Post the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a notion that remakes and sequels are meant to doom at the Indian box office. That's when Drishyam 2 came around to prove naysayers wrong. Entering its 4th week, the Abhishek Pathak-directorial has collected over Rs. 200 crores at the box office and is still going strong. Drishyam 2 is headlined by Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Akshaye Khanna, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta and others.
In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon, Ishita, who played Anju in the Drishyam franchise, spoke about the sequel's success, playing a character with PTSD, working with Ajay and how the film silenced haters.
Excerpts from the interview:
Drishyam 2 is a mega-hit like the previous one. What according to you makes it a blockbuster franchise?
There's no one factor that makes a film successful. The story is the most important thing and then comes the direction, acting and other technical aspects. All of these were perfect in Drishyam 2. We were excited to make the film and the second part did justice to the prequel. It did well because of the right amount of hype and word of mouth.
You immortalised the character of Anju. Did you put in any personal input to shape the character?
For Anju's character, we had to do a lot of research because her mental health has been affected after what happened 7 years ago. Abhishek (Pathak, director) sir and I had a discussion regarding the same. I was nervous to play the part, but after the film released, I met a girl who told me that she gets fits occasionally and while watching Drishyam 2, she was in tears.
Have you seen Drishyam 2 (Malayalam)? Did you refer to Ansiba Hassan’s performance?
Nishikanth Kamath sir was directing Drishyam (2015) and he told me to not watch the Malayalam one because he didn’t want me to get influenced. I watched it after our film released. However, this time I saw Mohanlal's Drishyam 2 before starting our film. That was only because I was curious to know what’s happening in the sequel as it was told to us that a Hindi version will be made too. I’m glad I did. Indirectly, I started prepping for the role. I have tried to put my interpretation of Anju in the franchise.
You play the role of a Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patient. What were the measures taken to make it sensitive yet relatable?
We were very particular about the treatment given to Anju this time around. Considering this is a sensitive subject, we were aware that the audience would have people who are or have been through PTSD. We researched before shooting those scenes. A while before I went on Drishyam 2's set, I saw a person getting fits on the set of the daily soap I was working on. Whatever happened was unfortunate but as an actor, I got to see what exactly happens when you get fits.
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Do you agree that Drishyam 2’s success silenced people who believed remakes are meant to be doomed at the box office?
Oh yes. A lot of people discouraged me saying it's a sequel and a remake. There was a notion that sequels and remakes don't work anymore but Drishyam 2 has fabulously worked. At the end of the day, there’s no fixed formula. If it is well-made, people are going to watch it. Drishyam 2 is a clear example of that.
You share a great relationship with Ajay Devgn and his family off-the-camera too. Did that help you portray the role of his daughter easily when the cameras rolled?
Of course, when you know someone, it gets comfortable. I didn't know him personally when we were shooting for Drishyam in 2015 but it was still easy to work with him. That’s also the case with Tabu ma’am and Shriya (Saran) too. They make you feel comfortable. You feel at home. When I was shooting with Ajay sir for the first time, I was shivering. Once we got through the first scene and first day, I never felt intimidated. I remember him putting in the effort to make sure I get the right expressions in the close-up shots. Despite being a National Award winner and such a big star, he is down to earth.
When is the preparation for Drishyam 3 starting?
I don’t know. I know as much as others know. I have no official information regarding this.
Are you keen on exploring a spin-off film based on Anju?
Of course, I would love to. If someone is willing to develop something on Anju, why not?
