Drishyam 2 (2022) — The Visual: They See What You Want Them To See!

You live happily with your family. One day, an uninvited guest barges in and plans destruction upon you and your family. You try to convince and stop him from doing so, but all in vain! He just won’t listen. Then all of a sudden a tragedy happens, and you send that uninvited guest to a place from where there is no return…

Starring Ajay Devgn and Akshaye Khanna, Drishyam 2 has been written and directed by Abhishek Pathak, and produced by Bhushan Kumar. This Bollywood sequential blockbuster was released across theaters worldwide on November 18, 2022.

Featuring Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar in Drishyam 2

Will Vijay Salgaonkar’s wit and mind manipulation of witnesses be able to save him and his family from the police this time too? If you would like to know the full story, then check out my narration of Drishyam (2015) and Drishyam 2 (2022) here!

Drishyam 2 (2022) Official Trailer:

The Good:

How Far Can You Go To Save Your Family?

“If you think you can outwit me, you are wrong.

Your fox-like cunningness will be gone.

If you consider yourself the master, then remember every dog has his day.

Spy on me, and you will eventually get tired.

‘Cause I do the wrong the right way!”

After reading these lines, don’t mistake me for a poet. Jokes apart! This is how Vijay Salgaonkar thought, and is exactly what he did to save his family who had committed an accidental murder as an act of self-defense. Any responsible family man could have done the same. After all, this was no real crime. The perverted Sameer came to harm his family. So, they sent him to a place where he rightly deserved to be! What the family did was wrong, but I must say, to avoid arrest and protect his family, Vijay surely did the wrong the right way!

The engaging screenplay of this chilling suspense-thriller might appear slow-paced at the beginning. But with every passing moment, the thrill builds up as Vijay’s hiding the body under the then under-construction police station now has an eyewitness in the form of a murder suspect named David. As David gave his statement of witnessing Vijay that night at the under-construction police station where Sameer’s corpse was supposed to be buried, the thrill and excitement start picking up.

And what an intelligent twist at the ending! The plot takes a dramatic twist, and this time the “mind manipulation” of the cops, lawyers, the judge, and eyewitness is done by Vijay Salgaonkar with the aid of a film script that he had himself written! Drishyam (2015) had a seriously engaging plot with Vijay manipulating the witnesses as he wanted using his sheer wit, and Drishyam 2 does live up to our expectations with a similar mind-manipulative baffling game.

Performances That Leave A Mark

Ajay Devgn’s performance in Drishyam 2 as the troubled and tension-filled Vijay Salgaonkar is superb. His mysterious and shady character succeeds in retaining the thrill throughout the movie. When you come across the character of Vijay, you will agree with the fact that something is always going on in his mind. He appears disturbed, and upon seeing him you would know that he is always cooking up plans to save his family from the clutches of the police.

Akshaye Khanna’s performance leaves no stone unturned. He appears more like a detective than a police officer in Drishyam 2. And the fact is that his detective-natured character was absolutely necessary for building up the thrill in the movie. Had he acted like a regular cop, then there would have remained no place for some chilling thrill! Even if Akshaye Khanna’s looks have deteriorated as he has aged, it’s his performance that leaves a mark. Had you seen him in early 2000s you would agree how handsome he was. His looks once surpassed any other Bollywood actor even to this day!

If you have watched Drishyam (2015), you will see all characters like former Inspector General (IG) Meera Deshmukh (Tabu), Vijay’s wife Nandini (Shriya Saran), his daughters Anju (Ishita Dutta) and Anu (Mrunal Jadhav), all present in this sequel too. And why won’t they be? After all, this is a continuation of the 2015 movie. Even if their screen times are less as compared to the prequel, they did lend decent support throughout. As always, Vijay’s family comprising his wife and daughters, everyone appeared in constant fear and tension of getting caught by the police because of the accidental murder which they had committed. Tabu as former IG Meera Deshmukh appeared even more vengeful. She was determined to obtain justice for her son’s murder, and get the accused (The Salgaonkars) punished.

Supporting cast includes Kamlesh Sawant as suspended Sub-Inspector Lakshmikant Gaitonde who appeared more like a henchman rather than a cop in the prequel, Siddharth Bodke as murder convict David who was an eyewitness to Vijay’s misdemeanor, Rajat Kapoor as IG Meera’s husband, and not to forget Neha Joshi and Nishant Singh as the married undercover cops, carried out their respective parts convincingly. Saurabh Shukla as screenwriter Murad Ali twisted the story at the climax. His relevant screen presence cannot be ignored.

Dialogues That Create An Impact

What powerful dialogues Drishyam 2 has! You will find a strong convincing note in the dialogues in this movie which have been written by Aamil Keeyan Khan. The manner in which they have been delivered is worth the appreciation. I will narrate some amazing dialogue from the movie. Just read them to feel their impact!

