Drishyam 2 Review: A terrific follow-up to its predecessor where Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna strike fire with their spot-on performances

Drishyam 2 Movie Review Rating: 4/5

Drishyam is one of the most loved crime thrillers in Indian cinema which stands with the best of the genre. Originally made in Malayalam, the cult film has seen remakes in several popular Indian languages, including Hindi. Helmed by Nishikant Kamat, the Hindi version of the film released in 2015 and turned out to be an instant hit. The audience praises mesmerising performances of Ajay Devgn, Tabu, and Shriya Saran. Seven years later, Drishyam 2 has hit cinemas amid great anticipation. No prize for guessing that it is the official remake of Mohanlal’s Malayalam blockbuster Drishyam 2, which landed on Amazon Prime Video in 2021 and smashed several records of viewership on the streaming platform. Our BollywoodMDB reviewer has seen the film and here is what he has to say about the same.

STORY: Drishyam 2 picks up from where it left off in Drishyam. Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) is peacefully living with his wife Nandini (Shriya Saran) and daughters Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrunal) in Pondolem, Goa. Though he has fulfilled his cherished dream of opening a theatre in his town, he still runs his cable network business and wishes to produce a film soon. Everything seems hunky-dory, but his wife Nandini still fears that skeletons in the cupboard could tumble out anytime to crash their idyllic world down. She finds a confidante in her neighbour, Jenny (Neha Joshi). On the other hand, Goa police have appointed a new IG Tarun Ahlawat (Akshaye Khanna) who happens to be a good friend of former IG Meera Deshmukh (Tabu). When Tarun meets Meera and studies the case of her son’s mysterious disappearance seven years ago, he reaches the conclusion that Vijay is the culprit and needs to be brought to books. However, in absence of concrete evidence, he cannot do anything. But when he chances upon an important clue, he leaves no stone unturned to make sure Vijay Salgaonkar and his entire family go behind the bars. But will Vijay let this happen? Does he have yet another master plan to save his family once again? To find this and more, please watch the film in the theatre closest to you.

HIGHS: Drishyam 2 is a smartly crafted and shaped piece of entertainment. The way it unfolds with the same leisurely pace and slow-burning suspense as its predecessor is just amazing. The film sucks you in into its world almost immediately and wonderfully continues the themes and drama of the previous film. The credit for the same goes to director Abhishek Pathak who, despite not helming the first installment in the series, successfully manages to give the same look and feel to the sequel.

Coming to performances, Ajay Devgn once again shines in the role of Vijay Salgaonkar, who is ready to go all out to protect his family from any danger. The actor picks up the beats of his characters almost immediately. It is his character that drives the narrative. Shriya Sharan and Ishita Dutta who play his wife and daughter respectively also do complete justice to their characters. Tabu as Meera Deshmukh, former IG of Goa, leaves an impact with her brief role. After watching her, you strongly feel that her character should have been given more screen time. Yes, she is so powerful. All actors are great in the film, but it is Akshaye Khanna as the new IG Tarun Ahlawat who blows your mind with his explosive performance. He gets some of the best dialogues in the film and he performs them with such intensity and restraint that you are bound to praise him for the kind of actor that he is. His performance brings a new flavour to the narrative. Siddharth Bodke, who plays the role of David, is also very impactful.

Drishyam 2 has rich production value. It boasts of crisp cinematography, atmospheric sound design, and an incredibly effective score. All these elements coupled with riveting performances from the entire cast keep you hooked to the screen and leave you wanting more.

LOWS: Drishyam 2, just like any other film, has some flaws but they are not strong enough to keep you away from watching it in cinemas. Some of the scenes in the film feel rushed as if everybody is in a rush to reach the conclusion as soon as possible.

FINAL VERDICT: Drishyam 2 is a must-watch even if you have seen its Malayalam version a hundred times. The fact that it is not a frame-to-frame copy of the original makes it an even more exciting watch. Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna deliver some incredible performances. They are ably supported by Tabu. Brilliant performances, tense atmosphere, unexpected plot twists, and turns of events are some of the major highlights of the film. I am going with 4 stars.

Watch Drishyam 2 trailer:

MOVIE CREDITS:

Banner: Panorama Studios, Viacom18 Studios, T-Series Films

Director: Abhishek Pathak

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Akshaye Khanna, Shriya Sharan

Runtime: 140 Minutes