The original Malayalam sequel of the highly appreciated DRISHYAM was an equally cracking thriller fulfilling the expectations raised. Hence, even if a remake blindly followed the script, adding some sharp performances, it was bound to generate a similar impact on screen for the audience watching it in a different language and region.
The official Hindi remake of DRISHYAM 2, not only does the same but also comes up with an additional feature as Akshaye Khanna, who adds his few cents to the last hour of the film, the hour deserving appreciation. Another worth mentioning merit of the Hindi remake is its title song playing along with the opening credits, making you recall the era when such tracks were a trend like in SHAAN, SHALIMAR and more.
The film begins with this pleasantly surprising, catchy title track (a rarity in Hindi cinema these days) stressing upon the term Drishyam. And that sets the mood to watch an exciting thriller continuing with the engaging storyline of a clever father and husband playing mind games with the police.
However, the excitement slowly starts vanishing as nothing engaging happens for almost an hour, creating restlessness for the audience. The narrative faithfully follows its source, which tests the viewer’s patience, eagerly waiting for the promised explosions. Thankfully, the tables turn post the intermission with thoroughly engaging case developments coming one after another, leading to a spellbinding climax.
But that was exactly the case with the original Malayalam film too. So, the writers adapting it in Hindi have simply or rather blindly followed Jeethu Joseph, trying no deductions and rectifications, ignoring all its shortcomings and flaws. As a result, along with a long non-happening first hour, the hard-to-believe and somewhat unconvincing twists of the original remain as it is in the remake.
The background score also doesn’t try any kind of innovative format, but it successfully provides the chills, elevating the tense sequences just at the right moments as required. At the same time, the tension here is mostly conversational, which might disappoint the viewers looking for some action by Ajay Devgn.
On a lighter note, every reference to 2nd October and its travel details in the script instantly makes one smile. And this is one rare film that gets some positive promotion from all those negative memes making fun of its related sequences.
Moving on to the performances, there isn’t anything exceptional in the decent acts of Shreya Saran and all in the supporting cast. But the film gets it much required boost through the spirited show put up by Ajay Devgn and Tabu-Akshaye playing the rivals. Ajay excels himself, delivering an even better performance compared to part one in a fresh bearded look and Tabu-Akshaye remain the USP of the sequel, despite Akshaye being over in a few scenes. His appearance as a bald investigating officer also looks odd, especially to the viewers who have seen him playing the lead just around a decade back.
In short, as a faithful remake, Drishyam 2 is a winner simply because of its author-backed and well-executed second half, making the best use of its already hit and potent source material. But personally, I was expecting director Abhishek Pathak and his team to come up with some convincing changes in the end, overcoming the drawbacks of the original.
That said, this is sure going to be an enjoyable thriller for viewers who have not seen the original Malayalam film. And for the ones who are already familiar with the suspense, it has Ajay-Tabu-Akshaye, ensuring the return of your money spent on the high-priced tickets.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Note: If you haven't seen the original, then that is highly recommended. For friends interested in reading the BTC review of original Malayalam film DRISHYAM 2, it is available at the following link.
