Drishyam 2

'''Drishyam 2: The Resumption, or simply Drishyam 2, is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language drama thriller film written an

directed by Jeethu Joseph and produced by Antony Perumbavoor through the company Aashirvad Cinemas. It is a sequel to their 2013 film Drishyam.

The film stars Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil, reprising their roles from the original. The story takes place six years after the events of Drishyam.

= Plot =

The film begins with Jose, a convict, on the run from the police. In an attempt to hide, he takes refuge behind an under-construction police station, from where he witnesses Georgekutty emerging from. He is then caught by the police and apprehended.

Six years later, Georgekutty, Rani, Anju and Anu lead an affluent life. Georgekutty, now an owner of a movie theatre, yearns to produce a film, despite his family's objection. He is in constant touch with Vinayachandran, a prominent screenwriter, in order to develop screenplay for his project. Although the family is comfortable, Anju has repeated fits of epilepsy and is now a PTSD patient, a consequence of her fear of getting arrested in connection to Varun's murder. Jealous of the family's meteoric rise in wealth, Georgekutty's neighbors start spreading rumors tarnishing the family's image, especially Anju's, much to Rani's distress. Her only source of solace is her friendly neighbor Saritha, although the duo's friendship is not accepted by Saritha's abusive husband, Sabu.

The police, having received much humiliation due to their inability to solve Varun's case, decide to reinvestigate the case, under the supervision of IG Thomas Bastin. Meanwhile, Georgekutty encounters Prabhakar, who begs him to disclose the location of Varun's body so that he can collect his skeleton to perform funeral rites, but to no avail. Anu returns home on a spring break and hosts a sleepover party with her friends, despite Rani's protests. One night, Rani conveys to Saritha of her fears of getting arrested and inadvertently blurts the fact that Georgekutty had moved Varun's body. Unbeknownst to her and the family, Saritha and Sabu are actually undercover cops, assigned by Bastin in an attempt to discover the location of Varun's body. Among his other spies was Anumol's boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Jose is released from prison. After overhearing Georgekutty's case from townspeople, he recollects about having seen him at the then-unfinished police station and promptly tips off the police. Bastin informs this to Geetha and Prabhakar, who arrives from the US to oversee the new developments on the case. Relying on Jose's information, the authorities excavate the police station, eventually discovering a human skeleton. Georgekutty learns these events through surveillance cameras. He and his family are then apprehended and questioned by the police. To make matters worse, Rani's earlier revelation to Saritha had been recorded; Saritha and Sabu had bugged Georgekutty's house. Geetha's brash questioning results in Anju having another epileptic fit.

Distraught, Georgekutty gives in a fabricated story in which he is the murderer of Varun, for which he claims he has preserved evidence. After they are let go, the family muse about their supposedly bleak future. After Georgekutty is formally arrested and tried, Vinayachandran meets with Bastin, Geetha and Prabhakar. He reveals that, on Georgekutty's recommendation, their screenplay was published as a novel titled Drishyam under Vinayachandran's name for protecting copyright. In their novel, the hero successfully manages to hide the body, but when discovered, he gives a false confession to save his child. Bastin then realises that Georgekutty's recorded confession matches with Drishyam's plot. In the court, Georgekutty pleads not guilty, his lawyer argues that the police had used the book's plot to frame Georgekutty. Much to the police's shock, the DNA results of the tests conducted on the human skeleton do no match with that of Varun's.

Shocked, Vinayachandran reveals that Georgekutty had an alternate climax for his film, in which the hero, attempting to evade capture, would learn about the procedures conducted when such a skeleton is found on that location, Idukki district. The hero would then procure the skeleton of another youngster who had died with injuries similar to that of Varun's, by befriending a local gravedigger. He would further befriend the security guard of the medical institution where the forensic tests of the discovered skeleton would be conducted. On the day the original skeleton is dug up and send to forensic lab, he would discreetly switch the victim's skeleton with the one he procured, while cremating the original one, thus destroying all incriminating evidence.

