Drishyam (2013) User Reviews

2013 Ends With An Original Entertainer. ♦ 85%

[nairtejas · 9/10 · 8 January 2014]

Never have I seen here in Mumbai a theater houseful for a Malayalam movie. The last time it was 60% filled was during Neelakasham... (2013).

Starting with a scene so mystic in its own way, the movie starts with a flashback. Characters are brilliantly paced into the plot as we look into a a family drama scene forming. Things go sharp & spine-chilling when a crime enters the scene. It is followed by another crime ans so on. The 50 minute second half, which is also the most engaging minutes for any Malayalam cinema this year, steals the show and keeps us on the edge of our seats as the twists come up and up and up. The screenplay is to be thanked, along with brilliant writing and narration.

Mohanlal is better in this role than his previous characters this year. His performance really pulls the audience towards him. Meena was a real treat and boy, can she act so wonderfully. Kalabhavan Shajohn is the real hero of this film which talks about a family's plight & tactic when one of the member's sanity is compromised. His performance, his air, his priceless countenances all are so pure, I was taken aback. He can pull off both comedic & serious roles with finesse.

The adult jokes and how the stereotype of a typical family has died in this age of money and money is purely showcased in the dialogs. Sufficient humor, jaw-dropping climax and brilliant storytelling. It also questions justice and what a person should do at times like this. Although, the plot constantly makes the family look as protagonists in spite of their crimes and falsely guides us what it intends to show us. But if you look closer, you will realize the climax answers all the questions about righteousness. Drishyam does not tell you how to act during brutal crimes, but it finely creates a hell of a story of the vicious happenings around us.

Every single department is to be thanked, especially, art, location, lighting departments. The final output is full theater halls, favorable reviews and remake rights requests.

BOTTOM LINE: If you haven't watched it yet, now is the time because it is still running in theaters. Probably one of the best movies this year. 8.5/10.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Profanity: No | Vulgarity: Mediocre | Sex/Porn/Drugs: No | Smoking/Alcohol: No | Violence: Critical | Gore: Mild

Indian Escalation & Suspense...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 11 September 2020]

Proportional to its output I don't watch anything like enough Indian cinema - but when I do I'm always reminded to watch more and this is a great example why. Taking some time to generate traction and with a runtime a little longer than you're used to, the final hour is well worth your patience and perseverance, as the plotting and scheming spirals towards its climax. There remain a few leaps of faith you have to contend with, some violence in scenarios not reflecting my reality, but they are easily forgiven for the great acting, imaginative storytelling and in anticipation of your next film from India.

"I'll take that secret to my grave"

[akhil027 · 9/10 · 28 February 2021]

Drishyam is one of the finest thrillers India has ever produced. And what makes it even better is that it's also a family movie. The slow(?) first half of Drishyam reminds me of old Sathyan Anthikkad movies which had the sweetness of a village. I never find it to be slow when I watched the movie again and again. Drishyam is fine wine which gets better and better. The dynamics between the family is one of the best I've seen. Mohanlal and Meena share such awesome chemistry which makes me want to watch every movie they does together. Mohanlal's portrayal of Georgekutty is one his finest works of all time. He has excellent command over his actions and even the minute actions are a delight to watch. Jeethu Joseph's writing and DOP by Sujith Vasudev are just excellent. Sujith Vasudev doesn't try to show off his skills and gives exactly what's necessary. Kalabhavan Shajon delivers a brilliant performance which people will remember forever. Siddique is excellent as always. I don't have enough words to describe how good this movie is. Just watch and experience it for yourself.

An Unexpected Outstanding movie on the year end

[rahulvivek00 · 10/10 · 24 December 2013]

A family, their joy, their pain, their emotions, and their struggle. There are nail-biting scenes that will blow your mind. There are sizzling moments which makes you think overnight. There are Heartbreaking plot twists which makes you upside down. This is an amazing story. A great movie which can be included in the top of any lists. Jeethu has proved his ability once again. And, of course Mohanlal proved once again he is the real 'superstar' of the industry. This movie has some great performances. This is Mohanlal at his peak, Jeethu Joseph at his best. The rest of the crew especially, Meena, Siddique, and Kalabhavan Shajohn, they seem really bonded to their respective characters and are really amazing. The movie can be considered as the best of this year. This is really out of box, and i am completely out of my words.

