Drishyam 2 Movie Review: Drishyam 2 sets the tone for an arrestingly bendy and climatic noir thriller right from the start. As Ajay Devgn reprises his role as Vijay Salgaonkar in Pandolem, he warns the audience of what’s to come, saying, “It’s not about what’s in front of us, but what we look at.” We are familiar with the events of October 2014 and what followed thanks to Nishikant Kamat’s directorial, Drishyam. And now, seven years later, we see how the Salgaonkar family is doing in Abhishek Pathak’s film.
On the surface, everything appears to be normal. The family of four is having a peaceful time, but every time they encounter Goa Police, they are filled with anxiety and paranoia. But it appears that the worst is over. Well, perhaps not!
We quickly learn that Vijay now owns a cinema hall, dreams of making a film, and has some noisy neighbours. Despite the incriminating crime and constant whispers about the Salgaonkars, they live as normal a life as they can. The Deshmukhs, on the other hand, are in a state of upheaval. While Mahesh (Rajat Kapoor) has accepted his son’s death, Meera (Tabu) has not.
The case is reopened by newcomer Akshaye Khanna, who plays IG Tarun Ahlawat, the man driving the wary narrative. Drishyam 2 was created by Jeethu Joseph, the writer-director of the original Malayalam film, as a film that remains uncomfortably absorbing throughout its 140-minute runtime, primarily because it seats its audience in the helpless queue of a slow-motion traffic jam on a hill. You’re impatient, but you’re enjoying the scenery and eager to see what’s at the end of the road.
Devi Sri Prasad’s impeccable background score and music set the thriller in motion. It is so seamlessly predisposed that you won’t be certain about the situation without it. To create an eerie atmosphere, the director strategically placed dim shots with cool undertones. He deftly balances comic puns and subtle jabs at the police, Vijay’s manipulation, and a passing comment on how the film industry has recently been tarnished and targeted.
Drishyam 2 is cleverly structured in such a way that we are prompted right from the start to suspect that Vijay is involved in some scheme, even before we know for certain how culpable he is for — He’s saving his family? Dogging the cops? Hide and manipulate evidence of crime? We learn the truth gradually, as the filmmaker reveals and rationalises Vijay’s and other characters’ motivations in the same way that someone slowly, almost tauntingly, talks about food when you’re starving to death.
Ajay and Akshaye are the ones who built Drishyam 2 on the screen. While it appears to be an action-reaction chain at first, you know these are the consequences that Vijay meticulously articulated even before the IG thought of it.
Ajay Devgn plays Vijay with incredible persuasive and precise skills once again. As the brooding investigating officer, Akshaye also sweeps you off your feet. He appears to be an intimidating, intelligent, and thoughtful man. They create tension so precisely that you’ll be sitting on the edge before you know it.
We’re given jigsaw-piece revelations about Vijay and Meera’s schemes on a regular basis, and whatever they’re doing now or did in the first film serves as a catalyst. This information is primarily obtained through their interactions with the vividly capable supporting characters Saurabh Shukla, Neha Joshi, Kamlesh Sawant, Yogesh Soman, and Sharad Butadiya. The interactions contrast with what appears to be the certainty of an unforgiving fate. We are also persuaded to sympathise with Salgaonkars in Drishyam 2, particularly when we see traumatised Nandini (Shriya Saran), Anju (Ishita Dutta), and Anu (Ishita Dutta) (Mrunal Jadhav).
Having said that, the film stumbles for brief moments when it conveniently mocks privacy and twists laws for the sake of the plot. However, everything eventually leads to a dead-solid-perfect conclusion that offers an ideal climax for these films about convoluted characters driven to extremes. You’ll be clapping and hooting for the well-executed end that you probably couldn’t have predicted once you’re seated as an eyewitness to their schemes. Drishyam 2 has one of the best crime thriller climaxes in recent memory. If you enjoyed Drishyam, you’ll enjoy its sequel even more.