On 31st July 2015, Drishyam, the Bollywood remake of a Malayalam movie of the same name, won the hearts of the audience and was a perfect thriller. Drishyam came like a fresh gust of wind for the Bollywood audience who were used to seeing romantic or over the top action movies. Drishyam completed its fifth year this July and set a genre for filmmakers who create stories closer to reality and that’s what exactly what “Drishyam”- “visual”- is all about.
Let’s look into why even after 5 years, Drishyam stays a class apart in Bollywood.
- Drishyam’s storyline- Aging like fine wine, Drishyam witnessed the storyline that impressed upon the audience, the date of October 2, not just as the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, but as the day when Vijay Salgaonkar and his family claimed to attend the Satsang of Swami Chinmayanandain Panaji, Goa. The basic storyline is how a father hatches a foolproof and believable plan to save his family from a murder conviction.
- Poker face of Ajay Devgan- The straight face maintained by Ajay Devgan throughout the movie makes it hard to make out that he is lying. While repeatedly saying that on October 2, he visited the Satsang with his family (a line repeated at least 20 times throughout the movie), his calm and undisturbed face is commendable. This shows, how far can a man go for his family.
- Tabu steals the show- Stealing the show as a tough cop, the audience is left feeling that she will reveal the case soon, and that, she finally does. Trying to outdo each other, the conflict between Ajay Devgan and Tabu is what creates the plot of this suspense thriller that will keep you at the edge of your seats. The character of Tabu is of a strong IG and she has emotional reasons attached to it. Throughout the movie, it’s her zeal to win at any cost, for the sake of her emotions, is what keeps the story going.
- Soundtrack and music- Both the story and the music used in the movie are quite fresh and impactful. The songs are perfectly used to depict important situations and convey major emotions.
- Crime- Drama- Thriller- All rolled into one story, Drishyam consists of crime, thriller and emotional drama. Among all other conventional thrillers with potential heroism, Drishyamis strikingly different. The setting of the film, the family drama and how crime is glorified at the end and Ajay Devgan emerges as the hero- all of it makes Drishyam, worth a re-run on its fifth anniversary.
The dark secret of the Salgaonkar family and a father’s wish to safeguard his daughter clashes with the zeal and dedication of a mother to find her son out of love forms the major plot of the movie. Breaking all stereotypes, Tabu in the role of a dutiful Police officer and a woman of will, was an admiral. The quality consistency of the film and the performances of the cast is commendable. You can binge-watch it on Voot.