Its Malayalam's Shawshank Redemption

[Renjith-0099 · 10/10 · 2 January 2014]

What make the movies Shawshank Redemption, Next Three Days and Ocean's Eleven great thrillers and what drew fans worldwide to the TV show Prison Break… These are all stories about a master plan, a master plan to do the impossible and its flawless execution considering every little details. Except George Clooney's Daniel Ocean all the protagonists in above movies/series were simple men. A Banker, a School Teacher and an Architect with no criminal history. They lived their normal lives until they were forced to do the impossible. George Kutty's story go by the same logic. If I dare compare Dhrisham to Shawshank Redemption (which incidentally is my all-time favorite movie) not much need to be told about the quality of the script, the direction and the performances. Dhrishyam is Mollywoods entry to world class family thrillers. For the entire second half of the movie Malayalam Cinema was elevated to the class of Hollywood. We had several art films or those parallel movies to brag about, but until Dhrishyam not many thriller or family drama type movies of Malayalam could have been called world class. Though the last 15 minutes of the movie went very predictable, Jeethu has managed to keep his audience at the edge of the seat for more than an hour and except die hard Mohan Lal haters, who would be too intimidated and upset for all wrong reasons; it's hard to find anyone who may complain about the movie.

Outstanding effort by every single artist on board....

[sreethered · 10/10 · 29 December 2013]

Indian Cinema is not just Bollywood. It has a number of regional languages to deal with, and each region contributes it's share. As for Mollywood(Malayalam movie industry), it was one of the most prominent contributers for Indian Cinema. Big names like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shaji.N.Karun are internationally acclaimed directors and actors like Mohanlal and Mammootty are the gems of Indian movies. Recently, Mollywood produces movies which are intolerable in quality, but still there are movies like Dhrishyam which will provide us sheer joy about our movies.

We grew up by watching movies of the big M's and we are proud of their potentials. We were also disappointed with their recent products which were dull and boring. Some say these actors were not meant to be working on Malayalam, instead they should work on some high-level industry. They also complains that here, we don't have much opportunities too. But we do make our merry with what we got, and Dhrishyam is one of those movies which utilized every bit of resource that provided by our industry.

The story is about a common man who tries to protect his family from a mishap, which took a young man's life. The script is good , and direction is also impressive. What makes Dhrishyam brilliant is that the unique performance of the lead actors. Mohanlal, famous for his flexible acting skills, dazzles as Georgekutty, a farmer-businessman who cares about his family through every event of the movie. Meena, Asha sarath were also good to watch. Shajon, normally type-casted as a comedian, Makes a brilliant turn-over to a character role.

As a final word, Dhrishyam is becoming a cult classic in Indian Cinema, and it spawns a new genre family crime thriller. Watch it. You'll never get disappointed...

Obviously one of the Best Malyalam thrillers out there!

[akshayshibu321 · 10/10 · 2 January 2014]

Drishyam is directed by Jithu Joseph and casts Mohanlal in the Main role.It starts of like a normal film but by the interval you will be enthralled by the epic twist.As the trailer never showed much about the movie,you will be shocked by the twist.The BGM is excellent and provides a very good backing for the movie.Mohanlal is at his very best and Jithu Joseph continues his success from "Memories".I can't tell you much about the story as I might spoil it for you.You MUST watch this movie RIGHT AWAY! and I promise you that you will be very content.It's the first time that I have Stood up and gave a standing Ovation for a film that I have watched but I wasn't alone,nearly everyone in the the theatre joined in.You will be going back home with a smile on your face,happy that you could witness such a film.

Drishyam is cracker of a thriller movie. Excellent !!!

[deepuinbox · 10/10 · 30 December 2013]

Watched Mohanlal starer Drishyam directed by Jeethu Joseph.

When was the last time you come out of the theater saying 'Wow, Excellent.. What a Movie' ?? Yes.. Time has come. Drishyam is cracker of a thriller movie.

Mohanlal is so elegant and wonderful as George Kutty. Jeethu Joseph Oh man.. Please add my name in your fan's list. U are awesome.. Great going Jeethu.. Nice Camera and BG score make this movie memorable one..

