Drishya is a neat little thriller and a family drama. P Vasu has obviously honed his abilities as a director and extracted standout performances from almost everybody in the film. The plot revolves around Rajendra Ponnappa, who is a cable TV operator, and his family that lives in a four-acre property in Coorg.
His wife Sita (Navya Nair) and two daughters Sindhu and Shreya make his close-knit family, which is often entertained by Rajendra, a movie buff who often compares his life to the many films that he has watched.
Rajendra dreams of building a theatre in his neighbourhood. He often visits a tea shop and is seen having tiffs with police officer Surya Prakash (Achyuth Kumar), who is hated by many in the area for being corrupt.
While life goes on smoothly, an unforeseeable incident brings in a lot of disturbance among the characters. How Rajendra and his family face the situation and overcome the difficulties forms the crux of this intelligent script written by Jeethu Joseph and directed in a distinct style by P Vasu for the Kannada version.
One must observe that despite being the remake of the Malayalam flick Drishyam, Drishya stands out on its own merit. The film sustains tension and power right till its startling conclusion.
Besides telling a gripping story involving a family, Drishya captures the atmosphere of the happenings in Coorg in much detail.
The riveting performance by Ravichandran, well supported by Navya Nair, Prabhu, Asha Sharath, Shivaram, Achyuth Kumar and Suchendra Prasad, lifts the movie over other family dramas.
Ravichandran in Drishya seems undeniably talented and the dhoti that he wears brings magic to his screen presence. Vasu has purposefully restricted Ravichandran's performance and has worked on his appearance to make everything simple and realistic.
This film will be counted as one of the star's best outings in his career. It is definitely a treat to watch Ravichandran play a role so close to his actual identity in Drishya.
Navya Nair has not lost touch with her talents as an actress. She plays the perfect housewife and excels as a young mother.
A lively production with a chilling climax, the film is also full of astute observations and yet cannot resist idealising the importance of the family unit.
Even the muted colours of Madhu Neelakandan's cinematography in parts is evocative and appropriate. Drishya also comes alive with Ilayaraja's music. The editing is fast and tight. The script, with its intelligent plots, is engaging, which is rare in today's cinema.
Verdict: Drishya is touchingly sentimental, but strong. A well-crafted family thriller that is definitely worth a watch.
Film: Drishya
Director: P Vasu
Cast: Ravichandran, Navya Nair, Sadhu Kokila, Achyuth Kumar, Suchendra Prasad