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FILM REVIEW: Drishyam 2

Superb performances lift this taut thriller Cast: Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, Ishita Dut...


Superb performances lift this taut thriller

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, Ishita Dutta

Rating: 3.5*

The film starts in 2014 when Vijay is seen coming out of the under-construction police station and has been spotted by a man David who was escaping from the police after a murder. The story now shifts to 2021. It has been seven years since the crisis had taken place in the lives of Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay) and his family. Vijay has fulfilled his dream of opening a posh cinema hall (Miraj) but still runs a cable network (Mirage Cable Corner) and resides in the same house in Pondolem, Goa (everything thing about the house is spotlessly new as if no one has ever stayed there).

Despite the trauma that Vijay’s elder daughter Anju (Ishita) had gone through seven years ago, she is yet to recover and has been taking medical help. However, Vijay’s wife Nandini (Shriya) finds a friend and confidante in her neighbour Jenny. In comes a newly appointed IG in Goa, Tarun Ahlawat (Akshaye) who is a good friend of Meera Deshmukh (Tabu). Meera herself has settled in London with her husband Mahesh (Rajat) who return to Goa for their son’s death anniversary. Tarun meets Meera and goes through Vijay’s case files. They feel that there is something fishy about Vijay and his family and when Tarun gets an important clue, they are out to nab Vijay and his family.

The biggest flaws of the film are that the Salgaonkars seem to have moved on to more cushy lives whereas they should have been living in the shadow of their guilt. Moreover, Nandini’s plight is not so convincing and she actually comes out as a foolish person. Ditto for Anju,  who is reduced to a decorative piece though the entire film revolves around her.

It is just that Jeethu Joseph’s (director of the Malayalam originals) way of telling the story is so solid that the mediocrity too appears like brilliance in this remake. Director Abhishek Pathak did not need to do anything extra when he was asked to take up the directorial reins after the sad demise of Nishikant Kamat (Drishyam). Hence, more often than not, he gets it right. Aamil Keyan Khan’s dialogues add charisma to the proceedings.

Ajay Devgn is confidence personified and again puts in a restrained and effective performance. But the film rides high on Akshaye Khanna who simply breezes through his role with utmost conviction and sweeps aside everyone in his taut avatar. He owns every scene he features in and there is never a slip. Tabu leaves yet another inedible mark on her no- holds-barred bitterness towards Vijay. Despite having a supporting role in the sequel, she still holds her own. It’s such a pleasure watching these two actors together. Even Rajat Kapoor packs in an emotional performance. Saurabh Shukla (film writer Murad Ali) is absolutely wonderful.

The film stays true to the original with nothing changed. But the climax and some brilliant performances actually work for the film. As Ajay says in the beginning: ‘Don’t believe what you hear but believe in what you see’

 

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