Drishyam 2 Review: Ajay Devgn and Co keep you engaged

Drishyam 2

Director: Abhishek Pathak

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Akshaye Khanna, Rajat Kapoor, Shriya Saran, Kamlesh Sawant

Released in theatres.

Drishyam 2 takes place seven years after the case was closed because the police couldn’t provide any evidence that Vijay Salgaonkar or one of his family members were the murderers. But a new clue puts the police back in action. There is a young man David who has seen Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) on the night of 2^nd October after he buried young Sameer Deshmukh’s body under the police station which was being renovated back then.

There’s a new IG Tarun Ahlawat (Akshaye Khanna) investigating the case. Meera Deshmukh is involved in the case only as a mother now. Telling you anything about the story will give away the spoilers because the second half is essentially these twists or new information that make up the story and screenplay. To give credit where it is due, the second half of the film is remarkably made on all fronts.

Vijay Salgaonkar and his family were loved by the audience for simply being the common-man family. To give you an insight, I have seen genuine curiosity in people to know what happens in Drishyam 2. I think besides family, it is the common man beating the system that made Drishyam so loveable by the audience. In the sequel too, you will find yourself cheering for Vijay’s cleverness. Ajay Devgn carries the film with his laidback ease. But the fatigue and stress of Vijay’s deeds are visible on his face. Maybe it was just me or maybe not but in one scene Devgn resembled Mohan Lal.

Also read: Sumi Marathi Movie Review: Heart-warming and Endearing!

I had not watched the original Drishyam starring Mohan Lal nor have I watched its sequel. The makers of this flick have claimed that the Hindi version is different from the Malayalam version. I would like to check it out sometime.

Unlike its prequel, the Hindi sequel doesn’t have anything for any other character, which is a downer. Akshaye Khanna has been reduced to only giving smug looks whereas Tabu, Rajat Kapoor, Shriya Saran have extended cameos. Kamlesh Sawant who plays the cop Gaitonde gets some punchy one-liners. The first half is spent merely giving you information about what life is like after seven years for Vijay and his family.

The film shows Vijay’s cleverness but doesn’t glorify his deed. He has his reasons for what he did. Like the parting line in the film where Vijay walks out of the court and crosses Meera and her husband, he admits to us in voice over that he will never be able to look Sameer’s parents in the eyes. It rarely happens that after a flat first half a film picks up pace and grip in a way that makes you wonder whether you’re still watching the same film. And that’s what made me think by the end of Drishyam 2 that it could have been a really gripping 90-minute film without an interval. That would have added more value to emotional endurance as well as the thrill. Nevertheless, the film is worth a watch.