As per Vinayachandran's narration, it is revealed that Georgekutty had followed suit. With no incriminating evidence to prove his culpability, Georgekutty is released. His lawyer requests the court to direct the police to stop proceeding against Georgekutty for the time being as he is moving to High Court to quash the proceedings against him. Georgekutty later has Varun's cremated skeleton discreetly handed over to Geetha and Prabhakar, who floats his ashes in river. Bastin urges them to end their spat with Georgekutty, as they will never succeed in punishing him. He tells that Georgekutty's vigilant life itself is a punishment; he must live the rest of his life with constant supervision, caution and guilt. The couple apparently agrees with him. Meanwhile, Georgekutty, watching the trio from afar, silently leaves.

= Cast =

Mohanlal as Georgekutty, a movie theatre owner and aspiring film producer, father to Anju and Anu, husband to Rani

Meena as Rani, Georgekutty's wife and a homemaker

Ansiba Hassan as Anju, Georgekutty's college-going elder daughter, a PTSD patient

Esther Anil as Anumol, Georgekutty's school-going younger daughter

Asha Sarath as Geetha Prabhakar, Varun's mother and former Inspector General

Siddique as Prabhakar, Varun's father and Geetha's husband

Murali Gopy as Thomas Bastin IPS, the newly-appointed Inspector General in charge of the Varun Prabhakar disappearance case

Saikumar as Vinayachandran, a screenwriter working in Geogekutty's upcoming production

K. B. Ganesh Kumar as Philipp Mathew, Circle Inspector under Rajakkad Police Station circle

Ajith Koothattukulam as Jose George, an ex-convict who was sentenced for homicide

Anjali Nair as Saritha, Georgekutty's neighbor and Sabu's wife

Sumesh Chandran as Sabu, Georgekutty's neighbor and Saritha's husband

Dinesh Prabhakar as Rajan, Kottayam Medical College's Forensic Medicine block security

Antony Perumbavoor as Antony Joseph, sub-inspector of Rajakkad Police Station

Kozhikode Narayanan Nair as Sulaiman, a tea shop owner and a sympathiser of Georgekutty

Santhi Priya as Advocate Renuka, the defense lawyer appearing for Georgekutty

Joy Mathew as Advocate Janardhanan, the public prosecutor appearing on behalf of the police

Krishna as Police Forensic Surgeon

Rajesh Paravoor as Tehsildar

Boban Samuel as DySP Raghuram

Krishna Praba as Mary, Jose's wife

Pauly Valsan as Jose's mother

Renjini as Dr. Renjini P. Dev, Anju's physician

Murali Kannur as DGP V. Jayakrishnan

Adam Ayub as Judge of District Court, Thodupuzha

Shobha Mohan as Rani's mother

Aneesh G. Menon as Rajesh, Rani's brother and local politician

Jayashankar as Pathrose, a gravedigger

Mela Reghu as Reghu, tea shop waitron

Mohanlal as Georgekutty, a movie theatre owner and aspiring film producer, father to Anju and Anu, husband to Rani

Meena as Rani, Georgekutty's wife and a homemaker

Ansiba Hassan as Anju, Georgekutty's college-going elder daughter, a PTSD patient

Esther Anil as Anumol, Georgekutty's school-going younger daughter

Asha Sarath as Geetha Prabhakar, Varun's mother and former Inspector General

Siddique as Prabhakar, Varun's father and Geetha's husband

Murali Gopy as Thomas Bastin IPS, the newly-appointed Inspector General in charge of the Varun Prabhakar disappearance case

Saikumar as Vinayachandran, a screenwriter working in Geogekutty's upcoming production

K. B. Ganesh Kumar as Philipp Mathew, Circle Inspector under Rajakkad Police Station circle

Ajith Koothattukulam as Jose George, an ex-convict who was sentenced for homicide

Anjali Nair as Saritha, Georgekutty's neighbor and Sabu's wife

Sumesh Chandran as Sabu, Georgekutty's neighbor and Saritha's husband

Dinesh Prabhakar as Rajan, Kottayam Medical College's Forensic Medicine block security Antony Perumbavoor as Antony Joseph, sub-inspector of Rajakkad Police Station Kozhikode Narayanan Nair as Sulaiman, a tea shop owner and a sympathiser of Georgekutty Santhi Priya as Advocate Renuka, the defense lawyer appearing for Georgekutty Joy Mathew as Advocate Janardhanan, the public prosecutor appearing on behalf of the police Krishna as Police Forensic Surgeon Rajesh Paravoor as Tehsildar Boban Samuel as DySP Raghuram Krishna Praba as Mary, Jose's wife Pauly Valsan as Jose's mother Renjini as Dr. Renjini P. Dev, Anju's physician Murali Kannur as DGP V. Jayakrishnan Adam Ayub as Judge of District Court, Thodupuzha Shobha Mohan as Rani's mother Aneesh G. Menon as Rajesh, Rani's brother and local politician Jayashankar as Pathrose, a gravedigger Mela Reghu as Reghu, tea shop waitron