Not going to story part. Better(Must) watch in theaters. Brilliant Screenplay and Cleverly directed movie. Brought Goosebumps at climax scene. Well supported by Meena, Siddique, Asha Sharath etc.. Kalabhavan Shajon is awesome in his negative role.

One of most powerful movies ever

[paulsmithson-192-243826 · 10/10 · 22 January 2015]

This is a true tour-de-force that has you gripped to your seat.

It starts of gently, but don't let that lull you into a false sense of security that nothing much is going to happen - it is! And when it does, the tension doesn't let up.

When I saw it the IMDb rating at the time was 8.9, which is very high. All I can say is that it is that high for a very good reason.

Not only is it one of the best thrillers I have ever seen, but the cinematography is stunning. It captures the beauty of the location in such rich tones it is worth watching a second time just to admire the thought has gone into this. But it isn't just the large panoramic shots that are terrific, it is also the smaller sets such as the hotel where George goes for tea, and I don't know whether the director intended the contrast between the cold and clinical chief of police's house and the warmer tones of George's family home, but if they did then that was genius.

If your heart is not racing by the end of the film you're not alive. Awesome!!!

The Best movie of 2013!!

[Anulubi · 10/10 · 28 December 2013]

i would give 100000/10.if i can.. Lalettan's acting was spectacular. actually every actors did their job fantastically even the kids. its a beautiful scripted movie by Jeethu Joseph.oh god i really loved this movie. while watching most of other Malayalam thrillers,some time we get bored. and in the case of this movie we wont take our eyes from the screen. trust me you wont regret about money you spend on ticket. the movie contains a lot of suspense. the climax really shocked me. i was clapping with standing in the theater.as i mentioned above every actors have acted way beyond their level. i must say something about Kalabhavan Shajon. i didn't know he has such talent in acting.he really shocked me with his negative character. Asha Sarath,actually i didn't like her that she acted in TV Serials, but i became a fan of her.she acted very brilliantly in Dhrishyam. I'm not getting into the story, i don't want to ruin the suspense.

you can watch it with the family.

Surely deserves a place in the IMDb Top 250

[athulbiju · 10/10 · 3 January 2014]

The trailer did not prepare me for what lay in store at the theater. I was expecting a Sathyan Anthikad melodrama, even though many people had vouched for the movie's excellence. The first half panned out in a very formulaic way, with a happy family and a song added to make the proceedings look increasingly ordinary. The second half is what would take your breath away. For the first time in my life, I saw people standing up and give a standing ovation when the movie ended and mind you I was among the people who were applauding. The standout performers were Asha Sharath and Kalabhavan Shajohn, with Mohanlal recreating some of his old magic which I had not seen since the dawn of the millennium. Baby Esther also gives a fine performance and do not forget to look out for Anthony Perumbavoor who provides a comic touch to the proceedings. Overall a fine movie which shows that Jeethu Joseph's movies will be wanted by all top actors in Malayalam henceforth.

Stayin' afloat

[sesht · 4 January 2014]

Finally got to watch this one earlier today, with a packed audience in tow, that was irritatingly loud, which was a huge problem for me, given there were no subtitles and I was straining to understand every nuance (I understand the language to an elementary extent, so that helped).

What stood out? The fine performances. The close adherence / sticking to reality- based plot twists (for most of the running time, except while dealing with the macguffin on occasion). The locations (Kerala, Kerala, Kerala - one of the loveliest places in India). The comedy and the camaraderie.

What did't work so well? The in-your-face/manipulative score, nee, cacophony. Glossing over few impact-laden occurrences (Indian movies do this all the time, and this is not the worst offender in that department, relatively speaking).

Conclusively, this will make my top list for 2013, but not right at the top. It is very heartening to see Malayalam cinema embrace, once again, performance-driven narratives such as this. To me, that's what differentiated them among the cinema of the south. Regardless of language, this kind of cinema needs nothing but encouragement, and I do hope if there is a remake, it stays close enough to the spirit of the original! 3 cheers to Jeethu Joseph and team.

original version

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 18 October 2020]

The movie opens with George Kutty at the police station under suspicion and then goes back to the beginning. George runs a small cable TV operation in a rural area where he watches the movies and shows that he pumps out all day. That's how he becomes knowledgeable in many things despite a limited education. He's an orphan, a self-made man, and respected in the community. He has a family with two daughters. The older daughter Anju gets blackmailed and she kills the boy while trying to recover the cell phone. The father works to cover up the crime with knowledge he learned from the TV.

