×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Mistakes aplenty in 'Drishyam 2' climax

Experts familiar with criminal investigation methods say the hit sequel to the family-thriller by Jeethu Joseph falters on procedure
Last Updated 27 February 2021, 03:16 IST

American best-selling author Dale Carnegie once said, “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.”

His words ring true when you try to understand how Malayalam filmmaker Jeethu Joseph has pulled off a credible sequel to his hit crime thriller ‘Drishyam’. With ‘Drishyam 2: The Resumption’, Jeethu has trumped logic — a key component in thrillers — with emotion.

The ‘Drishyam’ franchise is a triumph of quality writing. Jeethu made us root for a family involved in a crime. Today, we are fans of Georgekutty (essayed by Mohanlal) for his canny moves even after his acquittal. What makes him a rare character in Indian cinema is that he is not just shrewd but also humane and sensitive.

When ‘Drishyam’ (2013) hit the screen, it looked as complete as possible with a bang-for-the buck climax. This family-thriller genre was hitherto untouched in Indian cinema. In the sequel, Jeethu again keeps things under wraps for a jaw-dropping climax.

But the end -- where Jeethu executes the ‘hero always wins’ trope -- has also fuelled much scepticism. While most fans enjoy Georgekutty’s masterclass on escaping from the long hands of the law, some say the climax is flawed, truncated and hurried.

Can a Georgekutty in real life swiftly break out of the firm grip of the law as shown in the film? No way, say legal experts, as the slow pace of Indian litigation is well known. Warning: some spoilers ahead.

Chain of custody

The police handling of evidence is conveniently poor and helps the protagonist, feels Hari Krishnan, a legal professional from Mumbai.

“Any forensic evidence about a body goes through a chain of custody. The evidence is properly sealed. The police always keep multiple samples of forensic evidence so that they have a back-up if one sample is compromised,” he says.

In many interviews after the release, Jeethu has said he was aware of the protocol but during his research, found a laboratory in Kerala that was shoddy in this matter.

Advocate M Sharass Chandra, a criminal defense lawyer, too points out the inconsistencies of this episode. “It’s not that easy to manage forensic department as they have a lengthy process in receiving the articles as well as maintaining them in their custody,” he says.

Court proceedings

The director has taken cinematic liberties in the final portions, says Siji Malayil, advocate with experience in criminal law. “A judge cannot get a document all of a sudden as shown in the film. The film avoids several crucial stages and only shows the stage of argument,” he says.

Custodial confession

Georgekutty’s confession is one of the most important scenes in the film. How was he allowed to go home after having admitting to murder? These scenes needed better execution, says Jayanth Krishna, advocate.

“In reality, if one confesses to a crime, the police record a statement, arrest the person and take him to the magistrate. There, the magistrate records another statement and hands him over to the police for further investigation. That’s called remand,” he explains.

Scope for re-investigation

Talk of a third part of ‘Drishyam’ has taken social media by storm after Jeethu revealed in many interviews that he has a finale ready. “The plot twists suit the film’s intentions. It will be interesting how they proceed with the story,” says Sharass.

“If this is the end of the franchise, then I must say it’s not easy for an accused to walk free, as shown in the film. He is sure to get troubled by re-investigation for two reasons. The police can grill the security guard of the forensic lab for helping the accused. If the body was switched, the police can question Georgekutty on what was buried in the police station,” Sharass says.

Jeethu is determined to fix the loose ends in the Telugu remake of the sequel but he is unlikely to tamper too much with a script that has helped him win the masses’ appreciation.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 26 February 2021, 20:17 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT