DRISHYAM

You sit in a theatre with bated breath, not even getting up to get a tub of popcorn or a refill of your drink not wanting to miss a moment of the film on screen!  

That was my expectation when i walked in to watch the premiere of Drishyam because  of Tabu and Ajay Devgn in it. But Director Nishikant Kamat ends up turning a class script into a regular deceptive  visual.

The story begins as a simple and a rather conventionally presented family drama happening in Pandolem,Goa, where a local Cable TV operator named Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) lives with his wife Nandini (Shriya Saran) and daughters Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrinal Jadhav). Almost the entire first half shows how close knit they are as a family but an unprecedented happening shadows their peaceful life. How they overcome such a difficult situation is the plot here.

 I remember years back when i saw Rajiv Rai's GUPT,  the entire plot, background score, characters all supported the plot and it was a suspense/thriller with all the basic ingredients of one. Why am i citing this example is to clarify that apart from one scene in the end you get no thrill in this Drishyam! 

I feel pity for each and everyone who has seen the orginal Malyalam Version of DRISHYAM(2013) by Jitu Jospeh and if you will be going to watch this DRISHYAM(2015), please be ready to get disappointed. GeorgeKutty played by Mohanlal in Malyalam version was a humble man with a humble abode and a closely connected family. The entire movie was based on that character and his flawless acting makes you feel what all a normal guy can do for his family. 

Ajay Devgn's Vijay is bland, no where interesting. In the interrogation scenes where his family is getting beaten he seems stoical. A family for whose safety you have been planning it all, i couldn't digest the fact that one will sit and watch if he sees his wife and daughter getting beaten in front of him. If not intervene then at least plead, cry,beg for mercy, be the compassionate father! 
But Mr. Devgn seemed to 'try' to emote all through his eyes, which did not work for me. He looked too cold and sullen for the character that required him to be warm, affectionate and protective about his family. Having said that i am not doubting the acting capabilities of Ajay Devgn but i have a strong feeling that someone like Anil Kapoor would have made it more believable, interesting and compassionate. Nandini played by Shriya Saran is not much of a character to be discussed apart from Mom and elder daughter looking almost of similar age. 

Casting by Vicky Sidana, i guess was one of the major drawbacks. Someone like maybe Mukesh Chhabra would have done a better job. But give Vicky the credit for doing one perfect casting of Tabu as I.G Meera Deshmukh. 

The movie literally takes off after Tabu's introduction as a tough cop.Her unflinching and daring persona itself makes one feel that she has all what it takes to be a senior cop. The beautiful shift of emotions between a cop and the mother of a 'missing' child is done effortlessly by Tabu.  

Rajat Kapoor as a businessman, husband of Meera and father of a 'missing' child is the perfect fit for his role and essays it well. 
 Kamlesh Sawant as the corrupt police officer Gaitonde also makes an impression.

All in all DRISHYAM could have been the year's best film if only no one would have meddled with the original screenplay. Ghajini was what it was as the Director was the same, i wonder why didn't Jitu Joseph was hired by the production house? After Lay Bhaari i have had huge expectations from Nishikant Kamat but he wasn't able to do justice to this fabulous script and so was Ajay Devgn.The director was not able to exploit a cinematographer like Avinash Arun of Killa and Masaan fame to his full potential too. 

The second half of the movie does get a little gripping and a few scenes do make you feel good but please don't even expect Ajay's Zakhm gaze to Drishyam one. The last 10 minutes of the movie do get a little edgy but if you watch the movie closely even that can be easily predicted.

I believe the original screenplay should not have been meddled with and would have been made exactly the same with some basic bollywood touch ups here and there, may have helped for the better of the movie. 

Don't go with expectations and the ones who have seen Malyalam version, AVOID this one. 

As the tagline of the film goes, 

'Visuals can be deceptive'  these sure are.