It has been six years since the release of the second film and thirteen since the first, and it’s been just as many years for Georgekutty’s family. The movie he set out to make as a decoy has not only bought him time and another chance at normalcy, but has also established him as a hit movie producer with a ₹100 crore film.
If he had made his way up the social ladder by owning a movie theatre after starting as a humble cable TV operator in the first film, the rags-to-riches arc for his family is complete now that he is a famous new producer.
Just as unpredictable as he usually is, age seems to have stifled the sharpness of his mind. From being a master at using people as pawns, he goes on to become someone who forgets to keep tabs on people like he used to. And just as talk of his daughter Anju’s wedding commences, we see the man’s control slowly slipping, unaware of his inability to think on his feet. There are eyes everywhere, looking at him like they’ve never been before. Will he continue to go to any extent to save his family, or has he already gone too far, far beyond redemption?
Plans upon plans are hatched to finally get a hold of Georgekutty on the other end, and we are convinced that the entire universe is out to get him. But by now, we know better than to underestimate George and his every move.
The performances are held together despite certain failings. Small, casual quarrels between Anu and her mother land with warmth and also subtly showcase how contrastingly the daughters have grown— the sensitive and vulnerable old daughter and the modern and rebellious younger one. Meanwhile, Mohanlal portrays Georgekutty’s unravelling with much subtlety. A long stare into nothing, spitting water on the floor instead of the basin, losing his temper. He makes you feel and experience the slippage before you understand it.
But if the film returns to what it does best, it’s solely because of how much we’ve come to invest in these characters. Jeethu Joseph steps into a different persona when he enters this franchise, especially when the film he’s writing has ‘Drishyam’ in the title.
Despite the overthinking and even after a major drop in its energy, the film takes turns you do not expect; the film still has a way to pull out the rug from right under you. And when it hits you, it’s not because you don’t see it coming or because the twist is that clever…despite spending 13 years and three films with Georgekutty, we still do not fully understand the things he is ready to do, especially to protect his family. It might be the weakest of the three films, but enough is going on in the film to acknowledge that we will never fully understand Georgekutty.
Drishyam 3 is now available on Amazon Prime Video.
