Drishyam is an Indian crime thriller film franchise that originated in Malayalam cinema with the 2013 film of the same name, written and directed by Jeethu Joseph. The story revolves around Georgekutty, a cable television operator with limited formal education, who uses his knowledge of films to protect his family after they are involved in an unintended killing. The original film became a major commercial and critical success, leading to multiple remakes in other Indian languages and a sequel franchise.
| Original film | Drishyam (2013) |
|---|---|
| Original language | Malayalam |
| Creator / Director | Jeethu Joseph |
| Lead actor (Malayalam) | Mohanlal |
| Genre | Crime thriller, drama |
| Setting | Rajakkad, Idukki district, Kerala (original) |
| Sequel | Drishyam 2 (2021, Malayalam) |
| Notable remakes | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Sinhala, Chinese |
The Malayalam original was produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the Aashirvad Cinemas banner. It featured Mohanlal as Georgekutty alongside Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil and Asha Sharath, with Siddique playing a senior police officer. The screenplay drew on the protagonist's cinephile habits, exploring how he constructs a fabricated alibi using techniques familiar from films. The score and songs were composed by Anil Johnson, with cinematography by Sujith Vaassudev.
Released on 19 December 2013, the Malayalam original was widely regarded as a landmark in Indian thriller cinema. It became one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of its time and prompted academic and popular discussion of its narrative structure.
The Malayalam sequel, again directed by Jeethu Joseph and produced by Antony Perumbavoor, was released on 19 February 2021 directly on Amazon Prime Video, the release route having been altered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Asha Sharath and Siddique reprised their roles, with Murali Gopy joining the cast. The sequel is set several years after the events of the first film and revisits the Salim Kumar–era investigation with new evidence.
The series is noted for its slow-burn screenplay, family-centric stakes, and its exploration of class, policing and justice in small-town India. The protagonist's reliance on cinematic knowledge as a survival tool has been read as a self-reflexive commentary on the influence of popular cinema. Critics have praised the lean plotting and the performances, particularly those of Mohanlal and, in the Hindi version, Ajay Devgn and Tabu.
Drishyam is often cited as an example of Malayalam cinema's growing cross-industry influence in India, with its multiple remakes underlining the pan-Indian appeal of strong screenplays. The Hindi versions further expanded the franchise's reach, and the Chinese adaptation contributed to the original story's recognition in East Asian markets. Discussions of the film's plot have appeared in legal and criminology commentaries on circumstantial evidence.
Director Jeethu Joseph has indicated plans for a third Malayalam instalment continuing Georgekutty's story. A Hindi continuation has also been reported in development.