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Drishya
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| Drishya | |
|---|---|
![]() Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | P. Vasu |
| Written by | P. Vasu |
| Story by | Jeethu Joseph |
| Based on | Drishyam by Jeethu Joseph |
| Produced by | Mukesh R. Mehta |
| Starring | Ravichandran Navya Nair Aarohi Narayan Unnathi Asha Sharath Prabhu |
| Cinematography | Madhu Neelakandan |
| Edited by | Suresh Urs |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
Production company | E4 Entertainment |
| Distributed by | E4 Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 154 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Kannada |
Drishya (transl. Visual) is a 2014 Indian Kannada-language crime thriller film directed by P. Vasu and produced by E4 Entertainment. It is a remake of the 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam and stars V. Ravichandran, Navya Nair, Aarohi Narayan, Unnathi, Asha Sharath, Prabhu, and Achyuth Kumar, The film's music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja. A sequel titled Drishya 2 was released in 2021.
The film released on 20 June 2014 to widespread critical acclaim, with the performances of Ravichandran, Nair, and Sharath, and the screenplay being praised.[1] It was a commercial success and completed a 100-day run in theatres.[2]
Plot
[edit]Rajendra Ponnappa is an orphan who had dropped out of school after his fourth standard. He is now a businessman running a cable television service in a rural area. He is married to Seetha and they have two daughters, Sindhu, a Plus Two student, and Shreya, a student of class sixth. His only interest apart from his family is watching films. He spends most of his time in front of the TV in his small office.
During a nature camp, Sindhu gets photographed in the bathroom by a hidden cell phone. The culprit, Tarun, is the spoiled son of Inspector General of Police Roopa Chandrashekar. Tarun is accidentally killed by Seetha and her daughter when he comes to blackmail them using the clip either any one of them should sleep with him or he will surely publish the clip through Internet. They hide his body in a compost pit, which is witnessed by Shreya. Seetha tells Rajendra about the incident and he devises a way to save his family from the law. He removes the broken cell phone and disposes of Tarun's car, which is seen by a police constable, Suryaprakash, who has a grudge against Rajendra. Rajendra takes his family on a trip to attend a religious meeting, watch a movie and eat at a restaurant. Roopa, realising that her son has gone missing starts an investigation.
After a preliminary investigation, Roopa calls Rajendra and family for questioning. Rajendra had predicted that this would happen and taught his family how to change their alibi at the time of murder. When questioned individually, they reply the same thing and they had also shown the bill of the restaurant, the movie tickets and the bus journeys' tickets as proof of their alibi. Roopa questions the owners of the establishments they have been to and their statements prove Rajendra's alibi. Roopa realises that on the day of the incident, Rajendra had taken the tickets and the bill, made acquaintance with the owners and had gone for the trip with his family the next day, thus proving his alibi and making the owners unwittingly tell the lie.
Roopa arrests Rajendra and family and Suryaprakash uses brute force to beat the truth out of them. Eventually, Shreya gives in and reveals the place where the body is buried. After digging the compost pit, they find the carcass of a calf, indicating that Rajendra had moved the body. Rajendra reports to the media and complains against Suryaprakash. The constable is suspended and Roopa resigns from her post. Roopa and her husband meet Rajendra to ask forgiveness for their rude and violent behavior. Rajendra suspects there might be foul play involved and still does not reveal directly that his family has committed a crime. Rajendra, now in remand, signs a register at the newly constructed local police station. As he leaves, a flashback shows him leaving the incomplete police station with a shovel in hand, indicating that he has hidden Tarun's body in the foundations of the very police station that dealt with the said investigation.
Cast
[edit]- Ravichandran as Rajendra Ponnappa
- Navya Nair as Seetha
- Aarohi Narayan as Sindhu
- Unnathi as Shreya
- Asha Sarath as IG Roopa Chandrashekhar IPS
- Prabhu as Chandrashekhar
- Rohith Bhanuprakash as Tarun Chandrashekhar
- Achyuth Kumar as Constable Suryaprakash
- Suchendra Prasad as Police Inspector
- Jai Jagadish as Head Constable
- Dayal Padmanabhan as Contractor
- Srinivasa Murthy as Seetha's father
- Shivaram as Tea shop owner
- Prashanth Siddi as Rajendra's assistant
- Sadhu Kokila as restaurant customer
Production
[edit]After the commercial and critical success of Drishyam, director P. Vasu decided to remake the film in either Tamil or Telugu, when he received an offer from the Kannada film production company E4 Entertainment. His name was referred to the producers by actor Ravichandran. It was revealed in February 2014 that the latter would portray Mohanlal's character from the original film.[3] Navya Nair was cast to play his wife, the role played by Meena in the original film.[4] Swaroopini Narayan was cast to play the role of Ravichandran's elder daughter in the film, following her successful audition for the role after having been spotted on the internet messaging service WhatsApp by one of the crew members.[5]
Filming began on 11 March 2014, in the Kodagu district in Karnataka, a major part of which was shot in Madikeri. Small parts of the film were then shot in Bangalore and Nanjangud. As compared to the Malayalam film, Drishya was trimmed by about 15 to 20 minutes.[6] Reports of the film being titled Drishya came out only in mid-May 2014, a month prior to the film's release.[7]
Soundtrack
[edit]The film's music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics written by V. Nagendra Prasad. The album consists of two songs.[8]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ondu Kathe Kelu" | Vijay Prakash, Pooja Vaidyanath, M. M. Manasi, Surmukhi Raman | 4:57 |
| 2. | "Devara Kelu" | Sharreth | 5:26 |
| Total length: | 10:23 | ||
Reception
[edit]The film received positive reviews from critics.[9] The performances of Ravichandran, Navya Nair and Asha Sarath received overwhelmingly positive reviews, along with the film's screenplay.
