So I recently saw this Bollywood flick five years too late and it’s called ‘Drishyam’. It came out in 2015 and had been directed by Nishikant Kamat. The Bollywood film is a remake of a Malayalam film by the same name directed by a guy called Jeethu Joseph.
Fun Fact – Apparently, the plot is slightly similar to that of Keigo Higashino’s ‘The Devotion of Suspect X’, which is a murder mystery novel. One that I have not read, but hope to, because it’s supposedly fantastic.
The plot is simple – it’s about a middle-class man who is trying to protect his family from the cops after his daughter accidentally kills a pervert who was trying to sexually harass her. His wife is also party to the crime because she helps the daughter bury the body.
However, what makes this film brilliant is the ingenious ways in which the hero tries to erase all evidence, the rest of the plot is about how the cops are at their wits end to uncover the disappearance of the boy, who happens to be the son of a top cop.
The Bollywood film is helmed by Ajay Devgn in the lead, with Shriya Saran who plays his wife. However, it’s the script that is the real hero of the film, it’s tight, intriguing and keeps you hooked. In the first half however, the viewer feels like there is too much unnecessary build-up, especially to establish ‘what a nice middle-class family’ the main cast is. In the second half however, each little scene starts to fall into place.
Will the family get away with murder? That’s the question you are left to wonder as you watch this thriller. The climax is pretty damn good, even though I did manage to guess the plot twist before the end. The pace might be a problem for some, although, it is largely breezy. What really works for the plot is that it has the right amount of seriousness and is spiced with just enough drama.
For me, the only thing that was problematic was the trigger for the accidental murder, but I can oversee it, because if I go into details, that will end up in being a big spoiler.
Despite a 2 hour plus run-time, Drishyam makes for a satisfactory watch. Those who have watched the original Malayalam flick claim the Jeethu Joseph one is way better. And I totally believe them, after all, the film has been so hugely popular, that it got a Hindu remake, a Tamil remake and even the Chinese bought the rights to remake the film.
The Chinese remake is called ‘Sheep Without A Sheperd’ and Jeethu Joseph has been given credit for the script. The Chinese remake also went on to become one of the biggest blockbusters in the country.
So if you are interested in the film, you have four languages to choose from. The original might be a good choice. Unfortunately, I was not aware that the film was a remake, or I might have chosen to watch the Malayalam one by Joseph.
The Bollywood version is available on Amazon Prime.