The Indian thriller “Drishyam” was released in 2013 and became a local success. Because the original was filmed in Malayalam, a language spoken only on the southwestern coast of India, several other versions soon emerged in other Indian languages. The best-known remake was released two years later in Hindi, the official language of India, spoken by more than 600 million people. With the Indian superstar Ajay Devgan (“Kaithi”, “RRR”) starring was “Drishyam“ became a real big hit in 2015 and can also be streamed on Netflix in Germany.
Both thrillers have excellent ratings on the Film Database website . The original from 2013 has an average rating of 8.3. The Hindi remake on 8.2. Both are also in the list of the best Indian films of all time. While these versions were praised by audiences and critics and received sequels, more remakes will soon be released around the world.
10 (!) remakes in the next 3 to 5 years!
These will not be the first international versions of the thriller. Back in 2019, a Chinese adaptation of “Sheep Without a Shepherd” grossed the equivalent of about $200 million. Now “Drishyam” is also all set to take Hollywood by storm. One of the many new films is put forward there. A Korean version has already been announced and a Spanish adaptation is also actively in the works.
But that’s far from the end of the story, as the head of the Indian production company behind the success revealed. According to Kumar Mangat Pathak, who will also be actively involved in all remakes (after the Chinese adaptation was made without his involvement), he explained:
“We want to celebrate this story with audiences around the world. After Korea and Hollywood, our mission is to produce ‘Drishyam’ in ten countries in the next three to five years.”
The story of “Drishyam”
But what exactly is the story of “Drishyam” that you hope will become popular and adaptable across the world? The focus is on a family man who has to go to great lengths to keep his loved ones out of prison.
It starts when a boy secretly films his eldest daughter with his smartphone while she is showering during a school holiday and then blackmails her with the nude photos. But then a fight breaks out in the parental home, with the girl killing the boy in front of her mother, when all she really wanted to do was destroy his cell phone. When the mother and daughter bury the body in panic, the youngest daughter and then the father notice.
He devises a plan to provide his family with an alibi and cover up the crime. Among other things, he sinks the victim’s car in the water. But the boy comes from a powerful family. His mother is the local police chief. And soon she pulls out all the stops to solve her son’s disappearance. And the father soon becomes the center of the investigation. But he is clear: he will protect the family at all costs…
It is not yet known who will play the leading roles in the Hollywood remake. Incidentally, the Indian producers collaborated with Hollywood production company Gulfstream, which just released Amazon Prime Video’s number one hit ‘First Class’. And maybe there will also be a German version?