Dhrushti - through the looking class

Dhrushti

2019, Telugu

Director - Ram Abbaraju

Stars - Rahul Ravindran, Pavani Gangi Reddy, Satya Prakash, Vennela Kishore, Shanmukh, Pramodini Tammi

Mohan's Measure. ⭐⭐

I have to give it to the director for going toe to toe against a legend. Not only is Alfred Hitchcock the greatest director in history, his film, Rear Window, is considered his best. To remake it requires an artist, to build upon it requires nothing of short of genius. 

Many years ago, I had occasion to dine with some smart-alec tourists in New Delhi. There, a group of obviously Indian men wearing Hawaiian shirts were singing ''Somewhere My Love" acapella. Meanwhile, I was struggling to find words to defend ''mere Bharath mahan'' as the mid-Westerners chuckled away.  Dhrushti kind of gives one the same feeling. 

In trying to recreate and build upon the Hitchock original, Director Abbaraju literally copies scenes. But, there is a lot missing; the colors aren't quite right, the faces seem to stoic, and of course there is the setting.  Noveau Cyberabad is a far cry from a 2-room tenement on a sweaty summer night in mid-town New York.  And, Mr Ravindran's character is hardly a rough and tumble reporter, but rather a struggling photographer who also wants to make movies.  Neither of which work, but it still doesn't leave him poor enough his Madhavpur flat.

As for the leading lady, one cannot help but wonder why she shouldn't just be his girlfriend, rather than the massage therapist who cannot stand the guy.  One also wonders how the bungling Satya Prakash should jump into the case so early.

The story works because of this masala fry I suppose.  And, it certainly entertains, but not enough to put this in the eyes of critics or audiences.  The story remains choppy outside of the scenes copied from the original.  

Perhaps if the director had stuck more closely with the intended script, adding only a dash of the humor and music required to make Telugu movies what they, we could have wound up with something to talk about.  Maybe a little too much thinking was involved in trying to keep the script fresh,

But, perhaps therein lies the problem, as said by the massage therapist (not the girlfriend) in the original masterpiece:

"Nothing has caused the human race so much trouble as intelligence”