profile
• Briefs Movies TV Web Series Lifestyle Trending Medithon Visual Stories Music Events Videos Theatre Photos Gaming

Harshaali Malhotra aka Bajrangi Bhaijaan's Munni wins hearts with her delightful Eid video

'Crew' box office collection Day 13: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Tabu and Kriti Sanon starrer sees dip; earns around Rs 1.60 crore

After Ranbir Kapoor and Saurabh Sachdeva, Animal singer Vishal Mishra treats himself to a swanky new luxury car worth Rs 3.5 crore

From Alia to Deepika: Bollywood celebs and their morning skincare routines

Raghu Ram discloses his marriage, mental health suffered due to Roadies; says, ‘Not one day have I regretted walking away’

Rakul Preet Singh, Jackky Bhagnani, Tiger Shroff, Disha Patani and others attend the star-studded special screening of 'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' in Mumbai - See photos

• Movie Reviews

Movie Listings

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan...

The Lost Girl

Meri Maa Karma

Ek Kori Prem Katha

Welcome Wedding

Bengal 1947

​Sheetal Thakur's striking beauty shines through in these photos​

​Rashmika Mandanna's ethnic wear is all about style and elegance​

Unmissable pictures of ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’ actress Kalyani Priyadarshan

Genelia Deshmukh's Gorgeous Looks

Pooja Hegde looks like a sunshine in a bright yellow mini-dress

​Janhvi Kapoor to Shraddha Kapoor: Celebs who flaunted partner's name on jewellery

Shriya Saran dazzles in her black outfit

Glamour galore: Shanvi Srivastava's mesmerizing clicks

Natural pics of Alia Bhatt that are all heart

Raveena Tandon redefines simplicity with timeless elegance in grey saree

The Defective Detective...

Woh Bhi Din The

Patna Shuklla

City Hunter The Movie: ...

The First Omen

Love Lies Bleeding

Knox Goes Away

Godzilla x Kong: The Ne...

Chabak: Night Of Murder...

Arthur The King

Double Tuckerr

Oru Thavaru Seidhal

Boomer Uncle

Veppam Kulir Mazhai

Kaa: The Forest

Netru Indha Neram

Family Star

Tillu Square

Babu: No.1 Bullshit Guy

Om Bheem Bush

Happy Ending

Bhoothaddam Bhaskar Nar...

Operation Valentine

Avatara Purusha 2

Chow Chow Bath

Hide And Seek

Somu Sound Engineer

Bonbibi: Widows Of The ...

Pariah Volume 1: Every ...

Shri Swapankumarer Bada...

Manush: Child of Destin...

Bogla Mama Jug Jug Jiyo

Ektu Sore Boshun

Sarabha: Cry For Freedo...

Zindagi Zindabaad

Maujaan Hi Maujaan

Chidiyan Da Chamba

White Punjab

Any How Mitti Pao

Gaddi Jaandi Ae Chalaan...

Buhe Bariyan

Alibaba Aani Chalishita...

Aata Vel Zaali

Shivrayancha Chhava

Delivery Boy

Sridevi Prasanna

Sur Lagu De

Chhatrapati Sambhaji

Devra Pe Manva Dole

Dil Ta Pagal Hola

Ittaa Kittaa

Jaishree Krishh

Bushirt T-shirt

Shubh Yatra

Your Rating

Write a review (optional).

• Movie Reviews /
• Malayalam /

Would you like to review this movie?

Cast & Crew

Drishyam Movie Review

• Times Of India

Filmfare Awards - Malayalam

Asha Sarath

Users' Reviews

Refrain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks, name calling or inciting hatred against any community. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive . Let's work together to keep the conversation civil.

Alphonsa Paul 2001 322 days ago

Hashiribnuhassan 1143 days ago, raghu6300386775 raghu 113 1146 days ago.

Mohan Lal master piece

Chandra Shekar 16 1445 days ago

Chudalanianipi

vivek chandra 6 1445 days ago

Very good film brieb

Visual Stories

Entertainment

​Nushrratt Bharuccha radiates style in casual outfits​

Mouni Roy casts a spell in a multicoloured sequin-embellished slip dress

​Saree tales by Kushboo Sundar​

8 benefits of consuming beetroot leaves

​In pics: Anasuya Bharadwaj's enchanting presence in candid snaps​

Karishma Tanna shows a stunning blend of cultures in Indo-Western attire

News - Drishyam

Ajay Devgn snapped at the theatre as he arrives for 'Ma...

Boney Kapoor predicts Ajay Devgn's enduring stardom rel...

Shaitaan trails Drishyam 2 and Tanhaji - The Unsung War...

Shaitaan faces a bigger drop on first Monday as compare...

Jeethu Joseph to present the web series ‘Secret Stories...

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Popular Movie Reviews

The Goat Life

Manjummel Boys

Anweshippin Kandethum

Abraham Ozler

We've detected your location as Mumbai . Do you want to switch?

Accurate city detection helps us serve more contextual content

• You are in (Delhi) Change City
• ETimes Home
• Web Series Trailers
• Movie Reviews
• Movie Listings

Visual Stories

• Did You Know?
• Bigg Boss 17
• Relationships
• Health & Fitness
• Soul Search
• Home & Garden
• Women's Day Special

Entertainment

• Music Awards
• Bhubaneshwar
• humburgerIcon humburgerIcon humburgerIcon

• Cast & Crew
• Movie Review
• Users' Reviews

The film is all about the ups and down in a husband - wife relationship. Drishyam is a deeply layered duel between truth and lie. By placing an uneducated, harmless farmer and his family on the one end and cops at the other, Joseph sets the right tone for a riveting conflict.

Drishyam Movie Review

• Times of India

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Get reviews of the latest theatrical releases every week, right in your inbox every Friday.

Thanks for subscribing.

Please Click Here to subscribe other newsletters that may interest you, and you'll always find stories you want to read in your inbox.

Filmfare Awards - Malayalam

Asha Sarath

Alphonsa Paul 2001 322 days ago

Hashiribnuhassan 1143 days ago, raghu6300386775 raghu 113 1146 days ago.

Mohan Lal master piece

Chandra Shekar 16 1445 days ago

Chudalanianipi

vivek chandra 6 1445 days ago

Very good film brieb

​Sheetal Thakur's striking beauty shines through in these photos​

​Nushrratt Bharuccha radiates style in casual outfits​

Mouni Roy casts a spell in a multicoloured sequin-embellished slip dress

​Rashmika Mandanna's ethnic wear is all about style and elegance​

From Alia to Deepika: Bollywood celebs and their morning skincare routines

​Saree tales by Kushboo Sundar​

8 benefits of consuming beetroot leaves

Unmissable pictures of ‘Varshangalkku Shesham’ actress Kalyani Priyadarshan

​In pics: Anasuya Bharadwaj's enchanting presence in candid snaps​

Karishma Tanna shows a stunning blend of cultures in Indo-Western attire

• Entertainment /
• Movie Reviews /
• Malayalam /
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor. Share
• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
• The song ‘Yamma yamma’ from ‘Shaan’ is sampled in the song ‘Partywali Night' for the film.

Choose your reason below and click on the Submit button. This will alert our moderators to take action

• Foul language
• Inciting hatred against a certain community
• Out of context/Spam
• Copied from article

• India Today
• Business Today
• Reader’s Digest
• Harper's Bazaar
• Brides Today
• Cosmopolitan
• Aaj Tak Campus
• India Today Hindi

Drishyam review: You'll be better off watching the original Malayalam film

Drishyam isn't a shot-by-shot remake of the malayalam film and in that may lie some of its problems..