A dialogue by Ajay Devgn goes, “Sach Ped Ke Beej Ki Tarah Hota Hain…Jitna Chahe Dafna Lo, Ek Din Bahar Aa Hi Jaata Hain” meaning, “Truth is like a seed. No matter how deep you bury it, one day it will show up (as a tree)”.

Another mind-blowing dialogue by Devgn is, “Shabdon Mein Nahi, Drishyon Mein Dhyaan Do. Kyuki Shabdon Mein Jhoot Chupne Ki Jagah Dhoondh Hi Leta Hain. Lekin Drishya Kabhi Jhoot Nahi Bolte. Isliye Sawaal Yeh Nahi Ki, Aapke Aakhon Ke Saamne Kya Hain?…Sawaal Yeh Hain Ki, Aap Dekh Kya Rahe Ho?!” This awesome dialogue has an in-depth meaning. It means, “Don’t trust words, trust visuals. Because lies can be hidden within words, but visuals never lie! So the question is not about what’s in front of your eyes…the question is about what you are visualizing!”

A dialogue by Akshaye Khanna goes, “Case Padhne Se Pehle Main Insaan Ko Pakarta Hoon” meaning, “Before I go through a case, I catch the suspect”.

A Cryptic Cinematography Coupled With Sharp Editing

The murder-mystery drama Drishyam (2015) with its suspenseful plot was so engaging that it earned the status of a cult film. So does Drishyam 2. As a direct continuation to its prequel, it is sure to hold a similar ground.

The essence of the tense and unexpected situations in Drishyam 2 has been elevated even more by the cryptic and shady cinematographic atmosphere created by Sudhir Chaudhary. The camerawork as well as the background music did add to the mystery essence. What’s more, the sharp and skillful editing performed by Sandeep Francis made the complex plot of Drishyam 2, which is loaded with twists and turns, easy to apprehend. Moreover, the extensive storyline was covered in just 2 hours and 20 minutes, which is quite an appreciable job done by the film’s editor.

Nice Songs

The rap track in Drishyam 2 “Sahi Galat” has a mystery tune, and you will enjoy listening to it. Singer Jubin Nautiyal rocked the track “Saath Hum Rahein” with his melody.

The Bad:

The Original Credit For This Awesome Cult Drama Does Not Go To Bollywood…But The South Indian Film Industry!

If you wonder what “bad” can be there in such a hair-raising intriguing film? Then allow me to place a sad reality before you! Both the films, Drishyam (2015) and Drishyam 2 (2022) are not Bollywood’s brainchildren. The credits for the fascinating stories of both films go to the South Indian film industry!

Bollywood’s Drishyam (2015) was a remake of the 2013 Malayalam-language crime-thriller by the same name. Similarly, Bollywood’s Drishyam 2 (2022) is also a remake of the 2021 Malayalam suspense drama yet again by the same name! The original credits for the plots of Drishyam (2015), as well as Drishyam 2 (2022), go to Malayalam cinema’s renowned filmmaker, Jeethu Joseph.

Abhishek Pathak, who has written and directed the sequential remake “Drishyam 2” starring Ajay Devgn, has simply adapted Jeethu Joseph’s story. The only difference both Bollywood remakes have from the original Malayalam dramas is Ajay Devgn! Devgn, with his mega fan base, rocked the show!

The Verdict:

After the South Indian, suspense-drama Drishyam 2 (2021) was declared a success, a sequel to Bollywood’s Drishyam (2015) was announced and finally released as Drishyam 2 on November 18, 2022. So, Bollywood as usual was only following in the footsteps of the South Indian film industry. Nothing was its own innovation. The filming for the Ajay Devgn sequel began in February 2022 and was wrapped up by June 2022. The sequel was shot extensively in the Indian state of Goa.

By this time, after reviewing several action movies, I may have gained the image of an action lover. But actually, I am not! I appreciate a film by its storyline and screenplay, whether it is an action movie or a non-action drama. Drishyam 2 is not an action film. You won’t come across any real action sequences in this film except police interrogation and at times, police brutality. If police brutality is what you term “action”, then so be it! Excuse me for the joke!

A Glimpse: Behind The Scenes Of Drishyam 2

Drishyam 2 is a copy, but I must appreciate Abhishek Pathak’s cleverly adapted screenplay as well as the beautiful direction of the film. Even though Drishyam 2 is not a very high-budget film as compared to Bollywood’s other recent releases, it does pack a heavy punch in the minds of the audiences with its intensified suspense. You will be able to understand Drishyam 2 only if you have watched its 2015 prequel as it is a direct continuation of its prequel. So, if you are not yet familiar with the “Drishyam” film franchise, I advise you to watch both films as soon as you can!

As Vijay Salgaonkar said, “This case will go on till we are alive”. So, I hope we see Bollywood coming up with “Drishyam 3” very soon. However, I also hope it doesn’t take another seven years to release. Else, as Ajay Devgn is aging, next time we may see Vijay Salgaonkar as a granddaddy!