Cast: Mohanlal, Meena, Asha Sharath, Esther Anil, Ansiba Hassan

Crew:
Music Director: Anil Johnson
Cinematography: Satheesh Kurup
Editing: V.S. Vinayak
Writer-Director: Jeethu Joseph
Producer: Antony Perumbavoor

After two solid films from the Drishyam world, we are finally here for the third. Drishyam 3, starring Mohanlal in the lead role, released today in theatres with all the hype and hoopla surrounding the film. Unlike the earlier films, this time the makers have wisely chosen to dub the film in Telugu and Tamil rather than completely remaking the project. All eyes are on Director Jeethu Joseph and how he handled the pressure of crafting a third part in a cinematic era dominated by duologies. Let's discuss the intricacies of the film in detail.

Plot:

​Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his family are desperately trying to live a peaceful life after the harrowing incidents of the previous films. He tries to leave the past behind and is profoundly concerned about the future of his daughters. He finds a groom for Anju (Ansiba) and the family slowly finds a way to fall into the groove of the real world, hoping to leave their dark past buried. But they forget that the past is like a shadow that never leaves you till you find true closure. 

Now once again things turn complicated after fresh developments emerge in the Varun murder case. A new investigation begins from a mysterious person with stronger evidence and unexpected twists that slowly tighten the noose around Georgekutty and his family. Who wants to reopen the case again? Did Georgekutty finally make a mistake? Did his luck finally run out? How he plans to protect his family this time forms the thrilling core of the storyline.

Analysis:

​Mohanlal once again delivers a masterfully controlled performance that suits the character flawlessly. His screen presence and subtle expressions work wonders in emotional scenes. Daughters Esther and Ansiba are fine in their young adult roles, constantly worrying about everything around their lives. In their somewhat limited roles, Meena and Asha Sharath perform neatly, grounding the emotional stakes. Siddique and Shajohn have given their absolute best for the film, adding gripping tension to every frame they inhibit. 

This time ​Jeethu Joseph tries to work around the character of Georgekutty, exploring how he tries to find a workaround to stay in the real world and forget the past to move forward. He is shown as a vulnerable being trying to secure the right future for his daughters, desperate to make sure their past doesn't pull them down. Unlike the earlier films, Jeethu doesn't rely solely on forced tension and play around with mind bending twists. He just wanted to see how a character who mastered the art of escaping the law through cinema fails to find a script to escape his own internal guilt. It is a deeply meaningful and psychological arc to a legendary character.

However, the film struggles heavily as a result of slightly weaker writing and a surprisingly predictable narration. Unlike the previous installments, the screenplay lacks those gripping moments and major emotional highs that the characters usually carry. The pacing becomes sluggish very early on and several scenes feel unnecessarily stretched after a while. The family portions fail to create that magical emotional resonance for the most part. 

Even the "twists" appear routine and easily predictable. The emotional connection that made the earlier films so deeply memorable is mostly missing here. Thankfully, the final 25-30 minutes of the climax attempt to end the trilogy on a smart note, giving Georgekutty a solid arc and drawing interesting parallels with the darker version of past character that he is trying to save his family from. Unfortunately, the rest of the film leaves the audience experiencing a distinct sense of story fatigue.

On the technical front, the background score by Anil Johnson is commendable, he makes sure the film's pivotal parts are highlighted effectively. The cinematography tries to bring a unique perspective to the characters and how things are seen through their eyes. But editing could have been much crisper, especially during the sluggish first half. Ultimately, the third chapter of this iconic saga ends up being the most underwhelming entry in the entire series, even with the actors giving it their absolute all.

Positives:
Mohanlal's performance
Ensemble Cast
Final 20 minutes
Background score

Negatives:
Weak screenplay
Predictable twists
Slow pacing
Lethargic and Sluggish narrative

Bottomline: 
An unnecessary prolongation of a case buried 13 years ago. 

Rating: 2.25/5

 

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