Listen to Story

Drishyam Dir: Nishikant Kamat Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Kamlesh Sawant, Ishita Dutta.

It isn't surprising that Bollywood leapt on the opportunity to remake Jeetu Joseph's 20 13 Malayalam hit of the same name starring superstar Mohanlal. It has a fascinating plot, for most part an engaging narrative and a charismatic protagonist. There is an ordinary family which finds itself in dire straits and comes together to deal with the common enemy, in this case the police. The crime is committed and the criminals revealed in the first 30 minutes; the suspense here lies in the remaining two hours which are spent in showing how to get away with the crime and in wondering if the family will crumble under relentless pressure. The cleverness of the original lies in how it blurs the line of how a good guy is inadvertently committing unlawful activities ultimately for a good cause. Simply put, the Malayalam film gives the Sooraj Barjatya's message of family matters/Hum Saath Saath Hain a novel new spin. Sadly, the new Drishyam fails to paint a compelling portrait of a close-knit family which is crucial to the film. It also drags the subsequent survival of the smartest.

Ajay Devgn is Vijay Salgaonkar, an orphan, a fourth-standard dropout, a cable operator, a cinephile, a husband, a father of two and foremost a family man. He suddenly finds himself having to protect his family after the son of a police officer goes missing. Cops are after his family. Vijay concocts lies at a rapid pace, demonstrating a clever mind which constructs a foolproof narrative to ensure his family isn't implicated. Soon Vijay's wife (Shriya Saran) and daughters are anxious participants in a plan to deceive the cops. It's a promising story which is executed in a listless manner with only little thrill of the original.

What Drishyam 2013 does particularly well is turn the concept of seeing is believing over its head. Filmmaker Jeetu Joseph poses the question that what if what you are shown or told is such a well-constructed lie, fed so astutely and frequently, that you are convinced it is the truth? In doing so the film focuses on the resourcefulness of the human mind and simultaneously a patriarch's resilience to save his family from a life behind bars. Kamath's film barely establishes these aspects and instead turns the film into The Dummy's Guide to Fool the Police. Ample time is devoted to establish Vijay's genius and explain his plan in such detail that it leaves little to audience imagination. As a result, the battle of brains between Vijay and his nemesis in inspector general Meera Deshmukh (Tabu) never quite feels a battle. The investigation itself is a drab affair.

Vijay is a complex character. He is exploiting the goodwill he enjoys to get out of a soup. He is a master pretender, liar. Devgn struggles to demonstrate the many layers of Vijay. He especially isn't convincing as the endearing, devoted patriarch. Shriya Saran is miscast as the anxious mother and wife, which explains the need for a change from the original screenplay. Tabu makes most of what she is given, enacting the frustration of an imposing cop who meets her toughest foe, and the woes of a mother whose son is missing. It's a different matter altogether that Meera and her husband (Rajat Kapoor) take over a day to respond to their son's disappearance and the screenplay doesn't rightfully address their own pathos. Apart from Tabu, only Kamlesh Sawant seems a good fit for the part of the cop who is constantly cross with Vijay.

But the main problem with this Drishyam lies in how Nishikant Kamat fails to establish the socio-cultural milieu which is essential to the story. The film is set in Pandolem in Goa yet the characters and their voices never feel that they belong to the place. This isn't a shot-by-shot remake of the Malayalam film and in that may lie some of its problems. With the sluggish first half in which Kamat gives Tabu a dramatic slo-mo entry, the more suspense-driven second half is a vast improvement. Kamat just about holds it together as he takes a will-they, won't-they approach to the Salgaonkars and engrosses viewers into their fate. Nonetheless, you'll be better off watching the Malayalam original. Published By: AtMigration Published On: Jul 31, 2015 --- ENDS ---

Drishyam 2 Movie Review: A richer, expansive, and far superior sequel

Rating: ( 4 / 5).

Director Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, once said, "There is no terror in the bang, only in its anticipation." He also explained the difference between 'suspense' and 'surprise'. The first is about being aware of the bomb under the table; the second is the bomb going off unexpectedly. Jeethu Joseph's Drishyam had both. The 'bomb under the table' was the accidental murder and cover-up; the 'bomb going off' part was the climax. Now, when you add, as protagonist, an ordinary man hellbent on protecting his family, you get a dynamite combination. And Drishyam 2 has all of these in spades.

I have to confess I was not a big fan of Drishyam , mostly due to the artificiality of the performances (excluding Mohanlal, of course), especially in the first 45 minutes. But, it picked up after the central conflict reared its ugly head. Drishyam 2 , on the other hand, is far superior, not only because it corrects most of the flaws of the original, but also as it amps up the stakes by introducing more characters, thereby expanding the world set up in the first film. It more or less follows the structure of the original. Georgekutty (Mohanlal) had to deal with a threat from a single direction in the first film. This time, however, he has to look in many directions.

Remember how in The Dark Knight , Christopher Nolan expanded the Batman universe established in Batman Begins by making us also pay attention to the secondary characters? Jeethu Joseph does something quite similar in terms of the world-building and the twist-generation. It would be safe to say the fate of Georgekutty and his family depends on two other families.

Besides, there is also the matter of Georgekutty's current position in society playing a significant part in the narrative. He is a movie producer and theatre owner dreaming of making a film. He is working on a script. And Georgekutty being Georgekutty, we get the feeling that it won't be an ordinary script. Jeethu cranks up the excitement by linking the final twists with this 'script', and in doing so, makes a sly statement on suspending disbelief in cinema. Perhaps he is also taking a dig at those who often say that cinema inspires real-life crimes. When one character mentions something about a 'novel', Drishyam 2 seems to be asking, "Why point fingers at cinema alone? Why is nobody talking about all those crime novels?"

Director: Jeethu Joseph

Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Murali Gopy, Ansiba, Esther Anil

Streaming on: Amazon Prime Video

But the most impressive move Jeethu makes here to enhance the sequel is casting Murali Gopy in the role of, well, Georgekutty's nemesis - an astute, calculating senior police officer named Thomas Bastin. He is essentially the Hercule Poirot of this film. He orchestrates some moves you don't see coming. Unlike the murdered boy's parents, Geetha Prabhakar IPS (Asha Sarath) and her husband (Siddique), Thomas has the advantage of not letting his emotions interfere with his thought process. For the parents, their emotions often get in the way of a proper investigation, whereas Thomas can think with a clear head. Interestingly, Jeethu also makes this character do a 'recap' for audiences who haven't revisited Drishyam . 

I've been waiting a long time to see Murali Gopy do a character like this. Thomas is not someone who shows up in a couple of scenes. Aside from the brilliantly back-to-form Mohanlal, it's the mesmerisingly natural Murali - he speaks in the film exactly as he does in real life - who succeeds in commanding our attention right from the moment he makes his entry and sustains it until the finale. Making you notice his performance despite the presence of a big superstar in the same film is no easy feat.

The most appealing thing about both films, above everything else, is the protagonist himself - an ordinary man who, I'm sure, is not proud of what he did in the first film. When Drishyam 2 opens, we see that he and his family are not out of the woods yet and that things may have gotten much worse, what with the nasty rumours about Georgekutty's elder daughter floating around. The trauma following the events of the first film has hit the family hard, and the narrative proceeds in a way that makes his chances of evading the law seem very slim. 

Is this a perfect film? Certainly not. There are more, far better twists this time around, and the question of logic will naturally arise. I'm not sure all of them worked, but when their cumulative effect is so overwhelming, does it really matter? After all, isn't this cinema? It's a question that even Georgekutty echoes in one scene when he suggests how it's very much possible for a film's protagonist to get lucky, but the same may not work outside. The world of Drishyam and Drishyam 2 is 'realistic' for Georgekutty and the other characters, but not for us, the viewers. 

