There are so many movies on cheating, infidelity, and marriages that upon reading the synopsis of Drishti for the first time, it doesn’t seem like anything special.
But there’s a reason they say you should never judge a book by its cover.
The film revolves around Sandhya (Dimple Kapadia) and Nikhil (Shekhar Kapur) as a modern couple trying to figure out their lives and marriage after facing various challenges together. It explores, in grave detail, how infidelity leads to their collapse.
But Drishti isn’t just another movie outlining how cheating is bad and marriage is sacred.
Instead, it takes a different approach — exploring the emotional turmoil of its characters while not diminishing their own agency.
It is a movie that portrays a nuanced, less-popular rhetoric on infidelity. While it doesn’t shy away from hard-hitting questions about society, marriage, and gender roles, Drishti lets the viewers reach their own conclusions.
What the film does is give its characters space to make mistakes again and again, thereby highlighting just how complicated the spiral of human emotions can be. Due to this judgement-free narrative, Drishti is one film that will stay just as relevant even in the future.
The unusual pairing of Kapadia and Kapur is quite brilliant and refreshing. The cameo by the now-deceased Irrfan Khan also makes for a bittersweet moment for his fans. Mita Vasisht’s portrayal of Prabha is also commendable.
As stunning and beautiful as Kapadia is in the movie, it is Kapur who stands out with his brooding depiction of Nikhil, a man who almost firmly comes across as a “manchild.” Yes, he provides for his family, but outside of that, there isn’t much that works in Nikhil’s favour, especially considering that Sandhya also has a prominent career in editing.
She also takes on the dominant parental role with their daughter Rashmi, so for all intents and purposes, Nikhil really doesn’t come across as much of a catch.
Nonetheless, Kapur really nails the body language required to play a character like Nikhil, who is somewhat ambitious yet unimpressive. Nikhil’s “lazy” disposition is something Kapur really breathes life into. In fact, towards the end of the film, it becomes almost enraging to see just how “dheela” Nikhil is as a character, but hey, that’s exactly why Kapur’s acting makes Drishti so real — everyone has seen someone like Nikhil in our own lives.
What is also really lovely about the film is how director Govind Nihalani uses Bombay’s coast as a setting for Sandhya and Nikhil’s romance, with them periodically revisiting beaches whenever they introspect on their marriage.
Kishori Amonkar, who was widely considered to be one of India’s best classical singers, composed the soundtrack for Drishti, and it is simply stunning!
When all is said and done, Drishti is a movie that should be counted as an Indian cinema gem. If you haven’t already, you should check it out ASAP.
