New Malayalam Thriller Faces Comparisons to Drishyam After OTT Debut

Film Release And Premise

The Malayalam thriller film Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar arrived on OTT platforms on October 9 following a successful theatrical run in September. The movie is led by actor Parvathy Thiruvothu and directed by Shahad Nilambur. The plot centers on four police officers, including a character named Aleena, who get into trouble when a suspect dies accidentally at a police station while they are trying to control him. To cover up the incident, Aleena takes her cue from a book written by Harris Meeran, a Crime Branch investigating officer.

Audience Reaction And Comparisons

Since its streaming debut, viewers have pointed out various loopholes and compared the film to Jeethu Joseph's 2013 landmark film Drishyam. While Drishyam featured an ordinary civilian named Georgekutty who meticulously planned to protect his family and outsmart the police, the officers in Pradhama Drishtiya Kuttakkar are portrayed as frightened and mostly reacting to a mess they created. Director Shahad Nilambur has responded to the criticism by calling the comparisons a form of recognition rather than a burden. In an interview with Onmanorama, Shahad explained that the team deliberately avoided spoon-feeding the audience and chose not to explain every development, admitting they may have misjudged how much detail viewers expected.

Context

Modern audiences often rewatch OTT releases to check timelines, evidence, and plot logic, making the mystery genre much harder to sustain under close scrutiny. Drishyam established a high standard for Malayalam thrillers where seemingly minor details gain deep significance as the investigation moves forward. Filmmakers working in the suspense genre must balance creative storytelling with tight internal logic to satisfy viewers who closely analyze evidence and procedures.