Dedh Minute Review: Drishyam

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Drishyam unravels lazily for a thriller, but Tabu and Ajay Devgn make it worth a watch, says Aniruddha Guha in his Dedh Minute Review.

Do you remember the last time you watched an Ajay Devgn film that had a story? Like, an actual plot? Yeah, me neither.

Lately, an Ajay Devgn film has been all about the actor desperately trying to get box office validation with brainless duds like Action Jackson, Himmatwala and Son of Sardaar. After ages, in Drishyam, we see glimpses of the actor we enjoyed watching in the past.

The film is an official remake of Jeetu Joseph’s Malayalam film Drishyam, which itself was an unofficial adaptation of the Japanese book, The Devotion of Suspect X. Yet, the Hindi version begins with a slide that says it is based on Jeetu Joseph’s “original” story!

The plot is solid to begin with – a regular working class guy, played by Devgan, creates a water-tight alibi for a crime committed by his wife and daughter, and goes up against a cop played by Tabu. Having two good actors helps, and they make the plot seem a lot more riveting than it actually is.

Some of the lines have punch, and director Nishikant Kamat keeps the tone consistent. But for a thriller, the film unravels rather lazily.

Yet, for those who haven’t watched either the Malayalam Drishyam or its Tamil remake Papanasam or read The Devotion of Suspect X, the Hindi Drishyam will seem novel and fun. My rating is a 3 on 5.