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—or a movie, in this case— by its cover.

So, let’s just get right into it.

Drishti: Review at a Glance

Story — 4/5
Acting — 3/5
Direction — 4/5

Must-Watch: Yes!

Drishti Review: A Deep Dive

The film revolves around Sandhya (Dimple Kapadia) and Nikhil (Shekhar Kapur), 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 in their lives.

It is a movie that portrays a nuanced yet less-popular rhetoric surrounding infidelity and affairs, and while it doesn’t shy away from hard-hitting questions about society, marriage, and gender roles, Drishti leaves it up to the viewers to reach their own conclusions.

Instead, what the film does is give its characters space to make mistakes again and again, thereby highlighting just how deep the complicated spiral of human emotions can be. Besides, by actively employing a judgement-free narrative, Drishti is one film that was ahead of its time when it was released back in 1990 and will stay as relevant even in the future.

The unlikely 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, a somewhat ambitious yet emotionally stunted character. 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, but hey, that’s exactly why Kapur’s acting makes Drishti so real—we’ve all dated or 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! Drishti is unique in that its music solely facilitates the story. This makes a lot of sense, given the themes the movie deals with and its overall tone. The music is ethereal and only adds to the emotional punches served up by the film.

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.