It's only recently that a breakthrough in a shocking murder case, which plagued Kerala for decades, was made, and the arrival of Drishyam 2 in its wake seems apt. 

Successful sequels are a rarity, and rarer still is a sequel that surpasses the original. Drishyam 2 is one such. The audience has grown leaps and bounds since the first film, which means anything that is not as good or better than the original, would have been unacceptable. If Drishyam were a device operated only by wires, Drishyam 2 could function without them. Towards the end of the film, one character asks another, "Did you expect it?" No, Jeethu, I did not expect it at all. 

Related Stories

• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Drishyam Malayalam Movie

With 'Drishyam', Jeethu Joseph emerges as a proficient film maker who skillfully blends words with visuals to craft a chillingly thrilling portrait of a man's struggle to prevent his much adored family from falling apart. Jeethu attempts a stunning mix of the real with the imaginary, and the result is an unpredictable cinematic artichoke that takes you by surprise at every turn.

Georgekutty (Mohanlal) runs a cable TV business in a sleepy village called Rajakkad, that lies a few miles away from Thodupuzha. His dreams are minimal, and he is all content with the blissful family that he has been blessed with. His wife Rani (Meena) and his daughters Anju (Ansiba) and Anu (Esther), make fun of his tight fisted ways, and Georgekutty often willingly relents to their modest demands. When Varun (Roshan) walks in abruptly into their lives, the four of them and their togetherness are put to extreme test, in terrifying ways they have experienced never before.

Jeethu Joseph lets the tale stay on a steady, slow simmer, before raising the flame and letting it on to a high boil. For one, the core thought is terrific, and there is something riveting about the purposeful recreation of a life scene. Questions as to how much believable things that we see and hear around us are, arise, and all on a sudden they seem as incredible as the scenes that you watch on screen.

The psychological cat-and-mouse game that ensues between Georgekutty and the lady IPS officer Geetha Prabhakaran (Asha Sarath) has several moments that thriller buffs will dig into with delight. What is appreciable however is the adversary's acceptance of defeat, and the eventual respect that the two develop for each other.

The film's single most resonant image of a terrified Anu in the interrogation room, her eyes all aghast at the sheer horror that she is witness to, will remain with us for long. A few scenes later, as she rushes into Georgekutty's open arms, she asks if she had let them down. Hugging her close to his chest, Georgekutty assures the child that she never did.

There are these jolts that are delivered now and then, and in no time you realize that the movie has stealthily slipped under your skin. Ah, and then the final scene sashays in, and it's a whopper without doubt; perhaps the very best climax that I have seen this year!

'Dirshyam' could very well boast of Mohanlal's best performance in recent times, and the actor seems to be at remarkable ease playing the affable man, who would stop at nothing until he sees that his family is safe. Meena is back, and how, and she delivers a bravura performance, along with the two young girls Ansiba and Esther who are sheer bundles of talent. A very special word of appreciation is due to Kalabhavan Shajon as well, who breaks away from the conventional comic mould that we had got used to seeing him in.

Sujith Vasudev makes sure that the visuals are indeed deceiving and the camera moves in, out and around stuffy rooms, liberally hurling revelations at us, one after the other. The musical score by Anil Johnson and Vinu Thomas have a refreshingly delightful tenor to them that deserve an applause for certain.

'Drishyam' is a stellar spectacle that prompts an animated watch, without even as much as a blinking of an eye. I wouldn't be surprised if you eat away your nails while watching this highly unsettling and yet gripping film, that is a celebration of the power of exceptional storytelling.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Drishyam review – entertainingly twisty thriller gets another remake

This summer’s second take on Jeethu Joseph’s 2013 Malayalam tale is an overlong yet still deftly satisfying film

S ome may decry the news that the Fantastic Four franchise has been rebooted after a decade. Drishyam marks the Indian cinema’s second crack this summer at its own material: Jeethu Joseph’s 2013 Malayalam thriller of this name, remade first in Tamil (July’s Papanasam, again directed by Joseph) and now in Hindi by writer Upendra Sidhaye and director Nishikant Kamat.

The temptation is to ascribe such speedy recycling to commercial imperatives – in theory, Hindi grants the story its biggest audience – but even on its third spin, this story still feels fresh, urgent and relevant to a moment when we’re surrounded by screens.

Kamat’s version restages Joseph’s morality play – village cable-TV employee uses procedural knowledge to clean up after his teenage daughter kills a punk wielding candid footage of her – with an ungainly subtitle (“Visuals Can Be Deceptive”) and a brisker, darker tone. At 163 minutes, this Drishyam hardly cuts to the chase, but it’s a dash more economic in describing its threatened family unit. Where we relaxed into the company of Papanasam’s real-life partners Kamal Haasan and Gautami, Kamat’s film feels decidedly punched-up: lead Ajay Devgn has 13 years on his on-screen wife Shriya Saran, who barely appears older than her eldest child.

Given the revenge-porn backdrop, it makes vague thematic sense that the women should so recall sisters in looks as in arms, but replacing the amenable Haasan with the brooding, muscular Devgn has a peculiar effect. The latter certainly displays the heavy-lidded look of one who’s had to sift through endless bad movies for crumbs of wisdom – it’s a look many critics will recognise from the bathroom mirror – but he’ll be few viewers’ idea of a cuddly paterfamilias. Sniping passive-aggressively at Saran, “playfully” holding a carrot to her neck as if it were a knife, Devgn reinterprets Joseph’s everyman hero as a borderline brute. Rather than sinking the film, this actually lends the second half a new dynamic: it renders the protagonist almost as compromised as the brutish local cops.

Casting Bollywood figurehead Tabu as the inspector general on Devgn’s case ensures our sympathies are conflicted, to say the least; the concluding gesture towards moral relativism consequently feels far queasier here than it was in Papanasam, which permitted us to hope Haasan would, this once, get away with murder. (Devgn’s Vijay appears to treat corpse disposal like gardening: as a regular weekend activity.)

Kamat proves a keen observer of how this household, with its elegant partition curtains, is sullied by the sudden lapse into murderous activity: the mud tracked through the hallway, the youngest daughter in her Minnie Mouse pyjamas catching a glimpse of the body. Removed of Haasan’s blithe humour and Joseph’s lush pastoral imagery, this Drishyam presents a grim vision of rural India as a place where everyone has crossed a line and seen too much, and policemen have no apparent qualms about taking the jackboot to an eight-year-old child.

For all that, it remains a pleasurable, twisty tale. Kamat has wisely retained all of Joseph’s satisfying thriller business – again, there’s an agonising wait for a bright yellow Hyundai to sink as a potential witness hovers on the horizon – and revisiting this narrative allows us to spot the slyness of its construction: how those components essential to the second half – the remote quarry, the new police station – are slipped in beneath the guise of genial scene-setting, and just how meticulously the eventual cover-up is worked out, right down to such details as who sits where on a bus.

It’s true Sidhaye’s script adds nothing radically new to earlier drafts, and even at the notionally pacier length, you can still feel it bogging down in interrogatory talk towards the end. First-time viewers may well conclude, however, that plotting this strong doesn’t require that much more to play on a Friday or Saturday night. What you get here – and again it does just about feel enough – is largely functional, occasionally deft entertainment, drawn from a story you suspect the movies will probably be riffing on until we switch off our smartphones for good.

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A man goes to extreme lengths to save his family from punishment after the family commits an accidental crime. A man goes to extreme lengths to save his family from punishment after the family commits an accidental crime. A man goes to extreme lengths to save his family from punishment after the family commits an accidental crime.

