Drishyam: The Conclusion review: Ajay Devgn's Vijay Salgaonkar signs off with a tense, fitting finale - no spoilers

In a world of cinema, it doesn't matter what has been told to you, but how it has been told to you. For me, Abhishek Pathak's Drishyam: The Conclusion has been told in a way that keeps you stuck to the movie, waiting patiently as the story unfolds all its layers slowly and effortlessly.

Based on Jeethu Joseph's famous Malayalam hit, the first two parts followed the same narrative. But the Hindi version has concluded differently from Mohanlal's version (Which was released in May), finally revealing what will happen to the Salgaonkars in the murder case of Sam Deshmukh.

Released in 2015, the first part altogether changed the meaning of Oct 2, which is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti, for Indian audiences. The second part was one of the most fitting sequels. Now the conclusion is out, and it comes with the same template and huge expectations. Will this part work for everyone? Totally depends on how invested one was in the story of the Salgaonkars.

Drishyam: The Conclusion - A brief of how the story moves forward - No spoilers

The movie starts with Meera Deshmukh (Tabu), who still wants revenge for the death of her son Sam. She is now suicidal, as her mental health has taken a toll. To give it one last chance before the final court hearing, Renu's husband (Rajat Kapoor) approaches the head of the Crime Branch, Rajveer Singh Tomar (Jaideep Ahlawat), who has some solid points and evidence that are enough to send the Salgaonkars behind bars.

Cut to picturesque Goa, where Vijay is living a happy life with his wife Nandini and daughters Anju and Anu. However, a fear continues to linger, and it still haunts the family. While things have been peaceful, it is Vijay and his cinema-driven mind that is continuously working, planning and plotting to save himself and his family as their worst nightmare comes true and they become aware of Tomar's intentions. How Vijay saves his family one last time forms the rest of the plot.

Drishyam: The conclusion hits its highest peaks with fewer lows

The murder-mystery universe comes with the challenge of maintaining the suspense, tension, and the slow-burning narrative that the audience felt when they first stepped into Vijay's world. Maintaining that same bar is no cakewalk, but they did it in the sequel and have done it again with the conclusion, framing situations in a way that will surely make you wonder about Vijay's next move.

With the understanding that building a franchise on a murder mystery is a challenging job, as the demands a writer has to fulfil go beyond satisfying many minds. But this franchise has done it with a mostly linear narrative. Much like the first two parts, this one also keeps you hooked with a story that has aged well in many ways. Starting with a tense atmosphere, the trio of writers, Aamil Keeyan Khan, Abhishek Pathak and Parveez Shaikh, strikes a perfect balance between humour (credit goes to
Gaitonde (Laxmikant), twists and tension.

The emotions that had played a massive role in the previous two parts take a backseat this time, with the writting that is more satisfying.

The movie lacks when it comes to the story, that had overpowered by the background score that takes over the silent gaze, which was the gem of this franchise. On the writing front, the 2-hour-38-minute movie takes the audience on a promising journey and wastes no time in setting up the plot. With the thought of letting the story and the fans mind should get some peace, it has stayed within its limits, leaving the audience with no room to imagine it moving forward and that too is justified by why the makers have kept things in a tight grip.

While the first two parts had the story divided perfectly among the characters, here all the focus has shifted to Vijay and how and where he hid Sam's skeleton. With not much serious dialogue-baazi (most was done by Jaideep), this movie moves ahead with its expressions, story and actors. The first half of the movie establishes the plot with its omniscient tone, but midway through the movie it does feel a little stretched. The courtroom part is brief and works in favour of the plot. I don't want to talk about the climax, as it should be left to be enjoyed in cinemas.

If we talk about the addition of Jaideep as a cop, the actor does bring his talent to the movie, but as the story moves forward, the way his character is built up with that hype doesn't quite land. More than him, it's Savio (Ramchandra Singh), the character who plays the key to the mystery room. His expressions and work truly stood out for me. In this film, the cherry on the cake is the actors. Devgn, with his intense gaze, is enough to hold the whole frame. Tabu, Rajat, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta, and Mrunal Jadhav have played their part well.

For me, Drishyam: The Conclusion gave me the satisfying ending my inner soul was wishing for.