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Review

Drushyam 2 review: Jeethu Joseph film doesn't stray an inch from source material

Release Date: 25 Nov 2021 / Rated: U


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Haricharan Pudipeddi

The Telugu film is pretty much a frame-by-frame recreation of Drishyam 2.

Drushyam 2 (2021) is one of the safest remakes you’ll ever come across. When Mohanlal’s Drishyam 2 (2021) came out earlier this year and turned out to be a mind-blowing follow-up to the first part, it made the task of remaking the movie in other languages relatively easier. Drishyam 2, which was directed Jeethu Joseph, was so flawless that nobody would dare to tamper with it. Jeethu takes pretty much everything that worked in Drishyam 2 and recreated it scene by scene for the Telugu version. The result is a faithful remake but one that plays very safe by not daring to do anything different. 

Drishyam 2 takes off six years after the events of the first part. A lot has changed in the life of Rambabu (Venkatesh) and his family. From a cable TV operator, he has now grown to become a theatre owner and he’s also a film producer in the making. He’s been working on a script with a writer for a few years now but he’s in no hurry to make the film because he wants it to be an extraordinary experience for audiences.

He’s still a family man at heart, and we get some lovely scenes with his wife and daughter. But as the film progresses, we learn that the police are secretly still investigating the mysterious disappearance of Varun Prabhakar – the character from the first part whose murder was pinned on Rambabu. When a major breakthrough happens in the case, Rambabu and his family are once again suspects in the case and the investigation gets reopened. Is Rambabu guilty or not and how will he protect his family this time?

The world of Drushyam 2 is beautifully built, and a lot of credit has to go to writer-director Jeethu for giving us a genuine sequel with well-established characters. In the first part, everybody around Rambabu had a lot of sympathy for his family as they were wrongly framed for a murder the police couldn’t prove. Six years later, the same people have grown jealous of his rise on his career front, and some even start to think that he’s no ordinary man but a criminal mastermind. A good chunk of the first half is spent on Rambabu and his family along with some new characters – it’s only in the last 45 minutes that Drushyam 2 starts to get extremely serious. The film gets unbelievably complex but at the same time, gripping towards the end. For those who’ve watched the sequel in Malayalam, the Telugu version might feel very ordinary and bland. If you’re watching it for the first time, then the twists and suspense work to a large extent. 

The only major grouse with Drushyam 2 is Venkatesh’s performance, which can never match the magic that was created by Mohanlal. Venkatesh is generally a very good actor and has many memorable roles in his filmography, some of which hat nobody else could’ve played but him. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the lead character, which Mohanlal played far more convincingly. Venkatesh still manages to leave an impact with his performance, but it’s just not as hard-hitting as one left by Mohanlal. 

Drushyam 2 could’ve made minor changes to bring some originality into the narrative. It’s a little disappointing that the film refuses to take risks in terms of treatment. Nevertheless, it’s a sequel that can still surprise viewers who are watching for the first time.

Drushyam 2 is being streamed on Amazon Prime.

 

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