'Drushyam 2' hit Amazon Prime Video today. Here is our review of the thriller drama.

Story:

Rambabu (Venkatesh) has been successfully hiding from the police the whereabouts of the mortal remains of the youngster his daughter had murdered six years ago. Today, Rambabu has to conjure up new plots to hoodwink the police and shield his family. Since the murdered youth's parents (played by Nadhiya and VK Naresh) are back, with the mother seething with rage, it's not going to be easy. But Rambabu's sharp-witted mind will stop at nothing.

Analysis:

There is a difference between a regular murder mystery thriller and a psychological thriller with family emotions at its core. A reason why 'Drushyam 2' was awaited despite a non-hyped-up release on OTT is because of the currency that 'Drushyam' still holds.

In the sequel, everything is staged on expected lines. Right in the first act, we find out that Rambabu is not going to have it easy, especially because the residents of Rajavaram have a stated belief that the six-year-old murder makes him a man with feet of clay. At the interval point, there comes a twist.

The drama takes off 15 to 20 minutes into the second half. From there on, there is never a dull moment. The retrospective that comes in the third and final act of the movie is where the proceedings live up to the title. It's said that 'Drushyam' was inspired by the Japanese novel 'The Devotion of Suspect X'. Whether or not it is true, one must appreciate writer-director Jeethu Joseph for making the story all about an Indian family man.

In the Malayalam original, Mohanlal was thoroughly convincing. In the remake, Venkatesh had a formidable task to live up to. He rises to the occasion, although he was more brilliant in the first edition. Meena plays his wife, while Kruthika Jayakumar and Esther are his daughters. Kruthika, for some reason, is totally inadequate; she comes across as a Brahma Kumaris saint rather than a traumatized girl suffering from occasional panic attacks. Esther's Anu is more interesting in terms of characterization.

There is a reason why some portions look staged. As critics said when the Malayalam original was released in February this year, they are meant to be staged. But the gossip at the neighbourhood canteen and all look thoroughly artificial. It doesn't fit with the nature of the movie.

Sampath Raj is better than VK Naresh, who for some reason seems to fake his emotions. Nadhiya is reduced to a couple of expressions. Satyam Rajesh is more convincing than others, including Tanikella Bharani. Chammak Chandra should have been replaced with a Sunil perhaps.

The cinematography is more or less elementary. Anup Rubens doesn't strain himself much and is just about average. The film needed the style of a Vivek Sagar or a Mark K Robin BGM in some portions. The editing is strictly average, with the run-time of 155 minutes seeming too much.

Verdict:

'Drushyam 2' has a barely watchable first half and a thrilling finale. If you are a second-time watcher, you better stay away. Good performances are a plus.