Movie: Drishyam
Director: Nishikant Kamat
Cast: Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ajay Devgn, Rajat Kapoor
Genre: Thriller
Drishyam is an adaptation of a Malayalam movie with the same name, written and directed by Jeethu Joseph, a well known director of Malayalam film-industry. The original was a blockbuster, post which it was remade into Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. When I saw the trailer of Drishyam, I was apprehensive about the it losing out on the thrill of the original as it happens in most cases of Bollywood remakes. However, if not the same, the Hindi adaptation has successfully maintained the pulse and tempo of the original movie.
Vijay Salgaonkar is a small time entrepreneur in Goa. He lives there with his wife and two children. However, one night an unexpected event turns their world upside down. He can either give in and lose all that he holds dear or he can fight tooth and nail to resurrect his family’s happiness. With the police watching his every move, will he win this fight or lose it all forever?
The hero of the movie is the screenplay by Jeethu Joseph which was adapted by Upendra Sidhaye in Hindi. The suspense keeps you at the edge of your seat till the very end. Unlike the usual cock-and-bull-story that Bollywood keeps hurling at us every now and then, this one unfurls gently though unexpectedly, and before you have time to recover, it deals you a final blow (an exciting one, of course). I am itching to begin comparing the original with the remake however, let me try and be as fair as possible. The only area where I felt the movie was largely lacking was in terms of the casting. Shriya Saran surprisingly blends perfectly into the role of a mother whereas Tabu on the other hand seemed to be unable to smoothly transcend from one role to another, i.e. being a no-nonsense police officer to being a mother. I might be biased here, as I was blown over by the performance of actor Asha Sharath in the original. For me, she and the screenplay were the true heroes of the original. Veteran Rajat Kapoor was not convincing in his role as a father worried to death about his missing son. My personal favourite was the child actor who played the role of Vijay’s youngest daughter. She was spot on with her expressions and dialogue delivery.
None of the songs were impressive, not that I am complaining as the storyline will make up for it. The cinematography by Avinash Arun captures some amazing sights around Goa. Thankfully there is no unnecessary dancing around the bushes and the director has stood true to the theme of the movie.
Drishyam is a remake of a movie I absolutely love and I don’t have many complaints about the remake. So that’s your cue to not miss out on this movie. It’s simple and captivating! I will be positively upset if you don’t book your tickets immediately. (1,2,3… march!)
My Verdict: ****
