Drishyam, literally meaning 'visuals', is a Hindi-language crime mystery thriller about a upper middle-class family that comes under the scrutiny of police when they're suspected of murder of a young man who has powerful ties with the local authorities. Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn), the father, must do everything he can to keep his family from going to prison, utilizing every legal and illegal trick he has learned as a lifelong movie buff.
A fine example of how a good script can elevate a movie. Because to be honest the acting is not a strength of this film. Devgn is very good, which helps a lot, as is Tabu as Inspector General Meera Deshmukh, but all the rest are either rather wooden or a bit too over the top.
But that doesn't really matter because it's really a movie about Devgn's character and how he continuously outsmarts the police. The greatest thrill of the film is finding out just how long he can keep up the juggling act without Tabu's character finally nailing him to the wall.
And it's a good juggling act. The classic crime thrillers are more about "who did it", but this is a great example of a smaller subgenre tentatively called "will they get caught". And in executing the conventions of that subgenre is where this film shines.
Recommended. Especially if you're looking for a Hindi film that's about more than singing, dancing and jumping around.
A fine example of how a good script can elevate a movie. Because to be honest the acting is not a strength of this film. Devgn is very good, which helps a lot, as is Tabu as Inspector General Meera Deshmukh, but all the rest are either rather wooden or a bit too over the top.
But that doesn't really matter because it's really a movie about Devgn's character and how he continuously outsmarts the police. The greatest thrill of the film is finding out just how long he can keep up the juggling act without Tabu's character finally nailing him to the wall.
And it's a good juggling act. The classic crime thrillers are more about "who did it", but this is a great example of a smaller subgenre tentatively called "will they get caught". And in executing the conventions of that subgenre is where this film shines.
Recommended. Especially if you're looking for a Hindi film that's about more than singing, dancing and jumping around.