• Jeethu Joseph
• Asha Sharath
• 141 User reviews
• 11 Critic reviews
• 16 wins & 6 nominations

• George Kutty

• Rani George

• IG Geetha Prabhakar

• Anju George

• Anumol George (Anu)
• (as Esther)

• Constable Sahadevan

• Varun Prabhakar
• (as Roshan Pundayoli Basheer)

• New Sub Inspector

• Cinema Projector Operator

• SI Suresh Babu

• Head Constable Madhavan

• Rani's Mother

• Rani's Father
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Mohanlal's Must-Watch Malayalam Cinema Picks

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Jeethu Joseph originally wrote the script of Drishyam for another director. He decided to direct it himself, when the director asked him to change the script so that a younger actor could do the leading role.
• Goofs Varun is seen using a Galaxy smart-phone which uses mini/micro Sim. But when cleaning the room, Georgekutty finds a normal Sim.
• Connections Features The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

User reviews 141

• rahulvivek00
• Dec 24, 2013
• How long is Drishyam? Powered by Alexa
• Is it true that the film was remade into six other languages?
• December 19, 2013 (India)
• Watch Drishyam on Disney+ Hotstar
• Rajakkad, Idukki, Kerala, India
• Aashirvad Cinemas
• B4U Motion Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• ₹35,000,000 (estimated)
• $13,076,265

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 40 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Common sense media reviewers.

Indian crime thriller has violence and sexual harassment.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Truth is not innate or absolute, it's built on per

Vijay Salgaonkar is a devoted father, who always p

All the characters are Indian; the film is set in

Sexual harassment is present. A character stalks g

Some non-explicit sexual jokes are made. Light rom

"Rascal," "heck," "get lost," "dog," and "crazy."

A Samsung TV is present. A character watches films

A mention of beer.

Parents need to know that Drishyam is a 2015 Indian crime thriller with some violent scenes, police brutality, and sexual harassment. It follows Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) and his attempts to protect his family when they are involved in a case relating to a high-ranking police inspector's, Meera Deshmukh …

Positive Messages

Truth is not innate or absolute, it's built on perspective. A family's unity is essential in order to overcome hardships.

Positive Role Models

Vijay Salgaonkar is a devoted father, who always puts the well-being of his family first. He is intelligent, courageous, and persevering. The entire Salgaonkar family faces torture and intense hardships. However, nothing challenges their togetherness. Meera Deshmukh is a ruthless inspector. She is desperate to find her son and leaves no stone unturned in the process.

Diverse Representations

All the characters are Indian; the film is set in Goa, India. There is good gender balance although a number of girls are victims of sexual harassment and bribery. A female character is a dedicated high-ranking police inspector who more than holds her own among her male counterparts.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Sexual harassment is present. A character stalks girls, makes non-consensual videos of them undressing, blackmails, and threatens them. There is a scuffle over a phone, characters are pushed. A character is hit on the head with a rod and dies. An empty car is pushed into water. A child is scolded briefly. Someone takes bribes. In one scene, people are tied and beaten, they are threatened. In multiple scenes, characters, including children, are severely distressed and shown crying. There is significant conversation about police brutality and multiple scenes where it's displayed. During interrogations, characters are brutally beaten to a degree that they bleed; there is slapping, kicking, hair pulling, choking. Children witness the violence and they are physically hurt too. Multiple death threats are made. A mob attacks an individual and beats them publicly. A character is smacked; a playful threat is made.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Some non-explicit sexual jokes are made. Light romance and flirting. A sexualized song plays on a TV screen within the film.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

A Samsung TV is present. A character watches films such as Waqt: The Race Against Time and Jackpot . Logos and banners of Inox, Reliance, Shoppers Stop, and Kingfisher are seen. A character drives a Hyundai car.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Drishyam is a 2015 Indian crime thriller with some violent scenes, police brutality, and sexual harassment. It follows Vijay Salgaonkar ( Ajay Devgn ) and his attempts to protect his family when they are involved in a case relating to a high-ranking police inspector's, Meera Deshmukh (Tabu), missing son. The film has intense interrogations and multiple police brutality scenes. Characters, including children, are repeatedly hit, causing them to bleed. Violence includes slapping, kicking, hair pulling, choking. A character partakes in sexual harassment, stalking, and blackmailing. They non-consensually make a video of a girl undressing and threaten people about it. Following a scuffle, a character is hit on the head and dies. People are tied and beaten. Someone takes bribes, later they are attacked by a mob and beaten. Sexual jokes are present, as well as mild romance and one scene where a character watches a sexualized song on a TV. Language includes "rascal," "heck," "get lost," "dog," and "crazy." There is a brief mention of beer, but no drinking on screen. The film is in Hindi with English subtitles, and it is an adaptation of the 2013 Malayalam film with the same name. There is a sequel that came out in 2022. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

DRISHYAM follows Vijay Salgaonkar ( Ajay Devgn ) and his family who become prime suspects in the case of Sameer Deshmukh (Rishab Chadha) who goes missing after a series of unfortunate events. Meera Deshmukh (Tabu), a high-ranking police inspector of Goa and the mother of Sameer, is desperate to find her son and is willing to do whatever it takes. Will Vijay and his family manage to evade the police?

Is It Any Good?

This crime thriller directed by Nishikant Kamat is an intense suspenseful rollercoaster. Drishyam focuses on power dynamics and does well in challenging corrupt and bureaucratic systems of the police force. It presents a riveting parental feud and plays out like an intricate game of chess. Truth is exposed as malleable and perspective remains essential in both forging and wiping out evidence. Performances by the entire cast are stellar and the plot twists are intriguing. However, the sexual harassment of a minor and blackmail isn't problematized or interrogated within the film as much as the consequential accidental killing of the perpetrator is. The focus singularly remains on a cat and mouse chase between the police and the Salgaonkars. The interrogation scenes, additionally, are intense and brutal, and might distress young viewers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the violence in Drishyam . How did it make you feel? Do some types of media violence have different impact than others ?

Which characters demonstrated courage , perseverance , and teamwork . Why are these important character strengths ?

What are the film's messages about the nature of truth? Is it objective or does it depend upon your perspective?

How did the film deal with issues around sexual harassment? Parents, talk to your teens about the sexual harassment some of the characters faced.

Movie Details

• In theaters : July 31, 2015
• On DVD or streaming : March 23, 2017
• Cast : Ajay Devgn , Tabu , Shriya Saran
• Director : Nishikant Kamat
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Indian/South Asian actors
• Studio : White Hill Studios
• Genre : Thriller
• Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 163 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : June 26, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

Ponniyin Selvan: Part I

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...

Bheemla Nayak

Thriller movies, bollywood movies, related topics.

• Perseverance

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• International
• Today’s Paper
• Join WhatsApp Channel
• Movie Reviews
• Tamil Cinema
• Telugu Cinema

Drishyam 2 movie review and release LIVE UPDATES: ‘Best crime thriller of Malayalam cinema’

Drishyam 2 movie review and release live updates: starring mohanlal in the lead role, jeethu joseph's drishyam 2 is streaming on amazon prime video..

Mohanlal starrer Drishyam 2 has released today and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The story of Georgekutty and his family picks up after the events of the first film where the family went through a trauma but were somehow able to pull off ‘a perfect murder’. But is there something like a ‘perfect murder’? We get the answer to that question when ghosts of the past come back to haunt Georgekutty.

Alongside Mohanlal, Drishyam 2 also stars Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sarath, and Siddique among others. Jeethu Joseph has directed the film.

From what we gathered from the trailer, Georgekutty has become a much wealthier man now. He now owns a theatre and is even planning to produce a film. Things seem to be getting difficult for him and his family, and now the murder case from Drishyam is reopened and the family is pulled back into the investigation.

