Dridam (2026): Shane Nigam’s Restraint Can’t Save A Broken Climax

SI Vijay Radhakrishnan doesn’t drink, doesn’t brood, and doesn’t carry a dead wife’s photograph in his wallet. That alone makes Dridam’s lead a novelty in Malayalam police cinema. Shane Nigam plays him with a stillness that feels almost counterintuitive for a thriller, no stylistic tics, no explosive outbursts, just a cop doing his job.

The Week’s observation lands perfectly here: “For a change, it’s refreshing to see a police hero who doesn’t have any vices or doesn’t suffer from a triggering trauma from a past tragedy.” Nigam’s restraint gives the film a grounded centre, even when the writing around him wobbles. He’s the reason you stay mildly invested through the sluggish middle stretches.

Martin Joseph’s Direction Builds A Solid Frame, Then Loses The Picture

Director Martin Joseph clearly understands the procedural grammar. The investigation unfolds through methodical beats, questioning, evidence gathering, team dynamics, without forcing melodrama into the gaps. That discipline keeps the first hour watchable and even quietly absorbing.

But the final act betrays the setup. The climax, as Times of India noted, is absurd, and the structural weakness derails whatever momentum Joseph had carefully accumulated. It’s a film that knows how to ask a question but fumbles the answer.

The Thriller Anatomy: A Promising Pulse, A Flatline Finish

Dridam’s genre core rests on its police-procedural framing, and that choice pays off in texture if not in payoff. The team dynamic, ASI, CPOs, SCPO, feels like an actual working unit rather than a collection of quirks. The investigation scenes carry a quiet, functional realism that many bigger thrillers skip.

Nigam’s characterization is the film’s sharpest genre decision. By stripping the cop of trauma-driven shorthand, the film forces the mystery itself to generate tension. That works for a while, especially when the procedural beats click into place during the middle investigation stretches.

Then comes the climax, and the whole apparatus collapses. A thriller lives or dies on its final reveal, and Dridam’s is neither earned nor logical. The Week’s praise for the hero’s clean slate becomes ironic, a cop with no baggage deserves a finale with more weight than this.

The Supporting Ensemble Holds The Investigation Together

Shobi Thilakan’s ASI Krishnan Kurup provides the seasoned counterweight to Nigam’s younger officer. His presence signals institutional memory, the kind of cop who’s seen enough cases to know when something doesn’t add up. Dinesh Prabhakar’s CPO Sathyan anchors the team’s ground-level interactions, giving the station house a lived-in rhythm.

Kottayam Ramesh’s SCPO Balan Nair and Krishna Praba’s CPO Remya Surendran round out a unit that feels professional rather than performative. The casting choices suggest Joseph wanted authenticity over star turns, and that instinct serves the film’s procedural ambitions well.

The Verdict Divide: Mild Engagement Versus Structural Collapse

Pinkvilla’s assessment captures the film’s ceiling: “Despite its shortcomings, Dridam has enough going for it to keep an average viewer mildly engaged.” That’s the film in a sentence, competent, occasionally involving, never transcendent. The audience response mirrors this split, with praise for Nigam’s acting and the technical polish clashing against complaints about pacing and payoff.

Times of India’s 2.0 rating reflects the critical consensus that Dridam’s ambition exceeds its execution. The film isn’t a disaster; it’s a promising premise that loses its nerve exactly when it needed to commit. For fans of the actor or the genre, there’s enough here to justify a watch. For everyone else, the letdown outweighs the build-up.

If you’re in the mood for a police procedural with a restrained lead, you could do worse. But if you need a thriller that sticks the landing, this one will frustrate you. Dridam is a film you respect in parts and forget in whole.

For more Malayalam crime thriller reviews, browse our full coverage of similar investigative dramas.

Dridam earns a middling 2.5 out of 5, a watch for Shane Nigam’s committed restraint, but a skip for anyone demanding a coherent climax. The film proves that a clean hero and a clean procedural frame aren’t enough when the final puzzle piece doesn’t fit.

Those who appreciate Nigam’s understated cop work might find similar energy in PARAYANA review.

For another take on flawed but ambitious filmmaking, check out TN 2026 verdict.