Drishyam 2 (transl. Visual 2) is a 2022 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film based on the 2021 Malayalam film of the same name, also serving as a sequel to the 2015 film Drishyam, which in turn was adapted from the eponymous 2013 Malayalam film. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Akshaye Khanna, Shriya Saran and Ishita Dutta.[5][6] It also features Mrunal Jadhav, Rajat Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla and Kamlesh Sawant in supporting roles.
Soon after the release of the original film in February 2021, the remake came into development and was finalised within the same year. All actors from the predecessor were retained, with Khanna and Shukla as new additions. Principal photography for the film commenced in February 2022 and ended in June 2022. It was primarily shot in Goa with filming also taking place in Mumbai and Hyderabad. The film's soundtrack is composed by Devi Sri Prasad.
Drishyam 2 was released theatrically worldwide on 18 November 2022.[7][8] It opened to widespread critical appraisal with particular praise for the cast performances, writing, cinematography, and editing. The film grossed ₹1 billion (US$13 million) within 4 days in global markets and entered the 100 Crore Club in India within 6 days of its release. As of 3 December 2022, it has grossed over ₹269.13 crore (US$34 million) worldwide to become the 4th highest-grossing Hindi film of 2022 and one of the highest domestic net grossing Hindi films.
Plot[edit]
After being charged with murder, a man named David Braganza flees from authorities on the night of October 4, 2014. While hiding behind an under-construction police station, he sees Vijay exiting it. He then attempts to apologise to his wife, but ends up getting arrested.
Seven years later[edit]
Vijay and his family are living contentedly in Pondolem, Goa. Vijay has accomplished his dream of opening a movie theatre and still operates a cable company. He aspires to make a film of his own and is in frequent contact with screenwriter Murad Ali to develop the script. On the other hand, Vijay's elder daughter, Anju, suffers from PTSD and epilepsy as a result of her involvement in Sam's death. Jealous of the family, many locals have resorted to spreading false rumours about Anju being in a relationship with Sam, much to Nandini's distress. Nandini's only confidante is her friendly neighbour, Jenny, who is often abused by her alcoholic husband, Shiv.
On Sam's death anniversary, Vijay has an encounter with Sam's father, Mahesh, who vainly begs him to hand over Sam's remains. Meanwhile, Nandini spends more time with Jenny and inadvertently reveals that Anju murdered Sam. Unknown to her, Jenny and Shiv are married undercover cops, assigned by IG Tarun Ahlawat, who is a close friend and colleague of Meera.
Around the same time, David is released from prison. After struggling to make amends with his now-estranged wife, he yearns to find employment. While coming to know that Vijay’s case is still ongoing, he recalls the latter's presence at the then-under-construction police station and realises that Vijay was indeed complicit in the murder. He tips Tarun, who in turn summons Meera and Mahesh from London. After the trio bribes him with a sum of Rs. 25,00,000, David divulges what he saw, leading to the newly-built police station being excavated. The police eventually discover a human skeleton. Vijay, having learned of this through his CCTV cameras (which he had set up around the police station), supposedly gives up.
Tarun summons Vijay's family for questioning. Vijay, Nandini, Anu, and Anju manage to maintain their alibi; however, Meera reveals a voice recording of Nandini's earlier confession to Jenny; the police bugged the family residence earlier, exposing the family. Tarun allows Gaitonde to use brute force against Vijay's family, causing Anju to have one of her fits. A distraught Vijay falsely confesses to murdering Sam. With the police satisfied, the family is let go, and Vijay ends up getting arrested, although Meera isn't satisfied and demands that Vijay's family be punished as well.
Vijay is put on trial for Sam's murder. Coincidentally, Murad, having learned of Vijay's arrest, pays a visit to Tarun, Meera, and Mahesh. He reveals that during one of his business collisions with Vijay, the latter had fabricated a script for a future crime thriller, loosely based on Sam's murder. He further reveals that Vijay had published a novel, titled Drishyam, based on the film script (although it was published under Murad's name for copyright protection). Vijay pleads not guilty, with his lawyer claiming that the police used Drishyam's plot as a means to frame him. Tarun deduces that Vijay created the confession as a scheme to avoid punishment. Furthermore, the judge reveals the DNA tests conducted on the skeleton do not match Sam's DNA, much to everyone's shock. Murad discloses that Vijay had fabricated an alternate climax for his film in which the hero (Vijay), knowing his original plan might fail, would procure the remains of another person of the same age and sex who had died of similar injuries to those of the villain, by befriending a gravedigger at the local cemetery. The hero would keep the skeletal remains with him for three years before befriending the security guard of the district medical college morgue under the pretext of offering him a chance in the film industry. The same night that the remains that were excavated from the police station arrived at the morgue, the hero would swap the bodies before the DNA analysis took place.
Vijay is released on bail due to a lack of evidence, and the police are temporarily prohibited from investigating the family. The judge calls Tarun to his chambers and tells him to stop all proceedings against Vijay and his family, as he believes both families deserve justice but the legal system is unable to provide it to them. The judge also tells him that such cases are not new to the system. Outside the courthouse, Murad discloses to Meera and Mahesh that Vijay's alternative climax had a twist in which the hero would hand over the villain's cremated remains to the bereaved parents. Simultaneously, Vijay has Sam's cremated remains anonymously handed over to Meera and Mahesh.