Shashiprasad of Deccan Chronicle rated the film 4 of 5 stars and said, "With the perfect screenplay, Dhrishya thrills and grips the audience right till the end with crazy star V.Ravichandran at his best performance lately, which syncs so well that the character of Rajendra Ponnappa seems tailor-made for him."[10] The reviewer of Sify.com said, "A commendable team effort and the movie is definitely worth a watch!"[11] Shyam Prasad S. of Bangalore Mirror rated the film 3.5/5 stars and called it a "masterly remake" of the Malayalam version, and added that the film was Ravichandran's best in many years. He concluded writing praises of the performances of all the lead actors.[12] G. S. Kumar of The Times of India too gave a 3.5/5 star rating and wrote, "Director P Vasu knows that secret and has brilliantly incorporated it in the screenplay." He added praising the performances of the lead actors and music, and giving "a special mention" to cinematographer Madhu Neelakantan's work.[13] Writing for The New Indian Express, A. Sharadhaa reviewed the film and called it "neat little thriller and a family drama". She commended the performances of the actors, direction, screenplay and music, and the roles of the film's cinematographer and the editor.[14]
Sequel
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "'Drishya' Review Roundup: A Masterly Remake". ibtimes.co.in. 21 June 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ "'Drishya' 100 Days". indiaglitz.com. 26 September 2014. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- ^ "Ravichandran suggested my name for 'Drishyam' remake: P Vasu". ibnlive.in.com. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Navya replaces Meena in Kannada remake of 'Drishyam'". Deccan Herald. 5 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- ^ "Actress Swaroopini Narayan exclusive interview about Drishya Movie (info)". blog.e-mysore.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- ^ "Malayalam hit film Drishyam to be remade as Drushya in Kannada". rediff.com. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- ^ "Drishyam Remake Titled as Drishya". chitraloka.com. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
- ^ "Drushya Songs by Ilaiyaraja". Gaana. 8 June 2014.
- ^ "Drishya". Oneindia. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ "Movie review 'Drishya': What a thriller!". Deccanchronicle.com. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ "Movie Review : Drishya". Sify. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ "Movie review: Drishya". Bangalore Mirror. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ "Drishya review". The Times of India. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ "Ravichandran Shines in this Well-crafted Drama". The New Indian Express. 21 June 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
External links
[edit]Drishya
View on GrokipediaDevelopment
Remake origins
The 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam, written and directed by Jeethu Joseph and starring Mohanlal in the lead role, emerged as a critical and commercial triumph, becoming the first Malayalam-language production to gross over ₹50 crore worldwide and setting a benchmark for suspense thrillers in Indian cinema.[3] Its narrative of a ordinary family man protecting his loved ones through ingenuity resonated widely, inspiring multiple regional adaptations across India.[4] Following the film's release in December 2013, production house E4 Entertainment acquired the remake rights for a Kannada version in late 2013, aiming to capitalize on its pan-Indian appeal while tailoring it for local audiences. The decision involved conceptualizing adjustments to align with Kannada cultural contexts, such as relocating the protagonist's cable television business to a rural Karnataka setting, including areas like Coorg, to enhance relatability for viewers in the state.[5] In early 2014, P. Vasu was announced as the director, a choice influenced by actor V. Ravichandran's recommendation and Vasu's established expertise in handling thriller genres and remakes, including successful Kannada films like Aapthamitra.[6] Vasu accepted the Kannada project from E4 Entertainment, marking a strategic collaboration to preserve the original's tension while infusing regional nuances.[7]Pre-production
The pre-production phase of Drishya focused on adapting the screenplay from the 2013 Malayalam film Drishyam to resonate with Kannada audiences, while securing remake rights and planning logistics. Director P. Vasu, who also penned the screenplay, localized the narrative by altering character names—such as changing the protagonist from Georgekutty to Rajendra Ponnappa, a name evocative of Kodava heritage—and shifting the primary setting to the rural landscapes of Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka to incorporate regional cultural elements like local dialects and community dynamics.[7][1] E4 Entertainment handled the financing, estimating the budget at approximately ₹4 crore to cover adaptation, location scouting, and preparatory work. Pre-production commenced in early 2014, with principal photography scheduled to begin on March 11, 2014, in Kodagu, allowing time for script finalization and crew assembly. Ilaiyaraaja was confirmed as the music composer during this phase, adding to the film's anticipation.[5] To enhance pacing for Kannada viewers, Vasu made initial decisions during this phase to trim the runtime from the original's 164 minutes to 154 minutes, eliminating select scenes from the first half while preserving the core thriller structure.[8][1][9]Cast and crew
