Drishyam is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language crime thriller film directed by Nishikant Kamat and produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak and Ajit Andhare under the banners of Panorama Studios and Viacom18 Motion Pictures. The film is a remake of the 2013 Malayalam film of the same name written and directed by Jeethu Joseph, which starred Mohanlal. The Hindi version stars Ajay Devgn and Tabu in the lead roles, with Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Mrunal Jadhav, Rajat Kapoor and Kamlesh Sawant in supporting roles.
The story follows Vijay Salgaonkar, a cable television operator in Goa with a modest education, who goes to extraordinary lengths to protect his family after his daughter is involved in the accidental death of the son of an Inspector General of Police. The film explores themes of family loyalty, deception, and the limits of truth and law.
Key facts
| Title | Drishyam |
|---|---|
| Language | Hindi |
| Director | Nishikant Kamat |
| Producers | Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak, Ajit Andhare |
| Production companies | Panorama Studios, Viacom18 Motion Pictures |
| Based on | Drishyam (2013 Malayalam film) by Jeethu Joseph |
| Starring | Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, Rajat Kapoor |
| Music | Vishal Bhardwaj (songs and score) |
| Cinematography | Avinash Arun |
| Release date | 31 July 2015 |
| Setting | Pondolem (fictional town in Goa) |
| Genre | Crime thriller, drama |
Plot overview
Vijay Salgaonkar lives with his wife Nandini and two daughters in a small Goan town, running a cable television service. A traumatic incident at his elder daughter's nature camp leads to a confrontation that ends in the accidental death of a young man. To shield his family, Vijay constructs an elaborate alibi using his deep familiarity with films and procedural details. Inspector General Meera Deshmukh, the dead boy's mother, leads the investigation, setting up a tense psychological contest between a determined senior officer and an ordinary man defending his household.
Cast
- Ajay Devgn as Vijay Salgaonkar
- Tabu as IG Meera Deshmukh
- Shriya Saran as Nandini Salgaonkar
- Ishita Dutta as Anju Salgaonkar
- Mrunal Jadhav as Anu Salgaonkar
- Rajat Kapoor as Mahesh Deshmukh
- Kamlesh Sawant as Sub-Inspector Laxmikant Gaitonde
Production
The Hindi adaptation retained the core narrative of the Malayalam original while shifting the setting from Kerala to Goa. Principal photography was carried out largely in Goa, including coastal and rural locations that lend the film its small-town atmosphere. The screenplay was adapted by Upendra Sidhaye. Vishal Bhardwaj composed the music and background score, while Avinash Arun handled the cinematography.
Release and reception
Drishyam was released theatrically on 31 July 2015. The film opened to broadly positive reviews, with particular praise for the performances of Ajay Devgn and Tabu, the tightly constructed screenplay, and Nishikant Kamat's direction. It performed strongly at the box office and is widely regarded as one of the better-received Hindi thrillers of its year.
Music
The soundtrack was composed by Vishal Bhardwaj with lyrics by Gulzar. The album includes the track "Carbon Copy" and other songs that complement the film's emotional and suspenseful tone rather than serving as standalone item numbers.
Significance
Drishyam is frequently cited as a notable example of successful South Indian-to-Hindi cross-language adaptation in mainstream Indian cinema. The original Malayalam film by Jeethu Joseph spawned remakes in multiple Indian languages, including Tamil (Papanasam), Telugu, Kannada and Sinhala, with the Hindi version among the most commercially prominent. The film's themes of an ordinary middle-class man outwitting the police machinery resonated with audiences and contributed to a renewed interest in plot-driven, low-glamour thrillers in Hindi cinema.
Sequel
A sequel, Drishyam 2, directed by Abhishek Pathak and again starring Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta and Akshaye Khanna, was released in 2022. It continues the Salgaonkar family's story and is itself adapted from the Malayalam Drishyam 2 (2021).