Development
Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal were filming for Ram prior to the COVID-19 lockdown in India, however the shooting of the film was stalled as some sequences they want to film in foreign locations, such as London and Cairo. As the crew realised that the filming would take time to continue, Jeethu decided to start the works for Drishyam 2, a sequel to their 2013 film Drishyam which he had plans for some time. As the shooting of the film would only take place in Kerala, Jeethu realised it was most appropriate film to shoot after the lockdown ends. The film was officially announced by Mohanlal on his 60th birthday on 21 May 2020. It was intended to start filming soon after the government allows permission to begin film shootings. Mohanlal said during an interview that he has read the script, and shooting might begin after lockdown. Antony Perumbavoor who produced Drishyam returns as the producer. Jeethu said that it is a direct continuation of the last film and for that he has retained the principal characters along with some new additions in the secondary cast. In the turn of events, George Kutty is now wealthier and has opened a cinema theatre and is also planning to produce a film, that leads to neighborhood jealousy.

Filming
Principal photography began on 21 September 2020 in Kochi. It was conducted adhering to the safety precautions set for preventing COVID-19 spread. Indoor scenes were shot there. Filming was held at Kakkanad, Kochi. It was shifted to Thodupuzha after two weeks. The same house at Vazhithala featured as Georegekutty and family's residence in Drishyam was used as the location for Drishyam 2, reportedly, an 18-day shoot was charted at the house. The house was renovated to reflect Georgekutty's present-day prosperity. Filming was also held at some other houses in Thodupuzha, and was also shot at nearby areas such as Kanjar and Arakkulam.

A set was constructed at Kaipa Kavala in Kudayathoor were Drishyam was filmed. An entire street was erected at the place, including Rajakkadu Police Station, Georgekutty's cable TV shop, and surrounding stores and structures, which was one of the main locations. Rajeev Kovilakathu was the art director. Following the portions at Kaipa Kavala, filming was concluded on 6 November 2020. The entire filming, which was scheduled to last for 56 days was completed in 46 days. Special team was designated to observe the film crew, including the director, were abiding the COVID-19 protocol.

Soundtrack
The songs and the film score were composed by Anil Johnson, with lyrics by Vinayak Sasikumar. The music album consists of only one song and was released on 10 February 2021 by Saina Music.

Release
The makers originally planned for a theatrical release in January 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 spread, it was decided to release the film through the OTT platform Prime Video on 19 February 2021. Drishyam 2 was released worldwide on 18 February 2021 late night. It was made available for streaming in over 240 countries.

Critical reception
Aishwarya Vasudevan of the Daily News and Analysis gave a 4 out of 5 star rating and wrote, "Drishyam 2 is a gripping tale of an investigation and a family which is threatened by it, is a must-watch sequel we didn't know we deserved and the film will make you think for hours after you completed watching it". Sanjith Sidhardhan of The Times of India gave a 4 out of 5 star rating, and stated "Jeethu's script for the sequel is tight as ever; like Drishyam ... the film is an expertly crafted sequel meant for the audience to enjoy and the team to be proud of", and also praised Mohanlal's acting. Haricharan Pudippedi of Hindustan Times wrote that "It's no exaggeration to call Drishyam 2 one of the best sequels ever", it is "a thoroughly gripping and entertaining sequel, a rare occurrence in Indian cinema. Powered by top class writing and plenty of unexpected twists, the sequel packs a solid punch and makes for a riveting watch right till the end. Drishyam 2 is a masterclass in suspense building and it works as effectively as the first part if not better".