Casting
V. Ravichandran was cast in the lead role of Rajendra Ponnappa, a cable operator and devoted family man, leveraging his established presence in Kannada cinema to portray an everyman character in this thriller remake. This selection represented a notable shift for Ravichandran, known primarily for romantic and song-dance films, toward a more dramatic and suspenseful narrative.[10] Navya Nair was chosen for the role of Seetha, Rajendra's wife, marking her return to Kannada films after a break following her marriage in 2010.[11][12][13] Asha Sarath reprised her role as the determined police officer IG Roopa Chandrashekhar (adapted from Geetha Prabhakar in the original), selected to maintain the character's authoritative intensity across remakes. Tamil actor Prabhu was cast as Chandrashekhar, the influential father of the story's key antagonist, adding depth to the supporting ensemble. Achyuth Kumar portrayed the advocate Surya Prakash, contributing to the film's legal intrigue.[14][15][16][17] For the child roles, debutant Aarohi Narayan was selected as the elder daughter Sindhu, while Unnathi played her younger sister Shreya, both chosen to bring authenticity to the family dynamics. Supporting parts, including minor characters, were filled through casting calls and auditions conducted in Bangalore to identify local talent suitable for the thriller's grounded tone.[18]Production team
The film Drishya was directed by P. Vasu, a prolific filmmaker renowned for his thrillers in Tamil and Kannada cinema, including the blockbuster Chandramukhi (2005), which ran for over 800 days in theaters.[19] In addition to helming the direction, Vasu oversaw the adaptation of the screenplay from its Malayalam origins during pre-production.[18] Production was led by E4 Entertainment as the primary banner, with C. V. Sarathi credited as executive producer.[17] The cinematography was captured by Madhu Neelakandan, whose lens work supported the thriller's atmospheric tension.[20] Suresh Urs handled the editing, contributing to the film's brisk pacing and suspenseful rhythm.[20] Art direction was managed by Ravi Santhehaklu, focusing on sets that contrasted rural and urban Karnataka locales to enhance the narrative's grounded realism.[17]Filming and production
Principal photography
Principal photography for Drishya commenced on March 11, 2014, in the Kodagu district (also known as Coorg) of Karnataka, focusing on the rural home scenes to establish the family's everyday life.[5] The production team opted for practical locations in this scenic region to lend authenticity to the narrative's grounded setting, as director P. Vasu noted in an interview that the shoot took place there to capture the essence of a simple family dynamic.[21] This choice emphasized realism over studio sets, aligning with the film's thriller elements rooted in ordinary circumstances. The overall schedule was efficient, wrapping up in time for the film's release in June 2014, though specific day counts were not publicly detailed beyond the initial start.Post-production
Following principal photography, the post-production of Drishya focused on refining the thriller's narrative for maximum impact. Editing was handled by Suresh Urs, resulting in a final runtime of 154 minutes.[20][1] Post-production was completed ahead of the film's June 2014 release, including certification by the Central Board of Film Certification. Filming locations in rural Karnataka influenced certain edit choices to preserve authentic spatial continuity.Music
Soundtrack composition
The soundtrack for Drishya was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, a veteran musician known for his extensive work across South Indian cinema.[22] The album features only two songs, a deliberate choice to prioritize the background score in enhancing the film's thriller elements over traditional elaborate musical sequences.[7] This minimalistic approach was influenced by director P. Vasu's vision for a taut narrative.[7] The lyrics for the songs were written by V. Nagendra Prasad, who infused them with themes centered on family bonds and emotional depth, aligning with the film's core story of familial protection.[17] Ilaiyaraaja's background score plays a pivotal role in building suspense throughout the thriller, utilizing subtle instrumentation to underscore tense plot developments without interrupting key scenes.[7] The composition process emphasized atmospheric tension, contributing significantly to the film's immersive experience.[23]Track listing and reception
The soundtrack of Drishya consists of two songs composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics by V. Nagendra Prasad, and has a total length of 10:23 minutes.[24] The album was released on audio cassette and CD on June 11, 2014, prior to the film's theatrical release on June 20, 2014.[22]| No. | Title | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Ondu Kathe Kelu" | 4:57 | Group song picturized on a family outing, sung by Vijay Prakash, Pooja, M.M. Manasi, and Surmukhi; praised for its catchy melody.[24] |
| 2 | "Devare Kelu" | 5:26 | Emotional ballad emphasizing family bonding, sung by Sharreth, featuring Ilaiyaraaja's signature flute instrumentation.[24] |