Read in Malayalam | Drishyam 2 movie review

In an interview with indianexpress.com , Mohanlal spoke about the sequel. “We had been planning to do Drishyam 2 (for a long time). It was in my mind, Antony Perumbavoor’s mind, and Jeethu’s mind. And suddenly it happened. When Drishyam 2 started rolling, we were all prepared. We weren’t sure when this film would happen. But, it had to happen. Georgekutty and his family should be remembered by the audience. Because it was such a cult film. Thanks to Jeethu for bringing out such an intelligent film,” he said.

Follow this live blog for all the updates on Drishyam 2

Filmmaker Vysakh shared on Facebook, "Drishyam 2 Super exciting...Outstanding thriller...????????? Must watch film. Congratulations #jeethujoseph#lalsir #antonyperumbavoor"

Actor Unni Mukundan watched Drishyam 2 and shared on Facebook, "Watched #Drishyam2... Fantastic movie.. A well-made sequel of the path breaker Drishyam!! Hats off to Jeethu Joseph for succeeding in the biggest challenge. Lalettan.. The Legend!! Forever Crowd puller.. ??whether it is in theaters or OTT!! Bringing the audience closer to the cinema. Astonishing and subtle performance..  Happy to see Murali Gopy as an actor here and delivers his best as if he does in his scripts.. ?" 

Film director Ajai Vasudev called Drishyam 2 'best crime thriller of Malayalam cinema'. He wrote on Facebook, 'Probably one among best Crime/emotional thriller of malayalam Cinema. Astonished, really.! what a script, Brilliant performances from the Cast. Georgekutty will remain one of Lalettan's best characters. He made it impossible for others to touch his mark. #Jeethujoseph #Mohanlal #Antonyperumbavoor??' 

Mind blowing ??? #Drishyam2OnPrime pic.twitter.com/dBcBK4A6Cw — Aju Varghese (@AjuVarghesee) February 19, 2021 Actor Aju Varghese shared two stills from Drishyam 2 and called the movie "Mind blowing". 

Prithviraj Sukumaran penned a lengthy post on the eve of Drishyam 2’s release, explaining how much he enjoyed the sequel to the 2013 crime thriller. He wrote, "Been wanting to say something about the film for a long time now. Guess since the world premiere is just hours away..it’s ok to not hold on any longer. Following up a cult piece of cinema with a sequel is a huge responsibility. And with something like Drishyam, a film that pretty much changed the schematics of the entire industry, the pressure on a proposed 2nd part would have been immense (trust me..I know!).”

Also read | Prithviraj Sukumaran pens glowing review for Mohanlal’s Drishyam 2: ‘You’re in for one hell of a surprise’

"Completed watching the #Georgekutty's brilliant narration of  #dhrisyam2 one man show. Back to back blockbusters to  @PrimeVideoIN #Master #SooraraiPottru and now #Drishyam2 @Mohanlal #JeethuJoseph #Drishyam2OnPrime," @sivatweet said via Twitter. 

@onesuperstarfan shared via Twitter, "#Drishyam2OnPrime #Drishyam2 -  @PrimeVideoIN Excellent writing and a brilliant sequel from the team - Must watch. Spell bound. Hats off to Jeethu Joesph and team. What we can tell about @Mohanlal The complete actor and a natural performer at his best as usual. Congrats."

Dharma Chandru posted on Twitter, "#Drishyam2OnPrime Yet another Stunning Thriller. Post Interval &  The Climax is Fire. The whole movie may not be as Epic as the first part but it's a great watch as an Individual film. Loved it Totally @Mohanlal. Georgekutty is an Epic Character #Drishyam2 #Mohanlal."

B Unnikrishnan tweeted, "@Mohanlal is internalised intensity #Drishyam2 #JeethuJoseph."

@RajDeeepLive shared on Twitter, "Very well made film! Very rarely makers gets the second part right. #Drishyam2  hits it out of the park. Ending had me glued to my seat. @Mohanlal another master stroke. Hopefully we get to see georgekutty again."

@classsytweeting tweeted, "I don't remember any Indian thriller movie having a sequel as good as this one. Mohanlal does these expressions, even with a slightly raised eyebrow it just speaks a lot about the character he plays. He gives this feel of a gift being unwrapped for an amazing reveal! #Drishyam2."

"#Drishyam2 best screenplay & unexpected twists over beaten the previous sequence.  One of the best suspense thriller movie in recent past.. #georgekuttyisback," shared a fan @vinovish.

Forever grateful for my fan-family. ?? Watch #Drishyam2OnPrime now, @PrimeVideoIN #MeenaSagar #JeethuJoseph @antonypbvr @aashirvadcine @drishyam2movie #SatheeshKurup pic.twitter.com/TD3tCxwpPz — Mohanlal (@Mohanlal) February 19, 2021

"Forever grateful for my fan-family. ??Watch #Drishyam2OnPrime now, " tweeted the actor.

Antony Varghese Pepe posted on Twitter, "#Drishyam2 Really enjoyed #Drishyam2OnPrime and hats off #JeethuJoseph sir, just brilliant making @Mohanlal ettan."

“Except for a couple of people, like Jeethu and myself, no one else knows about the climax and what is going to happen. Each and every scene is new for them, so everyone has their own version of the ending. I used to have fun with the assistant directors and ask one of them, ‘Please tell me what is going to happen?’ And they’d say ‘No sir, I am not supposed to say.’ It was very interesting as I would call them up and ask them all the time about their idea of Georgekutty and what they thought is going on, in their mind. It's interesting because no one actually knew the whole story. It will be a surprise for them when the movie comes out. They’ll be like ‘Oh My God, I never thought of this," said Mohanlal in his interview. 

“Mohanlal is one of the finest actors in India. He is highly professional, and above all he is a director’s actor. He exceeds the Director’s expectations. He is very interesting to work with and there's a lot to learn from him as well," said Jeethu Joseph.

In this exclusive interview with indianexpress.com, director Jeethu Joseph, Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil discuss the challenges of making a sequel to a highly-loved crime film, Drishyam.

Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta gave the Mohanlal starrer three stars. She wrote in her Drishyam 2 movie review, "It’s not easy to craft murder-mystery sequels. Jeethu Joseph’s film jumps over the familiarity hurdle by broadening its ambit on crime and punishment." READ THE FULL DRISHYAM 2 REVIEW HERE

“It has been a privilege to work and compose music for this cult film which will be visualized on veteran actors like Mohanlal and Meena. I absolutely adore and respect Lalettan and it is an honour for me to work with him once again. Working with Jeethu Joseph is always magical, as he understands music and its importance. He conveys his needs in a simple and poetic manner. There was a lot of pressure to do justice to the film and create music which weaves in seamlessly with the film’s narrative. Jeethu gave me the space to dive deeper into the nuances of the tune and its orchestration creatively, experiment in my own style and make the song more interesting. He actively participates during the creation of songs which makes the entire process even more interesting and fulfilling.”

Snehasallapam tweeted, "#JeethuJoseph Proves Once Again He's Master At The Thriller. #Drishyam2 Is Truly An Intelligent Movie And A Perfect Sequel With Amazingly Thrilling Moments. Really Missed The Theatre Experience."

Here we are, after seven years, again ready to witness how the family is living with the secret. But, before that, let us consider the question of why did Drishyam in 2013 become such a phenomenal success? Read This

A fan @AkshayKrish2255 shared on Twitter, "#Drishyam2 Review : 5/5 A perfect sequel that can be given to a movie like #Drishyam. #JeethuJoseph Again proved that he is the master of thrillers. First half started with slow pace same as in the first part. Then the interval came with a bang."

