Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 3 opened on Friday to Rs 66.75 crore net in India and an estimated Rs 95.10 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk. That makes it the biggest opening day of Devgn’s career. But the number is only part of the story: the Hindi film has also drawn praise from Malayalam viewers who have historically been dismissive of the Hindi Drishyam films.
A record first day for a different ending
Unlike the first two Hindi instalments, which were direct remakes of Mohanlal’s Malayalam Drishyam films, the third Hindi film — Drishyam: The Conclusion — follows an original storyline and a different ending. Director Abhishek Pathak has said the team chose a separate route for the third part, and Devgn has said he sought Mohanlal’s approval before the new story went ahead.
That decision now looks like the central reason the film is being debated beyond the Hindi belt.
Kerala’s verdict: “They wrote it so brilliantly”
A Malayalam content creator said he had never watched the first two Hindi versions and had shared the common Kerala view that there was no time for Hindi remakes. After watching the third film, he said he clapped at the ending. He added that the writing came from the Hindi team rather than the original film’s writer-director Jeethu Joseph, and called the conclusion “a proper continuation of part two.”
His reaction set off a wider argument in the comments:
- Some viewers called the Hindi film “100 times better” than the Malayalam third instalment.
- Others described the Malayalam Drishyam 3 as a soap opera or said it felt made more for business than for audience satisfaction.
- Mohanlal loyalists pushed back, saying no one can match his Georgekutty emotions even if the Hindi twist is stronger.
Why this matters for the franchise
For years, Hindi remakes of the Drishyam story have lived in the shadow of the original. What is notable this time is that the endorsement is coming from Kerala, the market that created the source material. The Hindi film may carry a commercial template — something the creator described as a “pure Hindi film template” — but its original ending is being judged on its own terms, not as a remake.
The practical lesson for franchise producers is straightforward: if you are going to move away from a beloved original, get the original creator’s blessing and write an ending that respects the characters. Devgn’s consultation with Mohanlal gave the project legitimacy, and the opening-day record suggests the risk has been rewarded. The harder test is whether the original ending can hold through the week, but the first day and the Kerala reaction point in the same direction: a remake can become a continuation, not just a translation.
Source: The Times of India
Comments