Jeethu Joseph reveals what he got wrong while writing Drishyam

More than a decade after Drishyam redefined Malayalam thrillers, director Jeethu Joseph has said he believes he made a mistake while writing the first film. The filmmaker revealed that he had originally hoped audiences would remain morally conflicted between Mohanlal's Georgekutty’s family and the family searching for answers, but that balance never materialised.

Speaking in an interview released by Aashirvad Cinemas, Jeethu reflected on the origins of the 2013 blockbuster and the moral dilemma that inspired its story.

According to the director, the idea for Drishyam emerged from a real-life dispute between two families involving a boy and a girl, which later escalated into a police case.

What did Jeethu Joseph say about Drishyam?

Jeethu Joseph said, “I got the idea from a disagreement between two families. It involved an issue between a boy and a girl, which eventually turned into a police case. At that time, someone told me that both families were right in some ways and wrong in others. The question was: whose side would you take?”

Jeethu explained that the conflict stayed with him long before he entered the film industry and eventually became the foundation for Drishyam.

The director personally knew both families. “This was back in 2000, before I entered the film industry. I wondered that if such a situation were shown in a theatre, whom would the audience support? Their minds would keep swinging between both sides, wouldn’t they? That thought eventually evolved into Drishyam,” he said.

However, after watching the finished film and witnessing audience reactions, Jeethu realised the emotional balance he intended did not translate onscreen. “After watching the movie, I realised I had made a mistake because that balancing didn’t happen. Everyone stood firmly with Georgekutty and his family,” he admitted.

The filmmaker also defended Geetha Prabhakar, played by Asha Sharath, the mother determined to uncover the truth behind her missing son’s disappearance.

Jeethu said audiences often overlook her perspective despite her desperation. “If you think about it, can we really blame Geetha Prabhakar? Her son has gone missing, and she is desperately trying to uncover the truth. From her perspective, Georgekutty is manipulating everything,” he said.

He added that Geetha never knew the full truth about her son’s actions and therefore could not be expected to understand Georgekutty’s choices.

The Drishyam franchise revolves around Georgekutty and his family, whose lives spiral into turmoil after an unexpected incident forces them to protect a dangerous secret. While Drishyam (2013) focused on Georgekutty outsmarting the system to save his family, Drishyam 2 (2021) explored the lingering consequences of the past.

Now, with Drishyam 3 set for a theatrical release on May 21 and advance bookings indicating strong anticipation, attention has once again shifted to the moral conflict that first made the franchise a landmark in Indian cinema.