Vasuki Bhaskar shared via Twitter, "Couldn't have wished for any other climax. #Drishyam2 There can only be one @Mohanlal the great. What an amazing write. Much love & Respect #JeethuJoseph. My best Friday release online watch, by far."

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Prithviraj Sukumaran (@therealprithvi)

In a long post, "Prithviraj Sukumaran wrote, "Drishyam 2. Been wanting to say something about the film for a long time now. Guess since the world premiere is just hours away..it’s ok to not hold on any longer. Following up a cult piece of cinema with a sequel is a huge responsibility. And with something like Drishyam, a film that pretty much changed the schematics of the entire industry, the pressure on a proposed 2nd part would have been immense (trust me..I know!). But how gloriously does Jeethu pull it off! Where do you take Georgekutty 6 years down the line? Has his incredible penchant for constructing and living a fictional story softened? Does he make a slip? Does he finally get outsmarted? Does time and law catch up? If you think you already know..you’re in for one hell of a surprise! Fantastically written and conceived..this is Jeethu’s best film after Drishyam! He was the first person I called after watching it. I’m so so happy for you brother! And then, I walked over to my neighbouring apartment to meet a certain someone. Now coming to the small matter of that certain someone..who goes by the name of @Mohanlal. I’ll say just this for now.. Class is permanent..I repeat..PERMANENT! Georgekutty is undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters of Malayalam cinema. Cheta..I cannot wait to direct you again and be directed by you! ?? PS: Murali Gopy, the actor, has arrived. Subtle, brilliant. I say this after having watched the final edit of KURUTHI as well!"

A new chapter of my story is here: https://t.co/vazQC3olqW Watch #Drishyam2OnPrime now, @PrimeVideoIN #MeenaSagar #JeethuJoseph @antonypbvr @aashirvadcine @drishyam2movie #SatheeshKurup pic.twitter.com/seDRLITFLu — Mohanlal (@Mohanlal) February 18, 2021

Sharing the film's link, the actor tweeted, "A new chapter of my story is here."

Sreedhar Pillai tweeted, "#Drishyam2 @PrimeVideoIN -Fantastic!A sequel as good as #Drishyam. #JeethuJoseph nailed it smart writing & taut thrilling moments. @Mohanlal as #Georgekutty is extraordinary along with #Meena & #MuraliGopy.Story opens 6 years after events of #D1 & police hasn’t closed the case..."

In an interview with indianexpress.com, Drishyam 2 director Jeethu Joseph said that it took him five years to finalise the script of the sequel to the 2015 film. Jeethu said he wanted to explore the after-effects of the trauma that the family faced in the first film. "I thought what would be the reaction of the society to that crime? Georgekutty has been accused of a crime and now people are realizing that there is something (fishy) about it. There is no smoke without fire, right? People start gossiping," he said.

He added, "Georgekutty’s standard of life has increased. Now he has become a theatre owner. Automatically, it leads to jealousy in the neighbourhood and people start making stories. So how these sorts of things will affect Georgekutty’s family? Then I thought okay, family trauma should be the core element of this film."

After the 2015 film became a hit, Drishyam 2 inspired remakes in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, Sinhalese and even in Chinese. This is the first sequel that takes the audience back to the crime scene.

• The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
• Elections 2024
• Political Pulse
• Entertainment
• Movie Review
• Newsletters
• Gold Rate Today
• Silver Rate Today
• Petrol Rate Today
• Diesel Rate Today
• Web Stories
• Premium Stories
• Express Shorts
• Health & Wellness
• Board Exam Results

• Environment
• Road to Net Zero
• Art & Design
• Film & TV
• Music & On-stage
• Pop Culture
• Fashion & Beauty
• Home & Garden
• Things to do
• Combat Sports
• Horse Racing
• Beyond the Headlines
• Trending Middle East
• Business Extra
• Culture Bites
• Year of Elections
• Pocketful of Dirhams
• Books of My Life
• Iraq: 20 Years On

Film review: Drishyam has a gripping plot and plenty of twists

The successful malayalam movie drishyam has been remade in hindi..

Ajay Devgn in the Hindi movie Drishyam. Courtesy Panorama Studios

Drishyam Directed by: Nishikant Kamat Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rajat Kapoor, Shriya Saran Three stars

Drishyam is the Hindi remake of the successful Malayalam film of the same name. The success of the original meant that the remake was highly anticipated. However, the Bollywood version fails to live up to the legacy of its South Indian cousin.

The film’s plot revolves around Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn), an uneducated but self-made man running a small cable-TV business, and his wife, Nandini (Shriya Saran). The couple live with their two daughters in a small Goan town. That Vijay is an avid film buff is established early on.

Their lives are turned upside down when Vijay’s elder daughter accidently kills a boy – the son of the Inspector General of Goa Police, Meera Deshmukh, (Tabu) who was harassing and blackmailing her.

As Meera investigates the Salgaonkars in the hope of finding her son, Vijay spins a web of convincing lies and cover-ups to keep the police at bay. In doing so, his inspirations and ideas come from the countless movies he has seen.

Both Vijay and Meera are willing to go to any length for their families and are staunchly unapologetic for their actions, however unlawful they may seem. During their cat-and-mouse game, broader social issues, such as police brutality, are also touched upon, with Meera blurring the line between right and wrong, lawful and unlawful, in her quest to find her son.

The film has a gripping plot with plenty of twists, as Vijay tries to stay one step ahead of the cops.

Tabu, in her first role since winning last year’s Filmfare Award for the Best Supporting Actress in the film Haider, again delivers a strong performance, portraying with great finesse a ruthless cop who is also emotionally distraught at the loss of her son.

Devgn, however, is a little unconvincing as the wily yet devoted family man. Rajat Kapoor, playing Meera’s businessman husband, does well with his small but important role of a father pining for his lost son.

The film’s script has its problems – the overall pace seems laborious and slack for a murder-thriller, especially during the first half.

Further, it seems odd that the plot focuses only on the police trying to convict Salgaonkar and his family, rather than making any effort to look for the missing boy.

A tighter edit with crisper dialogue would have served the film much better.

The tag line for the movie says that “Visual can be deceptive”.

After watching Drishyam, the audience might be left wondering if remakes can be equally deceptive.

• Daily BO Update
• Daily Breakdown
• Hits & Flops
• All Time Grossers
• Highest Grossers
• Highest Openers
• Highest Weekend
• Best of Overseas
• Hollywood Highest
• Fact-o-meter
• Entertainment News
• Bollywood News
• Television & Web
• Fashion & Lifestyle
• Bigg Boss 17
• Hollywood News
• What To Watch
• Bollywood Movie Reviews
• Hollywood Movie Reviews
• All South Movie Reviews
• Tamil Movie Reviews
• Telugu Movie Reviews
• Kannada Movie Reviews
• Malayalam Movie Reviews
• Marathi Movie Reviews
• Web Series Reviews
• Music Reviews
• Box Office Reviews
• Trailer Reviews
• BO Filmometer
• Stars’ Power Index
• Directors’ Power Index
• 100 Crore Club
• Worldwide 200 Crores+
• Profitable Films
• Recommended Movies
• Upcoming Movies
• Released Movies
• Web Stories
• About Koimoi

Home » Movies » Bollywood Movie Reviews

Drishyam Review

Star Cast:  Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor

Director:  Nishikant Kamat

What’s Good:  Regurgitating a tried & tested template of a successful Malayalam film, Drishyam  becomes a gripping, layered watch in it’s second half. Tabu is brilliant, & Rajat Kapoor complements her ably with a subtle act.

