Drishyam: The Conclusion review: Ajay Devgn is clever, Jaideep Ahlawat is better in this audacious finale

After watching Mohanlal’s Drishyam 3, I genuinely wondered how much longer we could keep flogging this dead horse.

Georgekutty had already outsmarted practically everyone, and by the third film some of his moves felt increasingly ludicrous to me. So I went into Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam: The Conclusion wondering what more they could possibly do with Vijay Salgaonkar and that one crime.

Surprisingly, quite a bit.

This is definitely the more watchable third film for me. There are loopholes, of course. There are moments when you have to stop questioning the logistics and just go with it. But there is also some genuinely smart writing here.

What I particularly liked is how the film changes the nature of the hunt. At this point, it isn’t simply about proving that Vijay murdered someone. It is about the cover-up and whether the police can finally find the crack in this elaborate story he has built around his family.

And Vijay, as always, seems to be one step ahead.

That is really the fun of Drishyam now.

At one point, I actually wondered if Vijay is beginning to enjoy all this a little too much. There is something almost audacious about the way he anticipates every move. You know the police are coming for him. He knows they’re coming for him. And he seems to have already considered what they might do next.

Perhaps that’s why this franchise remains so appealing even after three films.

We have almost forgotten the original crime. Now you are watching to see how Vijay gets out of the next impossible situation.

And there is something sad about that too. This man is never going to have a normal life again. He may have protected his family, but he is going to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder and staying one step ahead.

Ajay Devgn understands that character very well. His Vijay is inscrutable, controlled and difficult to read. Devgn is good and completely at ease in the role, although there are stretches where it feels almost too easy for him. He knows exactly what is required and delivers it.

I felt the same about Tabu. She is always good, but this time I felt she was almost sleepwalking through parts of it. That old emotional fire doesn’t hit quite as hard.

But Jaideep Ahlawat?

He stole the film for me.

Every time he enters, the energy changes. He has swagger, intelligence and menace, and suddenly you feel Vijay may actually have a worthy opponent. You want to see these two men try to outthink each other.

That’s when the film really comes alive.

So yes, Drishyam is being stretched. Three films later, we are still dealing with the consequences of the same crime.

But am I complaining?

Not really.

Because Drishyam: The Conclusion is clever, engaging and definitely watchable.

And this time, come for Ajay Devgn.

Stay for Jaideep Ahlawat.