Ajay Devgn says Drishyam 2 is very different from Mohanlal’s version: ‘Lots of changes and new characters’

Drishyam, the 2015 film, was a remake of the Malayalam film of the same name starring Mohanlal. But it came out when consumption of South films wasn’t as high in the Hindi-speaking belt. With Drishyam 2, that is not the case. The Malayalam and Telugu versions of Drishyam 2 are already on OTT, having been seen by millions during the pandemic. Ajay Devgn and director Abhishek Pathak reveal how they made sure the Hindi version stays fresh. Also read: Drishyam 2 trailer: Ajay Devgn is being hunted down by Tabu and Akshaye Khanna

During the trailer launch event in Goa, Ajay Devgn responded to a query from Hindustan Times. He explained what’s new in Drishyam 2 and said, “There were a lot of characters added, and a lot of changes made. You won’t see Akshaye’s character in the (Malayalam) film or Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant). So, a lot of changes have been made but like Abhishek said, keeping the soul of the film intact. So, I think, when you see the film, it’s going to be very fresh for you.”

Director Abhishek Pathak said they actually spent several months in developing the script, which includes several things that were not part of the Malayalam and Telugu versions. “When we started writing the film, it was not as if we started shooting right away. It took us seven months to write the film. So, there are a lot of changes that make it different from the Malayalam and Telugu versions,” he added.

Drishyam is a sequel to Nishikant Kamat’s hit thriller from 2015. Besides Ajay Devgn, it also stars Tabu, Ishita Dutta, Akshaye Khanna, Rajat Kapoor, and Shriya Saran. It’s all set to hit the theaters on November 18.

In the film, Ajay will be reprising his role as Vijay Salgaonkar who convinced people that his family was on a holiday, in order to save them from a murder conviction. On Monday, the trailer of the film was launched in Panaji, where the film is set.

The Malayalam version of Drishyam 2, starring Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil was released in February 2021. It was the sequel to their 2013 film, directed by Jeethu Joseph. The film opted for a digital release, owing to the rising number of covid cases.

After the success of the Malayalam flick, director Jeethu Joseph further made a Telugu remake, starring Venkatesh, Meena, Nadhiya, Naresh and Kruthika in key roles. It was also released digitally on Amazon Prime Video in November 2021. It was co-produced by D Suresh Babu, Antony Perumbavoor and Rajkumar Sethupathi.