I saw the 2015 version first. The plot is generally the same. I don't know much about Bollywood. I'm assuming that the remake was done to appeal to the bigger audience with another language. It seems to be a bit more glossier also. I have similar praise and have similar problems. The blackmail incident happens almost an hour into this almost three hours movie. It's the inciting incident. A western movie could never withstand an introduction that is an hour long. The tone is totally different. When it happens, it becomes almost Hitchcockian. It's great after that.

Not a patch on the remake

[grantlandon-84-865544 · 5/10 · 11 April 2021]

It's odd when the original version of a film is much weaker than the remake. Whilst the 2015 Hindi language version of Drishyam is well acted, with a strong soundtrack and fine cinematography- this one has wooden performances with a poor soundtrack and feels cliched and tired.

Year end with a Drishyam bang!!!

[hridya-a-gokuldas · 10/10 · 17 February 2014]

Drishyam is an excellent thriller ever seen. The story revolves about how Georgekutty(Mohanlal) and his family save themselves from the hands of police. Jeethu rocks as a director as well as a scriptwriter. Mohanlal did perform well as a common man and Meena was stunning in her role as Rani. The child artists were really superb, especially the youngest daughter. Asha Sharath and Siddique did complete justice to their role. But the role of Sahadevan played by Shajohn was one of the notable characters. But the real hero of the movie was its climax. Some scenes in the movie were really made for standing ovation. My advice is to go for it!!!

One of the best thriller in Indian cinema

[sagaraliyasjacky · 10/10 · 13 October 2020]

.It is clean thrillet .A very good family movie . Mohanlal's superb performance 🔥

Excellent script with outstanding acting by lal sir

[tobin116 · 9/10 · 11 January 2014]

On the whole, Drishyam is a complete package. It thrills, its emotional, worth your money and time. Don't miss to watch this movie.Mohanlal as Georgekutty is too good in his character. Some expressions of this legend reminds us why he is still staying at the top of the Indian actor list. Meena as Rani makes a good comeback with her role. The child artists enacting the roles of Anju and Anu have done their roles exceptionally well.Another notable performance is by Kalabhavan Shajon in the role of Sahadevan, a police constable. The negative character of Sahadevan is sure to gain Shajon a lot more opportunities in the coming years. Other characters including Siddique (Prabhakar), Asha Sarath (Geetha), Varun (Roshan) Irshad (police inspector), Kunjan (Madhavan) have done complete justice to their roles.

Hitchcockian Thriller in Malayalam

[prasenjit-sanyal14 · 9/10 · 4 March 2015]

I don't rate a movie 10 often. But believe me this is awesome. I sometime think why bollywood never make movie like this. This movie has entertainment value , its storyline is for a huge target audience and what a thrill. It can be easily compared with Rear Window, Vertigo or Dial M for Murder. Thrill thrill and thrill whats make this movie successful. Things that attract me most about Drishyam is the interrelation among the family members of Geroge Kutty (Mohonlal) and how far a man can go to save his family. Geroge Kutty is a very common man , maximum Indian can relate his lifestyle . I will not disclose more because it is good for you to watch the movie first and enjoy the experience.

keeps you glued to the screen!!

[logarajan-anand · 10/10 · 14 December 2014]

Awesome movie I have seen in recent time.. Excellent acting by Mohanlal.. Fantastic screenplay and the protagonist has been heavily challenged by the police enquiry.. which makes the movie so interested!! Everyone played their character very well.. Storyline is superb.. Should watch if you want to spend quality time..

The way it was directed, oh you should definitely give huge round of applause to the director...

Cons: very less entertainment stuff initial phase of the movie is little slow

Bottomline :- Awesome,Excellent!!!

