Ajay Devgn: Film’s soul is different from the original

Ajay Devgn

"We all miss Nishi. He started this journey with us," began Ajay Devgn as he launched the trailer of Drishyam 2 in Goa yesterday. The serene beach state is where the late director Nishikant Kamat had set the 2015 hit, Drishyam. Now, Abhishek Pathak has picked up the directorial baton to take the story forward.

Drishyam 2 is a remake of Mohanlal's 2021 hit of the same name

The crime thriller tells the story of Vijay Salgaonkar - essayed by Devgn - who tries to protect his family's secret, as Tabu's character Meera Deshmukh returns after seven years to expedite the case of her missing son. This time around, her character has an ally in the investigating officer, played by Akshaye Khanna. Devgn said that within its premise of a cat-and-mouse game, Drishyam 2 showcases the conflict of two characters who are right in their stance. "A mother whose son is killed is right in her place, while my character - who will go to any length to save his family - is right from his standpoint. This is not a good-versus-evil tale. It's the emotional clash that makes this story interesting."

Drishyam was an official adaptation of Jeethu Joseph's 2013 Malayalam thriller of the same name, which in turn seemed to have borrowed elements from Keigo Higashino's novel The Devotion of Suspect X. For the second instalment, Devgn and his team have taken the blueprint of Mohanlal's Drishyam 2 (2021). What separates the Hindi offering from its source material is the treatment. "The team took seven months to write [the adaptation], so the characters are distinct. They have added shades to every character. The film's soul is different from the original and other [regional] adaptations."

Also Read: Tabu's first look from 'Drishyam 2' unveiled

Over a decade since Aakrosh (2010), Devgn and Khanna are sharing screen space again. "The idea to cast him was Abhishek's. It's always delightful to work with a good actor who brings out the best in you."