Mahesh immerses Sam's ashes in the river and persuades Meera to let go of her envy towards Vijay and his family, as he believes they have found closure and that they thought they were keeping an eye on him, but it was Vijay who was watching their every move the entire time. Vijay, who was watching from afar, solemnly leaves.
Cast[edit]
- Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar – Owner of Mirage Cable Networks, A movie theatre owner and aspiring film producer; Nandini's husband; Anju and Anu's father
- Tabu as Meera Deshmukh – Former IG; Mahesh's wife; Sam's mother
- Akshaye Khanna as IG Tarun Ahlawat – Meera's colleague
- Shriya Saran as Nandini Salgaonkar – Vijay's wife; Anju and Anu's mother
- Ishita Dutta as Anju Salgaonkar – Vijay and Nandini's elder daughter; a PTSD patient
- Mrunal Jadhav as Anu Salgaonkar – Vijay and Nandini's younger daughter
- Rajat Kapoor as Mahesh Deshmukh – Meera's husband; Sam's father
- Saurabh Shukla as Murad Ali – A Screenwriter
- Neha Joshi as Jenny Thomas – Shiv's wife; an undercover cop
- Kamlesh Sawant as Laxmikant Gaitonde – Former Sub-inspector of police
- Yogesh Soman as Inspector Vinayak Sawant
- Samvedna Suwalka as Advocate Gayatri Mohan – Vijay's lawyer
- Prathamesh Parab as Jose – Vijay's cable boy
- Siddharth Bodke as David Braganza – an ex-convict sentenced for homicide
- Nishant Singh as Shiv Kulkarni – Jenny's husband; an undercover cop
- Ashmita Jaggi as Mary Braganza – David's wife
- Sameer Deshpande as Advocate Siraj Ahmed - Public Prosecutor appearing for police
- Sharad Butadiya as Martin – Owner of the hotel outside Pondolem Police Station
Production[edit]
The sequel to Drishyam was announced after the success of Drishyam 2 (2021), the sequel to the original 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam (2013), which released in February 2021.[9][10] It was decided that Abhishek Pathak will direct the film.[11] The film is produced by Panorama Studios and distributed by Yash Raj Films.
Principal photography of the remake sequel commenced on 17 February 2022 in Mumbai and was extensively shot in Goa with Ajay Devgn and Shriya Saran. Tabu joined the sets on 26 April, and later on, Akshaye Khanna joined on 30 April.[12] The film was wrapped up on 21 June 2022 in Hyderabad.[13]
Soundtrack[edit]
| Drishyam 2 | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |
| Released | 18 November 2022[14] |
| Recorded | 2021-22 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 10:11 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Label | Panorama Music |
| Official audio | |
| Drishyam 2 - Full Album on YouTube | |
The film's music is composed by Devi Sri Prasad and lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.[14] The first single, "Saath Hum Rahein," was released on 1 November 2022.[15]
All lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sahi Galat" | King | 2:49 |
| 2. | "Saath Hum Rahein" | Jubin Nautiyal | 4:02 |
| 3. | "Drishyam 2 - Title Track" | Vijay Prakash, Usha Uthup | 3:20 |
| Total length: | 10:11 | ||
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Drishyam 2 earned ₹15.38 crore at the domestic box office on it's opening day. On the second day the film collected ₹21.59 crore, while on the third day it collected ₹27.17 crore taking the domestic weekend collection to ₹64.14 crore.[16]
As of 2 December 2022 the film earned ₹167.93 crore (US$21 million) net in india.[17] India overall gross collection is 209.98 crore and, overseas gross is 42.15 crores taking worldwide collection to ₹252.13 crore (US$32 million).[16]
Critical response[edit]
Drishyam 2 received positive reviews from critics.[18] Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and termed the film a "paisavasool experience" and also praised the performances and climax.[19] Archika Khurana of The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Drishyam 2 dishes out plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked throughout, just like its predecessor. And the story of the Salgaokars will continue to remain in public memory".[20] Anna M.M. Vetticad of Firstpost rated the film 3.25 out of 5 stars. Offering a detailed comparison between the original Malayalam Drishyam 2 starring Mohanlal and this Hindi remake, she wrote: "This is an adaptation that, while faithfully reproducing Jeethu Joseph’s story, gives us a flavour of the cultural setting to which it has been transplanted from Kerala and does things with the new location that mark a refreshing change from the resurgence of prejudice and community stereotyping witnessed in Bollywood in the last decade."[21] Rohit Bhatnagar of The Free Press Journal rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Drishyam 2 ticks almost every box on the checklist of a Bollywood film lover and makes it a great watch for massy cinephiles".[22] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Everything hinges on the performances and the entire cast has chipped in with their best efforts. Tabu looks the very picture of grief and angst. Akshaye Khanna is the new player in the field and his quirks and punch dialogue make you smile. The film rests squarely on Ajay Devgn’s able shoulders".[23] Shalini Langer of The Indian Express rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote: "The Ajay Devgn-Akshaye Khanna-Tabu starrer very deftly picks up from where the two main protagonists, both fierce parents, left off in Drishyam. Its execution is not as smooth as the last time though".[24] Sonil Dedhia of News 18 rated the film 3 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Drishyam 2 doesn’t feel nearly as tense or urgent as it ought to, and its plot simply isn’t as deliciously complex as it could’ve been. As a result, it’s a watchable film, but not an unforgettable one".[25] Anindita Mukherjee of India Today rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 2 has plenty of nail-biting moments but it will somewhere leave you missing 2015 film, Drishyam".[26]
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