A Masterpiece film by Jeethu Joseph

[tulasiajit · 10/10 · 6 December 2020]

Mohanlal's acting skills can't be compared with any other actors who have done his role. That's why he is called "The Complete Actor", a "Natural Actor" and he has won 5 National Film Awards. Other supporting actors; Asha Sarath, Siddique and Kalabhavan Shajon have performed their roles beautifully. I hope people will watch the original Malayalam version before watching the remakes and comparing them with the original. And this movie was remade in other languages such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Sinhalese and even in Chinese too that's why Malayalam Cinema is considered as the best film industry and the real reason why other industries remake Malayalam movies.

A masterpiece in Malayalam...

[daredevil-arun8 · 10/10 · 14 October 2014]

Well... Is there a film that can find a Shawshank Redemption kind of climax??? There certainly is!!! yea...This is the film that has a jaw-dropping finishing credits in the entire Malayalam Film History.

Jeethu Joseph has certainly carved a master-piece which makes us wonder "How can this story be possible??". The script of "Recreating a day" is simply awesome and the length of the film which never loses its thriller touch has won million souls. An ordinary cop and common man quarrel goes to an extent which no one can ever guess..... You can watch this film 10 times for its final credits. The film has a good camera positioning, no boring songs and a complete 160 mins Drama Thriller.....What else do we need??? This film is the heart and soul of Malayalam Films....Never ever miss this!!!

God ! What acting !!!

[hguy1 · 10/10 · 9 October 2018]

This movie has now been released in every Indian language conceivable. I had to decide which language to see it in. I chose Malayalam. My first Mohanlal movie. My first full Malayalam movie. And what do i get. A mind-boggling movie. Meena, the two girls, the policemen, the shopkeeper all contributed. But the cake goes to Mohanlal who breezed his way thru. Effortlessly. Even surprising how cool he is in tense situations.

It teaches you one very important lesson- family comes first. Not FB. Not Twitter.

Absolutely loved the movie. Even surprising considering I dont know a word of Malayalam.

Dhrishyam Review

[Vinod_PM · 9 January 2021]

A happy family living in a hilly area is confronted with a sudden twist of fate and their decision to take it on results in a struggle that is both painful and engaging. It opens up as a sweet-coated family drama, gives a fleeting sense of a social chronicle before evolving, almost magically into a game of truth and lies. Joseph picks the most unlikely setting and people to be hurled into this game.

Not Great But Good

[nammage · 7/10 · 4 December 2019]

I'm not really into contemporary Bollywood films, more into Indian films from the 1930s to 1950s so if I have a bias, it's that. I've read some reviews that state this is a remake of a novel; I guess 'adaptation' could loosely be described as a 'remake' but from what I've read by several people: it's loose at best and totally changes the plot--which, if one thinks about it: who cares? Nothing's original anymore. Someone is always borrowing from someone else--I'm sure the novel this is loosely based on could be found something before it as being similar etc., etc.,

Anyway, except for some amateurish editing and 'dun dun dun' moments throughout in concert of the composition and silly scenes with slow motion (like with the female cop, I almost thought this was a comedy/parody or something--slow motion of her walking up to two dudes being tortured; slow motion of her walking down a hall;--come on! That's hilarious.), it was a good film. The main problem I got from this, and perhaps it's a difference in culture or what not but why is it that a boy (or young man) can secretly videotape a young girl and if he shows it to his friends, or posts it online, she's at fault and she is the one bringing shame to her family? I mean, at first I thought it was just a line the guy Sam gave to get a girl to have sex with him but her reaction to it confirmed that's how people would see it. She's in the privacy of her own home, supposedly, and he secretly videotapes like a rapey pervert and she's to blame? I watched the scene a few times, and then with the mother, it made it appear that she would bring shame to her family. Anyway...as I said: maybe it's cultural differences or perhaps I misinterpreted that part...I don't think so but whatever...

I like a long film like any other film lover but this had way too many slow motion scenes and 'montages', mainly when the songs were playing. I know Indians enjoy long films but this had way too much 'empty air' throughout which made it sort of boring at times.

Not worthy of 8.3

[danielpereira-ramirez · 1/10 · 27 December 2020]

The film is excessively slow, for a story that could be summarized in less than ninety minutes. In addition to being totally predictable in its development, it has large gaps in its story that it simply does not contribute. The murder is forced and too false. The performances are unconvincing, there is no need to call the protagonist by name the entire movie and the takes are not of a professional level. In short: a 160 minute torture that can be done in just 60 minutes.