Shane Nigam’s investigative thriller Dridam started streaming on JioHotstar on June 12, 2026, bringing the Malayalam crime drama to audiences across India in five languages. Directed by Martin Joseph and co-produced by Jeethu Joseph, the filmmaker behind the Drishyam franchise, Dridam follows a young sub-inspector who uncovers a web of crime in a seemingly quiet town in Kerala.
The film, which had its theatrical run beginning May 8, arrives on JioHotstar with a strong 7.3 IMDb rating and a modest but profitable box office performance, grossing approximately 3.98 crore worldwide against a production budget of 3 to 5 crore. Its digital premiere makes it available in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi, significantly expanding its reach beyond the Kerala market where it first found an audience.
Shane Nigam, one of Malayalam cinema’s most distinctive young actors, plays a sub-inspector posted to a rural town where a series of unsettling crimes disrupts the community’s peace. What begins as routine police work evolves into a layered investigation that tests both the officer’s instincts and his moral compass. The Week reported that the film builds its tension through careful character work rather than relying on action set pieces, a hallmark of the investigative thriller tradition that Kerala cinema has refined over decades.
Jeethu Joseph’s involvement as co-producer lends the project significant credibility. The director, who redefined the Indian crime thriller with the original Drishyam in 2013, has been increasingly active in supporting new directorial talent from Kerala. His production sensibility, which prioritizes tight scripting and atmospheric storytelling, is evident in Dridam’s measured pacing and its refusal to offer easy resolutions to its central mystery.
The supporting cast includes Shobi Thilakan and Kottayam Ramesh, two performers deeply embedded in Kerala’s acting tradition. Thilakan, the son of legendary actor Thilakan, brings a naturalistic quality to his role that grounds the film’s more dramatic moments. Like Gullak Season 5 on SonyLIV, which draws strength from its ensemble cast, Dridam demonstrates that Indian thrillers are most effective when they invest in character rather than spectacle.
Martin Joseph’s direction marks a confident debut that positions him as a filmmaker worth watching. His handling of the investigation unfolds with the patience of someone who trusts the audience to follow narrative threads without heavy exposition. In a week that also saw Amazon Prime Video release Raakh, another investigative thriller rooted in real crime, Dridam offers a distinctly Kerala perspective on the genre, one shaped by the state’s unique social dynamics and its history of politically engaged cinema.
Malayalam cinema has been enjoying a remarkable period of critical and commercial success, with films from the industry regularly crossing over to national audiences through streaming platforms. JioHotstar’s decision to release Dridam in five languages reflects the growing recognition that Kerala’s filmmakers are producing content that resonates well beyond regional boundaries. Alongside biographical dramas like Made In India on Amazon MX Player, these releases paint a picture of an Indian streaming landscape that is becoming more linguistically diverse and creatively ambitious.
Dridam is now streaming on JioHotstar for subscribers across India. For audiences unfamiliar with Shane Nigam’s work, this accessible thriller offers an ideal entry point into one of Indian cinema’s most exciting young careers.
