123telugu.com Rating : 3.5/5
Starring : Mohanlal, Meena, Asha Sarath, Murali Gopy, Siddique, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil and others
Director : Jeethu Joseph
Producer : Anthony Perumbavoor
Music Director : Anil Johnson
Cinematography : Satheesh Kurup
Editor : V.S. Vinayak
Drishyam 2 – The Resumption is a sequel to Mollywood stalwart Mohanlal and director Jeethu Joseph’s acclaimed 2013 suspense thriller, Drishyam. The film skipped its theatrical release due to the lockdown and had a direct OTT premiere on Amazon Prime Video on February 19. Let’s see if the sequel succeeds in living up to the high expectations set after its predecessor’s mega success.
Story :
As the tagline ‘The Resumption’ suggests, Drishyam 2 revisits the constant emotional turmoil and fear the film’s protagonist Georgekutty (Mohanlal), his wife Rani (Meena) and daughters Anju (Ansiba Hassan) and Anu (Esther Anil) have been going through for the last 6 years, after ‘murdering’ the IG’s (Asha Sarath) son and cleverly escaping the police ordeal in the first part.
While the fear of their well-kept secret being ‘unearthed’ by the cops is still in tact in the Kuttys’ lives, a few things did change in the past 6 years. Georgekutty’s house now has a slightly more expensive interiors and he drives a Ford SUV. Also, he has taken his passion for movies to the next level, by setting up a theater. There’s more, Georgekutty is also in plans to produce a film with a story he conceived, despite his wife being anxious about the family’s depleting financial resources and her husband’s alcoholism.
On the other hand, the IG and her husband (Siddique) are settled in the USA. They occasionally visit the village in hope of finding their son Varun’s remains so that they could complete the final rituals and bid him a proper farewell. And the cops, led by the new IG (Murali Gopy), are still probing the case stealthily.
Will the relentless cops finally ‘dig up’ Varun’s body and thus Georgekutty’s fate? Will the Kuttys’ and the IG’s families find a conclusion to their turmoil? You will have to watch the movie to find out how the mystery unfolds.
Plus Points :
Mohanlal once again steals the show with his stellar performance as Georgekutty. He masterfully displays the protagonist’s desperation and strong resolve to protect his wife and daughters leaving no stone unturned. Meena is quite good as the gullible and emotionally distressed wife who is in a never ending dilemma of her family’s fate. Ansiba and Esther as the young girls haunted by their past deliver impressive performances.
Murali Gopy as the new IG, who vows to end Georgekutty’s long escape from the truth, shines in his role. Rest of the actors are equally good and drive the narrative seamlessly. The various tricks the IG and his team of cops come up with to nab Georgekutty and his family and put a full stop to Georgekutty’s perfectly executed plans to evade the law and order are the major highlights of Drishyam 2.
Minus Points :
Just like Drishyam, the sequel too takes its own sweet time to delve into the main drama. Too much time has been spent on establishing the Kuttys’ ‘slightly changed’ lifestyle. Barring this, Drishyam 2 hardly has anything going against it.
Technical Aspects :
Writer-director Jeethu Joseph once again lives up to his reputation of being one of the best directors of thrillers in India. He smartly plants certain elements and introduces new characters in the narrative to get the audiences hooked to this slow-burn, suspenseful drama. The final act, in which he links Georgekutty’s passion for movies and how he etches a perfect masterplan (once again) to save himself and his family, makes Drishyam 2 a gratifying experience.
Anil Johnson’s background score goes well with the movie’s flow, be it in the scenes showing the Kuttys’ pleasant family scenes or their emotional turmoil. Satheesh Kurup’s cinematography is pretty neat and adequate. Editor Vinayak’s scissors should have been sharper in the first act, as a lot of time is consumed while establishing the family, which the audiences knew very well already. The production values are decent for this village-based suspense thriller.
Verdict :
Without an iota of doubt, Drishyam 2 is one of the best sequels ever made in Indian Cinema. The Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph duo has done it yet again and in style. Together, they immerse the audience into the world of Georgekutty and his secret, eventually treating them to a finely crafted final act that is sure to leave the audiences thrilled. In the end, one can’t help but feel that Drishyam 2 is one film that rightfully deserved a theatrical release. You will have a good time checking out this emotional suspense thriller this weekend.
123telugu.com Rating : 3.5/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team