Ratopati
October 05, 2026
In the world of pop culture and memes, October 2nd holds another meaning – ‘Drishyam’.
You must already know that on October 2nd, Vijay Salgaonkar went to a Satsang at Swami Chinmayanandji’s ashram with his family, ate pav bhaji there, and returned on October 3rd!
The release date of the film has also become part of the story. The third and final part of the Hindi film ‘Drishyam’, starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu, has been released on that historic date, October 2nd.
In 2022, when cinema halls started reopening after the COVID pandemic, a question was repeatedly asked – will the audience return to the cinema halls?
The growing influence of OTT, changing audience habits, and the long phase of the pandemic had dealt a severe blow to the film business. At that time, ‘Drishyam 2’ was the important film that pulled the audience to the halls and revived the life of cinema.
Earning ₹345 crore, ‘Drishyam 2’ became the second highest-grossing film of that year.
What is the magic in this extraordinary story of an ordinary family? Why are people repeatedly drawn into this maze of suspense?
The answer to this question lies not only in the upcoming ‘Drishyam 3’ but in the entire story that began with Malayalam cinema about 13 years ago.
- Unique Screenplay
The original Malayalam film ‘Drishyam’ came in 2013. Writer-director Jeethu Joseph cast Malayalam superstar Mohanlal in the role of Georgekutty.
This character and its suspense connected with the audience so much that ‘Drishyam’ became the most successful Malayalam film of that time.
Later, successful remakes were made in Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, as well as in Sri Lanka, China, and Indonesia. That is, the story easily crossed the boundaries of language and region.
The Hindi version came on July 31, 2015, and was very successful. It was directed by Nishikant Kamat. For Hindi audiences, Ajay Devgn became Vijay Salgaonkar, and Tabu became IG Meera Deshmukh.
But in every language, the real hero of ‘Drishyam’ remained its screenplay. That unique screenplay, where what the eyes see is not always true.
We believe what we are shown, and this is where the game of ‘Drishyam’ begins. Vijay did not erase evidence; he changed the memories of others.
Every time the audience thinks, ‘Now Vijay is trapped!’ and every time the story surprises them. Along with great suspense, the extreme simplicity of the characters also makes the film special.
- New Genre: Family Thriller
Thriller is considered a very successful genre in cinema and OTT. There is no shortage of films and web series on subjects like murder, mystery, police investigation, and crime.
But generally, thriller films are not considered family entertainment. Often they contain violence, crime, abusive language, or bold scenes, which can make a common family feel uncomfortable watching together.
‘Drishyam’ changed this equation and created a new genre – Family Thriller.
Constantly surprising the audience is the biggest challenge of a thriller. ‘Drishyam’ also seemed to change this rule. Here, the biggest thrill is not in who committed the crime. The audience already knows this.
Will this family be able to survive? Will there be any mistake in the plan made by Vijay? The thrill lies in this. That is, the film creates the fear of the mystery being revealed instead of hiding the mystery.
Its protagonist does not feel relief even after winning repeatedly; this is one of the less talked-about qualities of this series.
In a typical thriller, the fear of ‘the mystery being revealed’ is a thrill for the audience. In ‘Drishyam’, that same fear is a mental burden for the characters. This difference elevates the film beyond suspense to a psychological story.
A good story alone is not enough to make any film memorable for a long time. Emotional connection with the audience is also necessary.
In ‘Drishyam’, this connection is very strong. This is not the story of someone who has a lot of money, power, or political access. It is an ordinary family that has fallen into an extraordinary crisis.
This feeling connects the audience with this story and its characters.
- Why does the story feel so ‘Indian’?
A big reason for the success of ‘Drishyam’ is this – it is not just a film made in an Indian language but a story completely steeped in its society and culture. However, its emotions are universal.
In our society, the role of family is very important. For parents, children are not just offspring. Their emotions regarding their safety, future, and honor are very deep.
In such a situation, when the story shows a father fighting the law to protect his family, the audience connects with him emotionally.
This thriller does not have big gadgets, dangerous stunts, or the glamour of a masala film. Vijay Salgaonkar is not a very rich or powerful person.
He is neither a policeman, nor a spy, nor a fighting hero. He is a fourth-grade dropout cable operator.
He is the kind of person we see in our neighborhood taking milk in the morning, dropping children to school, and talking and laughing with everyone in the locality. A completely ordinary person.
His strength is his mind, which thinks two steps ahead of the police. He not only saves his wife and daughters but also makes them a part of his plan. In times of crisis, the entire family stands united, trusting each other.
‘Drishyam’ also poses a moral question to the audience – was what Vijay did right or wrong?
The film uses this moral dilemma very effectively.
Starting with a murder, this film ultimately becomes a family story. It is a war between the police and a criminal father, but the audience’s heart is with the father.
The success of ‘Drishyam’ perhaps rests on this question – what would you do if such a situation arose before your family?
This question elevates the film beyond a typical crime thriller to a family film.
- ‘Cinema’ is Vijay’s Weapon
One of the most beautiful aspects of ‘Drishyam’ is its protagonist’s love for masala films. Here, the protagonist is a mad lover of cinema. Georgekutty or Vijay did not study life from any college but by watching films. This also gives ‘Drishyam’ an interesting context.
The popular cinema, which is often considered ‘light’ entertainment by serious intellectuals, is made into the protagonist’s biggest weapon in ‘Drishyam’.
From films, he understands people’s behavior, gains information about police investigations, and understands how an investigation can proceed after a crime.
- New Pawn and Move Every Time
‘Drishyam’ is a new mind game of moves and checkmates, where the pawns and moves change every time. The challenge of creating the same thrill again was faced by ‘Drishyam 2’.
The film answered this effectively. This time the question was – can the past ever be completely buried? In the end, the plan from hiding the corpse to disposing of it was very thrilling.
But by the time of ‘Drishyam 3’, the situation changed.
‘Drishyam 3’, made in Malayalam, has already been released in May 2026. The film achieved great success at the box office, but in the eyes of critics, ‘Drishyam 3’ did not prove to be as excellent as the first two films.
Reviewing ‘Drishyam 3’ (Malayalam), the newspaper ‘Mid-Day’ wrote, ‘At first glance, the twists and turns of the third film may not seem as intricate or effective as in the previous parts. But that’s the main point! Unlike the previous films, Georgekutty can never fully keep the control of the story in his hands in Drishyam 3.’
Similarly, ‘Hindustan Times’ called ‘Drishyam 3’ ‘the weakest link in Jithu Joseph’s superhit franchise’.
In the first two parts of Ajay Devgn’s Hindi ‘Drishyam’, the story of Jeethu Joseph’s original Malayalam films was completely adopted.
After that, news came out that the story of Hindi ‘Drishyam 3’ has been changed. At the film’s trailer launch event, Ajay Devgn also confirmed this, stating that ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’ has been prepared with a completely new screenplay. This is not a matter of making minor changes to the current story. The Hindi version is completely different from the Malayalam ‘Drishyam 3’.
Most importantly, ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’ will be the final film in this series. Every good story has a point where it should stop.
‘Drishyam’ will always be remembered for taking a break at the right time instead of unnecessarily stretching its story in the name of a hit film.
After a journey of thirteen years, the curtain of the story will fall. Hopefully, the move in the magic of ‘Drishyam’ will be the last, and the ending will be remembered forever.
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or
language errors.