A riveting sequence in ‘ Drishyam ’ reminds one of the (lost) brilliance of Nishikant Kamath; when the police use strong arm tactics & blatant intimidation on a family of four to make them confess; raw & harrowing, this scene stands out for it’s impact in a barely above average narration.

What’s Bad:  Patchy, forced humor that plays to the gallery strikes out of tune notes in a powerful script. The biggest flaw of ‘ Drishyam ’ is it’s unidirectional treatment- a story that hinges on the conflict of truth versus lie hardly ever evolves. It’s almost like the skeleton of a masterpiece has been hastily pulled out & cast for a populist product.

Secondly, Ajay Devgn comes across as surprisingly unfeeling in some scenes. But this flaw perhaps lies in the writing. It’s almost as if the character has not been given any dimensions, feelings & aspects of a real person.

Loo break:  Yes, plenty of scope in the first half to do that!

‘ Drishyam ’ is the story of Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn),a semi literate, self-employed cable operator in a small, picturesque town in Goa. He lives happily in a rather large & well-decorated house surrounded by a typical garden and an attractive wife. Father to two daughters, he loves watching movies all night & takes on local corrupt police officers sassily in verbal duels. He is fairly popular amidst local folk. Unfortunately, Vijay is also a bit crass, not above hinting at his libido over the dining table in the presence of his teenage daughter (Ishita Dutta).

Life takes a drastic turn when his teenage daughter & wife end up killing a young, lascivious boy who threatens them with universal shaming. Unfortunately, the boy turns out to be the son of Goa’s Inspector General, Meera Deshmukh (Tabu).

‘ Drishyam ’ focuses on the planned smart decimation of evidence by Vijay to protect his family; survival instincts honed to razor sharpness. The police chase, investigate & harass, even as the IG takes it upon herself to break this middle class, average man & his family. Their frustrations & edginess contrast well as Tabu, Rajat Kapoor & Ajay spark their common scenes with tension & emotion.

Eventually, the common man prevails; and surprisingly, isn’t shown to regret the unplanned death of a young man at all. Only in the penultimate scene, is a reiteration carried out of his justification.

With a deafeningly loud background score, and repeated reiterations of why,how and what (to explain and re explain the plot), by the penultimate scene, you only focus on the brightly lit, red EXIT sign.

Drishyam Review: Script Analysis

Based on a masterpiece, in which Mohanlal’s controlled, conflicted performance to director Jeethu Joseph’s edge of the seat treatment holds your attention throughout, ‘ Drishyam ’ in Hindi falters in it’s narration. No depths & layers are explored here. Dialogues remind you of TV serials (that’s how clichéd they are!). A patchy, unremarkable approach to a brilliant script, this film leaves you with a feeling of how much more it could have been!

As an adaptation of plot points, ‘ Drishyam ’ is perfect. But in adding range and fleshing out the film’s story, it’s patchy. Quite a few characters come across as cardboard cut outs.

Drishyam Review: Star Performance

Tabu steals the show here. She is intense, controlled & emotional in the right doses. Rajat Kapoor is subtle & convincing as her grieving, anxious husband. Ajay Devgn plays the family man in control pretty well, but you wonder where are the conflicts & contradictions that a man in his predicament would be in.

Drishyam Review: Music, Direction

I believe the weakest link of ‘ Drishyam ’ is it’s direction. In handling stellar material & a pitch perfect original script (by Jeethu Joseph), Nishikant has fared as average at best. Using clichés and reiterations so many times, the film’s core tension is diluted at way too many points.

Sameer Phaterpekar has managed a convincing, melancholic score; Dum Ghutta Hain by Rekha Bharadwaj & Rahat Fateh Ali Khan stands out in a consistent soundtrack.

Drishyam Review: The Last Word

For an engaging battle of wits, watch this film. The second half, thankfully a direct adaptation of the original, also draws you in as audience, making you think of right and wrong, justice & fairness. Also do catch it if you are an Ajay Devgn or Tabu fan. Otherwise, for those who like watching quality films on crime & passion, I would rather leave the decision to you.

Drishyam Trailer

Drishyam  releases on 31st July, 2015.

Share with us your experience of watching Drishyam.

RELATED ARTICLES

Randeep Hooda Recalls Almost Dying During His 92 Kgs To 60 Kgs Transformation Journey For Swatantrya Veer Savarkar: “It’s A Terrible Thing…”

News Wrap Apr 10, 2024: Zeenat Aman’s ‘Live-In Relationship’ Advice, Pushpa 2’s Music Rights, Netizens Trash Tabu’s Photoshoot

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan + Maidaan’s Box Office Day 1 Advance Collection: Underwhelming 2.78 Crore? Director Sanjay Gupta Attacks, “Producers Created This Monster!”

Check this out.

Family Star Box Office Collection Day 2 (Early Trends): Vijay Deverakonda...

WWE: John Cena Refuses To Hang Up His Boots As He...

Video: Ranbir Kapoor Gets Angry As Paparazzi Mob His 8 Crore...

Janhvi Kapoor’s 2024 Lineup Promises A Bawaal Box Office For The...

Is Diljit Dosanjh Married To An American-Indian Woman & Has A...

IPL 2024: Preity Zinta Finally Opens Up About Shashank Singh’s Auction...

Don't miss.

Bigg Boss OTT 3: Salman Khan’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Co-Star...

Thalaivar 171: Rajinikanth + Shah Rukh Khan? It’s Getting Bigger &...

Pakistani Actress Says “Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan & Aamir Khan...

Joker: Folie à Deux Teaser Trailer Review: Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga’s Passion & Madness Take Gotham by Storm

Heeramandi Trailer Review: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Shatters His Dreamy World To Enter The Reality, Turning Mujrewaalis Into Mulkwalis – Worth The Risk Or Out...

Maidaan Movie Review: Ajay Devgn Starrer Ignites The Sporting Fervour In You As You Cheer For The Indian Football Team On The Big Screen!

Parasyte: The Grey Review: The Train To Busan Director Brings This Modern Classic Manga To Live-Action With Various Results

• Privacy Policy

• WEB STORIES New
• ENTERTAINMENT
• CAREER & CAMPUS
• INFOGRAPHICS
• ISL 2023-24

• Manorama Online
• Manorama News TV
• ManoramaMAX
• Radio Mango
• Subscription

• Entertainment
• Entertainment News

Mohanlal-starrer 'Drishyam' all set for Hollywood remake

Mumbai: The Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph blockbuster franchise 'Drishyam' is all set to be remade in English. Production house Panorama Studios on Thursday said it has teamed up with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films for the Hollywood remake of the 'Drishyam' franchise. Panorama Studios has acquired the international remake rights to the Malayalam movies 'Drishyam 1 & 2' from the original producers Aashirvad Cinemas.

The film series is also being developed in South Korea as well as a development deal is being finalised for a Spanish language version, the banner said in a release. Kumar Mangat Pathak, chairman and managing director, Panorama Studios, said he is excited to celebrate the story of 'Drishyam' with audiences worldwide.

"We are very happy to collaborate with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films to create this story in English for Hollywood. After Korea and Hollywood, our mission is to produce 'Drishyam' in 10 countries in the next three to five years," he said in a statement.

What makes Georgekutty from 'Drishyam' a universal hero?

'Drishyam' gets greenlight for Korean remake at Cannes

"We have received immense love from our Indian audiences, who have made the 'Drishyam' franchise a massive success. The strength of 'Drishyam' lies in its story, and we want it to be enjoyed by audiences globally," added producer Abhishek Pathak, who also directed "Drishyam 2" (Hindi). "Drishyam", the 2013 Malayalam crime thriller, revolved around Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his family, who come under suspicion when Varun Prabhakar, the son of the IG Geetha Prabhakar, goes missing. The movie was written and directed by Jeethu Joseph.

