Drushyam

Story:

Directed by Sripriya and co-produced by D. Suresh Babu and Rajkumar Sethupathi, Drushyam is a 2014 Telugu-language crime thriller movie from India. Replicating the parts of Mohanlal, Meena, and Asha Sharath from the original Malayalam film Drishyam, directed by Jeethu Joseph in 2013, is Venkatesh, Meena, and Nadhiya.

The movie chronicles the life of a middle-class cable TV operator named Rambabu and his family. When Varun, the Inspector-general of Police’s (IG) son, disappears shortly after pestering Rambabu’s daughter, suspicion falls on them. The remaining portions of the movie explain Varun’s disappearance and Rambabu’s actions to spare his family from jail.

George Pious and Suresh Balaje worked on the Drushyam production. Sharreth has composed the soundtrack for the movie. Leading the cinematography was S. Gopal Reddy, while Marthand K. Venkatesh handled the editing.

Three months of principal photography began on March 8, 2014. Like the original, much of the filming took place in Kerala, but there were also scenes in Hyderabad, Araku, Simhachalam, and Vizianagaram. After a month, the post-production stage came to a conclusion.

On July 11, 2014, Drushyam was released, receiving favorable reviews from critics. As a result, it went on to become one of the highest-grossing Telugu movies of the year, earning ₹200 million from its global distributor. November 2021 saw the release of Drushyam 2, an Amazon Prime Video sequel that is a remake of Drishyam 2. In 2023, it was given the Hindi name Aankhen.

Plot

Living in Rajavaram, a village in the Araku region, with his wife Jyothi and their two children, Anju, a twelfth-grader, and Anu, a primary school student, is Rambabu, a cable network operator. Rambabu watches a lot of movies in several languages as part of his employment. He does so with such curiosity that he unconsciously adopts the actions of the characters in these movies, which leads him to make important decisions in life.

Anju gets captured in the nude on camera using a disguised cell phone camera in the restroom during a school excursion to a camp. Varun, the son of Geetha, the Inspector General of Police, is exposed as the guilty.

Anju accidentally murders Varun when they meet later for blackmail, after which she smashes his cell phone. She conceals his body in a compost pile that was intended for manure with the assistance of her mother. They are unaware that Anu witnesses this.

After Jyothi informs Rambabu of the tragedy, he comes up with a scheme to keep his family out of jail. He discards the damaged cell phone. But as Rambabu is getting rid of Varun’s automobile, a jealous and dishonest police officer named Veerabhadra spots him. After that, Rambabu takes his family to Vizianagaram, where they go to a restaurant, see a movie, and attend a religious gathering.

Geetha, in the meantime, launches an inquiry after learning that her kid has vanished. Following an initial inquiry, Geetha summons Rambabu and his relatives for an interrogation. Anticipating this, Rambabu gives his family advice on how to give an alibi.

Consequently, their answers are consistent when asked one-on-one. In addition, they present the movie tickets, the bus ticket, and the restaurant receipt as evidence of their alibi. Rambabu’s alibi is further supported by the declarations made by the proprietors of the Vizianagaram enterprises the family visited.

After doing a thorough investigation, Geetha discovers that Rambabu actually purchased the tickets and receipt the day of the incident, got to know the owners, and only took the family on the trip a day later.

Veerabhadra beats Rambabu and his family until they reveal the truth after Geetha captures them. Prabhakar, Geetha’s husband, requests that she put an end to this since Rambabu, Jyothi, and Anju are seriously hurt.

Anu discloses what she witnessed out of fear, and Varun’s companion details the infraction at the camp. The police discover a pig carcass in the compost pile after excavating it, proving that Rambabu had already transferred Varun’s body. When Jyothi’s father and brother Rajesh contact the media, Anu informs them of Veerabhadra’s mistreatment of her family.

Locals who have heard about Veerabhadra from the media beat him after he abuses Rambabu and his family. Rambabu is still well-liked by the people, and they all support him. Geetha resigns from her position as IG, Veerabhadra is suspended, and the remaining employees are moved.

In order to make amends for their actions and convey their hope that Varun will return someday, Geetha and Prabhakar meet Rambabu before departing for the United States. However, Rambabu asks them to pardon him by implying that he killed Varun to protect his family.

As the movie ends, Rambabu signs a register at the brand-new Rajavaram police station. He exits after seeing himself in a flashback carrying a shovel during the station’s construction, suggesting that Varun’s body is concealed in the base of the structure.