Drishyam 2 (Review)

The universe of Drishyam originates where most revenge sagas end. A predator threatens to disrupt a family and the ends up dead instead. If Drishyam showed us the extent to which a common man can go to protect his family, the sequel takes us beyond this point. Where Drishyam 2 scores, countless sequels have failed. The first part seemed like a complete film in itself: the act is committed, the proof safely buried, the cryptic confession with admittance of guilt. How then does one take off from this point and not fall flat? Jeethu Joseph answers this through his brilliant writing.

Beyond Revenge Sagas, Unraveling Family Dynamics

Drishyam was fast paced and mostly in the thriller genre. Family was a subtext- a very important one, but subtext, nevertheless. Drishyam 2 is a slow burn by design and the plot stays focussed on the family for the entire first half. Or should I say, families as there are 4 of them. Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his family whose members display all the symptoms of PTSD, the couple (Asha Sharath and Siddique) still healing from the loss of their son and are looking for closure, Georgekutty’s neighbours Saritha and Sabu (Anjali Nair and Sumesh Chandran) with marital discords. There is also a key player in the events who only wants to get back to his estranged family. The development of these characters is so neatly weaved in the screenplay that one does not notice any lag.

Mohanlal’s Georgekutty in “Drishyam 2”: A Masterclass in Nuanced Acting

Mohanlal as Georgekutty takes the already superb writing, many notches higher. An ordinary actor would have overplayed the part or missed the nuance completely. Mohanlal, the complete actor that he is plays it perfectly. His body language remains uniform all through the movie. Post the plot reveal if one goes back and watches the movie again, his every gesture, each expression appears remarkably in sync with the climax. Georgekutty’s character arc goes for an overhaul in the sequel. The genial smile from the first part is gone along with the clean-shaven look. His every word is measured, every gesture calculative as is unravelled in the last act. Movies are still a part of his life but not in the obvious form.

Jeethu Joseph’s Brilliance Shines in “Drishyam 2” – A Seamless Sequel

Meena as Georgekutty’s wife plays her part well portraying fear and confusion in the right mix. The only irksome trait written into her dialogues is the number of times she utters her husband’s name in conversation. Murali Gopy takes over the investigating responsibilities from Asha Sharath although one cannot help but wish that she had played a more prominent role in the investigations in some capacity. The first half of the movie dives deep into all kinds of human emotions , even the side bars are interesting. For example, the villagers who stood by Georgekutty in the first movie, have turned against him as they are jealous of his progress in life: he now runs a movie theatre and is working on producing a movie.

Jeethu Joseph’s screenplay provides for ample pay off after the gradual build up and the twists and reveals are on par with any top-notch thriller. His writing delivers on both levels, as an emotional drama and thriller. Overall Drishyam 2 is a commendable sequel about man’s primal instincts of survival and protection of family and the more conscious emotions such as guilt.