Dridam is the latest entry among the police procedurals and investigative thrillers to come out of the Malayalam film factory. The film fits squarely into the established template of such films we have seen in Malayalam, except that the entire film hinges on one major twist towards the end. The film will appeal to you only if you are not exposed to spoilers circulating on social media. Fortunately, I had no idea about the film or its spoilers, and therefore, I found it quite engaging. Well, almost. Since I usually don’t give any spoilers in my reviews, you can continue reading this and still watch the film with keen interest.
Dridam (Being firm) is set in a small, idyllic Idukki town where everyone pretty routinely knows what is happening in others’ lives. A young police officer, Vijay, played by Shane Nigam, is posted here as the SI on his first major assignment. In the first half-hour or so, the director focuses on the mundane routine in a small town in Kerala, particularly at a police station, where the cops move around as a team and as a family. Since we now know that such context-setting is a regular part of Malayalam films, we try to register some of the small things the director shows. In this stretch, some of the detailing the director has done are very relatable, like the tea shop, which is central to a small town in Kerala, or how bribing is normalised in such small towns in India.
The first pivot in the storytelling comes when a murder occurs in the usually sleepy town, followed by a robbery and further murders. Vijay and his family, who thought his initial posting might be a honeymoon, are soon in for a shock as a series of crimes unfolds. Obviously, the SI and his team had to get cracking on the investigation, and soon the dull and dreary police station became a hub of frenzied activity. With few leads and pressure mounting from higher-ups, the young and not-so-experienced SI becomes so overwhelmed that he is drowning in self-doubt.
The entire storytelling style is a slow burn. Whether it is the series of crimes or the investigative process, everything proceeds unhurriedly. It is only in the last 15 minutes or so, when the mega twist comes, that the film comes to life. Having said that, while the twist itself is interesting, the film’s tonal shift from being real until then to becoming cinematic did not seem organic to me. There is a perceptible shift in the body language and dialogue delivery of the characters involved, which seemed forced. Yet, as I said in the beginning, if you are not aware of what is coming, the events leading to the twist and the twist itself are interesting.
Typical of Malayalam films, the entire cast almost lives their characters. Shane Nigam performs creditably, showing the character’s vulnerability despite being a cop. His team members are impressive – in particular, Shobi Thilakan as Nigam’s deputy, Krishnan, who shows glimpses of his father Thilakan’s acting genes.
Director Martin Joseph comes from the school of Jeetu Joseph, who has carved a name for himself in investigative thrillers with the Drishyam franchise. One must say that Martin has made an impressive debut, which would do Jeetu himself proud. By keeping the title that rhymes with his mentor’s Drishyam, Martin makes no secret of the fact that Dridam is a hat tip to Drishyam.
It is clear that the idea for the whole film germinated from the twist in the climax. Martin, along with his writers, Jomon John and Linto Devasia, has done a fairly good job of working backwards to fill in the plot points and develop the screenplay suitably. Only when the film ends and the title credits roll do you realise the significance of two things shown casually in the film. First, the film’s tagline, Protect, Serve, Survive, and second, what seems to be a very routine phone call between the lead, SI Vijay and his uncle, who is an ex-cop. Mentioning anything beyond these would be tantamount to spoilers, so I will leave it at that.
Dridam is now streaming on Jio-Hotstar, and I would recommend it as a “Good Watch” for fans of slow-burn Mallu thrillers.
AnandKumarRSonFilms 
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