Rating 4 out of 5 stars, Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute said that this "thriller is a superb sequel ... looking at the strength of the writing, it looks like in Jeethu's mind, Drishyam was always supposed to be two films". Rating 4 out of 5 stars, Suresh Mathew of The Quint said that "Mohanlal's gripping thriller is a winner again ... unlike the original, Drishyam 2 grips you from the very start ... Drishyam 2 is a worthy contender to the original. It grabs your attention from the word go and entertains you throughout its two-and-a-half-hour duration", he also praised Mohanlal's acting. Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost called it "a surprisingly satisfying sequel to a spectacular first film ... Drishyam 2 is clever in the way it smoothly slips back into the world of Drishyam ... it now feels as if Part 1 is incomplete without Part 2". Janaki K. of India Today called it "a fitting sequel to Drishyam" and stated "Jeethu Joseph’s staging and strengths to work on a solid script are the film’s assets ... Mohanlal is just excellent", rating 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Film critic Baradwaj Rangan called it a "solid sequel, which swaps tension with existentialism", with a "superb structure. Like Part 1, this is more a writer’s film than a director’s film", he praised the writing – "it’s basic exposition, scene after scene" and "the writing during the climactic portions treats Part 1/Part 2 of Drishyam as two halves of the same story. It’s a brilliant meta touch ... the film is at its best when we look at Part 1/Part 2 as one unified universe". Tina Sara Anien of Deccan Herald rated 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "a thrilling, befitting sequel" and that "Drishyam 2 quashes the notion that sequels lack the magic of the originals ... not many thrillers have succeeded to impress an audience by intensifying the original's plot and that's the clinching proof of this film's special quality". Sajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express also rated 4 in a scale of 5, describing it as "a richer, expansive, and far superior sequel ... successful sequels are a rarity, and rarer still is a sequel that surpasses the original. Drishyam 2 is one such".

Rating 4 out of 5 stars, Sify critic said "It is not always that a sequel lives up to the huge expectations of the highly successful original. Drishyam 2 does that in a brilliant way ... with an engaging script, Jeethu Joseph has presented the sequel in a gripping manner". Joginder Tuteja of Rediff.com said that "this Mohanlal suspense drama may well go down as yet another modern day classic ... this is a true sequel to Drishyam and is, in fact, the first ever suspense thriller to move from the first to the second part with a seamless ease", he rated 3.5 out of 5. Gautaman Bhaskaran of CNN-News18 wrote that "Mohanlal returns with more vigour and charisma ... Georgekutty is not a man to be cowed down, and the rest of the movie is an exciting game of how he foxes the cops and saves his family. The twist, in the end, is simply superb", he rated 3 out of 5 stars.

Critic from Asianet News rated 4 out of 5 and called it a "perfect sequel" and that its "a must-watch for the sheer brilliance of Georgekutty aka Mohanlal and the marvellous script of Jeethu Joseph". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave a 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Mohanlal is flawless yet again ... in terms of structure and rhythm, writer-director Jeethu Joseph follows pretty much the arc of the original film", but felt "the writing could have done with more punch". S. R. Praveen of The Hindu opined, "Drishyam 2 might not work as a stand-alone film — as many sequels do — since it is completely dependent on the first film with constant references. But despite its negatives, it still is a decent companion piece to its much celebrated predecessor". However, Nirmal Narayanan of IB Times felt that it "failed to match the cinematic making quality of its prequel ... the first half of the movie had its originality, but the second half of the film was a pure letdown, as it questioned the thinking capability", but he praised Mohanlal's acting.

Sequel
After the release of Drishyam 2, producer Antony Perumbavoor commented that it is possible for a third sequel for the film series, although Jeethu had neither confirmed nor denied it. Antony also said that Jeethu is researching on possible story arcs for Drishyam 3, and there had been discussions with Mohanlal. On 23 February 2021, Jeethu said in a press conference that he currently has figured out the climax for Drishyam 3, but the screenplay and production may take at least three years to materialise.

Remakes
Producer Kumar Mangat has bought the Hindi remake right of the film for making a sequel to the Hindi Drishyam, with Ajay Devgn returning in the lead role. It is intended to start by the last quarter of 2021 for a release in 2022. A director has not yet been selected. On 20 February 2021, Jeethu confirmed that he will be directing the Telugu remake and plans to direct Tamil and Hindi remakes as well. The Telugu version Drushyam 2 starring Venkatesh will commence shooting in March 2021.Also,there is a chinese remake called Sheep Without a Shepherd