Mike Karz and Bill Bindley of Gulfstream Pictures, the banner behind 'Blended' and 'Upgraded', said they are happy to collaborate with Panorama Studios and JOAT Films on the English language adaptation of 'Drishyam'. "The film is a timeless thriller that has entranced audiences across the globe. We can't wait to bring the movie to fans here in the U.S," Karz and Bindley said in a joint statement.

Jack Nguyen, founder of JOAT Films, described 'Drishyam' as a unique yet enduring story. "The story has clearly resonated with audiences worldwide as evidenced by the numerous remakes it has spawned. Gulfstream, Panorama and JOAT are excited to have the opportunity to present our take on this cleverly crafted thriller to audiences globally," Nguyen said.

While the Korean and English versions are in the works, "Drishyam" has also been remade in languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sinhala and Mandarin.  (With PTI inputs)

Apart from producing several hits, Gandhimathi Balan stood firm against film piracy

Janhvi Kapoor confirms love for Shikhar Pahariya, wears neckpiece with 'Shikhu' written on it

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's daughter Seraphina comes out as transgender

Film producer Gandhimathi Balan passes away

Ranga in 'Aavesham' is not a spin-off of Chemban Vinod's character in 'Romancham', clarifies director

Malayalam web series make a commercial splash in entertainment industry

Aadujeevitham was my project initially; then I parted it to Blessy, says Lal Jose

'Terrible styling and makeup': Tabu's glamorous photoshoot raises eyebrows

'Bade Miyan Chote Miyan' release date postponed, to clash with 'Maidaan' in theatres

• Entertainment
• Science and Tech
• Education Today

India’s ‘Drishyam’ goes Hollywood; movie to be soon remade in English

Panorama Studios has acquired the international remake rights to the Malayalam movies "Drishyam 1 and 2" from the original producers Aashirvad Cinemas

Mumbai: Production house Panorama Studios on Thursday said it has teamed up with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films for the Hollywood remake of the “Drishyam” franchise.

Panorama Studios has acquired the international remake rights to the Malayalam movies “Drishyam 1 & 2” from the original producers Aashirvad Cinemas.

• Here are the movies, shows streaming on OTTs from Friday, March 1

The film series is also being developed in South Korea as well as a development deal is being finalised for a Spanish language version, the banner said in a release.

Kumar Mangat Pathak, Chairman and Managing Director, Panorama Studios, said he is excited to celebrate the story of “Drishyam” with audiences worldwide.

“We are very happy to collaborate with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films to create this story in English for Hollywood. After Korea and Hollywood, our mission is to produce ‘Drishyam’ in 10 countries in the next three to five years,” he said in a statement.

“We have received immense love from our Indian audiences, who have made the ‘Drishyam’ franchise a massive success. The strength of ‘Drishyam’ lies in its story, and we want it to be enjoyed by audiences globally,” added producer Abhishek Pathak, who also directed “Drishyam 2” (Hindi).

“Drishyam”, the 2013 Malayalam crime thriller, revolved around Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his family, who come under suspicion when Varun Prabhakar, the son of the IG Geetha Prabhakar, goes missing. The movie was written and directed by Jeethu Joseph.

Mike Karz and Bill Bindley of Gulfstream Pictures, the banner behind “Blended” and “Upgraded”, said they are happy to collaborate with Panorama Studios and JOAT Films on the English language adaptation of “Drishyam”.

“The film is a timeless thriller that has entranced audiences across the globe. We can’t wait to bring the movie to fans here in the U.S,” Karz and Bindley said in a joint statement.

Jack Nguyen, founder of JOAT Films, described “Drishyam” as a unique yet enduring story.

“The story has clearly resonated with audiences worldwide as evidenced by the numerous remakes it has spawned. Gulfstream, Panorama and JOAT are excited to have the opportunity to present our take on this cleverly crafted thriller to audiences globally,” Nguyen said.

While the Korean and English versions are in the works, “Drishyam” has also been remade in languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sinhala and Mandarin.

• Follow Us :
• Panorama Studios

Related News

Anne Hathaway was told she had zero sex appeal in Hollywood

Oscars 2024: Jimmy Kimmel mentions Robert Downey Jr.’s addiction in Monologue

Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2 confirmed?

Bhumi Pednekar eyes Hollywood after ‘Bhakshak’ success?

Latest news, govt yet to transfer zero ticket ‘profits’ to rtc, cbit in pact with bytexl, control invasive alien species, military modernisation brooks no delay, tractor driver threatens to jump off hospital in mancherial, push carts gutted in fire near charminar, decline in ap students applying for ts eapcet, ‘maidaan’: inspiring, absorbing and uplifting sports drama.

Updated IST

• Click on the Menu icon of the browser, it opens up a list of options.
• Click on the “Options ”, it opens up the settings page,
• Here click on the “Privacy & Security” options listed on the left hand side of the page.
• Scroll down the page to the “Permission” section .
• Here click on the “Settings” tab of the Notification option.
• A pop up will open with all listed sites, select the option “ALLOW“, for the respective site under the status head to allow the notification.
• Once the changes is done, click on the “Save Changes” option to save the changes.

• Top Listing
• Upcoming Movies

Jai Ganesh X Review: Unni Mukundan And Ranjith Sankar's Movie Promises To Be A Gripping Mystery Thriller

Jai Ganesh X Review: "Jai Ganesh" is a Malayalam mystery thriller movie written and directed by Ranjith Sankar. The film boasts a star-studded cast featuring Unni Mukundan, Mahima Nambiar, Ravindra Vijay, and Jomol in pivotal roles. Notably, the movie was produced by Unni Mukundan and Ranjith Sankar under their respective banners, Unni Mukundan Films and Dreams N Beyond.

Greenlit in August 2023, filming for "Jai Ganesh" began in November 2023, with Ernakulam serving as the starting point. Featuring music by Sankar Sharma, cinematography by Chandru Selvaraj, and editing by Sangeeth Prathap, the mystery thriller hit theatres on April 11, 2024.

Jai Ganesh Cast And Crew

The Malayalam mystery thriller "Jai Ganesh" boasts a strong cast. Leading the pack is Unni Mukundan, who also co-produced the film. Mahima Nambiar, Ravindra Vijay, and Jomol round out the lead roles. Veteran actors Hareesh Peradi and Ashokan join them alongside Nandhu, Srikanth K Vijayan, and Benzi Mathews, creating a captivating ensemble.

Behind the scenes, Chandru Selvaraj handled the cinematography, while Sangeeth Prathap did the editing. The original background score and songs were composed by Sankar Sharma, known for his work on "Sayanna Varthakal" (2022) and "Darvinte Parinamam" (2016).

The release of "Jai Ganesh" is highly anticipated, promising an extraordinary cinematic experience for all film enthusiasts. Stay tuned for insightful X (formerly Twitter) reviews as audiences share their thoughts on this mystery thriller film.

Redditors Dig Out Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Classy’ Response To Deepika Padukone-Sonam Kapoor’s 2010 KWK Episode, Watch

Cannes 2024: From Hina Khan to Gautam Gulati, These TV Actors Became Red Carpet Royalty

Will Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai Star Karishma Sawant Participate In Bigg Boss OTT 3? Actress BREAKS SILENCE

Advertisement

• Don't Block
• Block for 8 hours
• Block for 12 hours
• Block for 24 hours
• Dont send alerts during 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am to 1 am 2 am 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am 7 am 8 am 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm 1 pm 2 pm 3 pm 4 pm 5 pm 6 pm 7 pm 8 pm 9 pm 10 pm 11 pm 12 am