Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 2 has plenty of nail-biting moments, but somehow you will miss the 2015 movie, Drishyam. Here’s our review.
Drishyam 2 released on November 18, 2022.
By Anindita Mukherjee: They say there is something about Ajay Devgn’s eyes. They speak for themselves. And it wouldn’t be wrong to go back in time, say the 2015 film Drishyam, and look back at the scene where the story begins with a zoom-in in his eyes and we are taken into the woes of the Salgaonkar parivar. This remains the same in Ajay Devgn’s November 18 release, Drishyam 2, along with a few other things that won’t make you forget about Mohanlal. Let’s see the how and why in detail.
Drishyam 2 is not a film that we recommend to those who have not seen the first part. It is a continuation in the true sense of the word. And it’s made clear with screenshots from the 2015 film Drishyam panning across the 70mm with closing credits. We are soon taken into Vijay Salgaonkar’s somewhat okay new life with his family amidst all the haunting past rumors surrounding them. Well, that’s the reality. People don’t forget drama and that is portrayed in the film. Vijay and the Salgaonkar family, consisting of his wife Nandini (played by Shriya Saran), and two daughters, Anju and Anu (Ishita Dutta and Mrunal Jadhav), try to swim through their past and try to start a new life. Little do they know, however, that they are far from being closed. At least, until the end.
The director tries to set the brevity of the situation with constant rain and storms that somewhat depict the seriousness of the scene and it works. Also, Ajay stars as Vijay in this one. He is smart, ‘chalak’ as the police describe him, and futuristic. And he is a man who knows his sin and is ready to deal with its aftermath.
Shriya Saran plays the innocent Nandini who hasn’t had a single peaceful night’s sleep in the past seven years as the past haunts her. Anju now deals with epilepsy that gets worse every time she feels stress. Anu is all grown up, but we don’t see much content in her character. Peace is short-lived for the Salgaonkars after IG Tarun Ahlawat (played by Akshaye Khanna) replaces Tabu. No, not in the movie, but in her role. And Akshay does a great job too, with the taunts and grit of an officer, but we wanted more from Tabu. She is spread thin throughout the film and Akshay couldn’t create the fear that Tabu did like IG Meera Deshmukh did in the first part.
If you’re wondering why Gaitonde (played by Kamlesh Sawant) hasn’t been mentioned yet, don’t worry. You will hate him in this part too, and there is more sharpness to his character than in the first part, and this just proves that he has been successful in his endeavour. For example, we like one of his dialogues where he says “Biwi ka birthday bhool sakta hoon, October 2 aur October 3 nahin.”
And there are multiple references to Drishyam in the sequel. For example, the incidents of October 2 and 3 have become a national meme in the first part. The makers know it well and have used it in the same aspect. Whenever Tabu or anyone else on screen talks about these two dates and how they had pao bhaji and attended a satsang together, the audience would clap and burst into laughter.
However, there were a few things that defied logic. Thus, the Salgaonkars were shown as a middle-class family in Drishyam. The second part depicts him as a theater owner. He has now moved into a posh bungalow, but his profession remains the same: owner of Miraj Cable and now owner of a theater. Why and how the change would make you think of Suneil Shetty’s incredible rags-to-riches story about Dhadkan.
Gaitonde punches women as part of interrogation for a former female IG while talking about maintaining law and order. Was it an attempt to make the public hate him even more? That is a question we leave to the makers. It would also be safe to say that Drishyam was much more gripping. Drishyam 2 is no less, but still nothing like the first.
Drishyam 2 is the Hindi adaptation of Mohanlal’s film of the same name. Ajay Devgn had promised us another storyline. Don’t go with that mindset because you will be disappointed. There are some plot twists here and there, but most of it remains the same. Not to mention, smitten with Ajay’s magic.
There’s something about Ajay Devgn movies that all cinephiles will admit. The man does not need hard dialogues to get claps and screams. Expressions and hello kaafi hain walk! The same is also true in Drishyam 2. However, the movie also has some interesting bits that deserve a chance in the cinema. But the question is, will you?
2.5 out of 5 stars for Drishyam 2.