Story:
It is a family thriller where Rambabu (Venkatesh) a cable network owner goes to any extent to save his family. What is the problem he faced and how he solved it is what the film about.
Performances:
Venkatesh is the heart and soul of the film without any doubt. The actor who is a veteran at portraying these emotions has once again shown his finesse. There are many moments throughout the film where the actor’s prowess with the subtle emotions is shown.
Meena is seen doing a film in Telugu after that too in a role that gives her scope to perform. It is a bit one dimensional but still she manages to connect with the audience as a regular housewife.
The two kids also have been well cast. They too are required to act and are not mere props in the film. They manage their sequences with an assuring confidence which in return helps the audience being engaged in the narrative.
Although a bit unbelievable at the beginning due to the characters they are playing in the film, Nadiya and Naresh as a couple continue to grow on us as the film progresses mainly due to the circumstances they are in.
Ravi Kale playing Veerabhadram gets a good role as in his character is important to the overall proceedings of the film and not to be forgotten like he is usually. He too plays it in a one dimensional tone but it is still adequate for a major portion. It gets a bit over the top in the end though.
Apart from these there are a number of small characters who have limited presence like Sapthagiri, Sameer, Paruchuri Venkateshwara Rao, Chalapathi Rao, Annapurna etc. Mostly used to have that nativity feel they work to some extent.
Positives:
Venkatesh
Story
Screenplay
Negatives:
Slow pace
Too lengthy first half
Analysis:
Direction by Sripriya is fine. Looking at the way the final film has turned out one must say she certainly lacked a firm grip on the medium. Thanks to the thriller narrative and screenplay it looks alright in the end but there are several moments in the narrative that could have had more impact or more connect with the audience with dart handling.
The real highlight of course is the screenplay of the film. It keeps one hooked right till the end. Especially in the second half the way things unfold are surely going to excite anyone who hasn’t seen the original. From the moment the thriller angle in the family drama begins to the moment it finally ends, that is the highlight segment of the film. There is a slight bump during the climactic interrogation sequences but the final ending makes up for it.
Cinematography is fine. Better editing could have helped the film a lot in first half of the film. Music is poor but the background score makes up for it. The occasional serial like score is a bit off putting though.
Bottom-line: Surrender To The Drishyam Magic
Rating: 4/5