Drishyam (2015)

Desperate measures are taken by a man who tries to save his family from the dark side of the law, after they commit an unexpected crime.

Director: Nishikant Kamat

Writers: Jeethu Joseph (original story), Upendra Sidhaye(adapted by)

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Shriya Saran, Tabu




Vijay Salgaonkar (Ajay Devgn) is an orphan who had dropped out of school after his 4th grade. Now he is a contented successful businessman running a cable TV service called Mirage Cable in Pondolem, Goa. He is married to Nandini (Shriya Saran) and they have two daughters, Anju, his adopted daughter (Ishita Dutta), a class twelve student, and Anu, a class six student. His only interest apart from his family is watching films. He spends most of his time in front of the TV in his small office.

During a nature camp, Anju gets recorded on video in the bathroom by a hidden cell phone. The culprit, Sam aka Sameer (Rishabh Chaddha) is the son of Inspector General of Goa Police Meera Deshmukh (Tabu). Sam comes to blackmail Anju for sexual favors, when Vijay is not home. Nandini intervenes and pleads with Sam to leave their family alone, but Sam refuses to leave them or delete the video clip unless his demand is fulfilled. In an attempt to break the offending cell phone, Anju takes a swing at Sam with a lead pipe, but she strikes him in the head instead, killing him immediately. They hide his body in a compost pit, which is witnessed by Anu. At morning, Nandini tells Vijay about the incident and he devises a way to save his family from the police. He removes the broken cell phone and disposes of Sam's car, which is seen by the corrupt Sub-Inspector Laxmikant Gaitonde (Kamlesh Sawant), who has a grudge against Vijay. The next day, Vijay takes his family out on a trip to Panjim, where they visit an Ashram, watch a movie, and eat at a restaurant. Meera, realising that her son has gone missing starts an investigation.

After a preliminary investigation, Meera calls Vijay and family for questioning. Having predicted that the police would come calling eventually, Vijay coaches his family on how to face the interrogations without raising suspicion. When questioned individually, the family sticks to their individual stories and the police are unable to find a crack in their alibis. Vijay produces bus tickets, movie tickets, lodging and restaurant bills as proof for the family's visit to Panaji. Meera questions the owners of the establishments they have been to and their statements prove Vijay's alibi. Meera realizes that on the day of the incident, Vijay had taken the tickets and the bill, made acquaintance with the owners and had gone for the trip with his family the next day, thus proving his alibi and making the owners unwittingly tell the lie.

Meera has the Salgaonkar family arrested and Gaitonde uses brute force to beat the truth out of them, though Vijay, Nandini and Anju resist. Meanwhile, Meera finds out about Sam and his video of Anju from Sam's friend Alex. Eventually, Anu gives in and reveals that she has seen a body being buried in the compost pit. After digging the compost pit, the authorities find the carcass of a dog, indicating that Vijay had moved the body. Vijay reports to the media that Gaitonde physically abused both his daughters and complains against Gaitonde causing an angry mob to beat up Gaitonde. The Sub-inspector is suspended, Meera resigns from her post, and the entire investigating force of the Pondolem Police Station is transferred out. When Nandini asks Vijay about what he did to the body, he refuses to tell her, saying that she does not need to know that information. Meera and her husband Mahesh (Rajat Kapoor) meet Vijay to ask forgiveness for their rude and violent behavior. But Vijay explains to them that he would go to any lengths to protect his family. Vijay tells Meera that her son came to Vijay's family as an "uninvited guest," and Vijay has sent him to a place from where "he cannot return." Vijay, now in remand, signs a register at the newly constructed local police station. The new police inspector threatens Vijay that he shall find the body. As Vijay leaves, a flashback reveals that he has hidden Sam's body under the floor of the police inspector's room in the new station.