Drishyam 1, 2 and 3: Which Is the Best? How Ajay Devgn’s Franchise Became a Bollywood Box Office Powerhouse

Drishyam: From a Simple Thriller to a Bollywood Franchise

When Drishyam arrived in 2015, there was little indication that it would eventually become one of Bollywood’s most valuable thriller franchises.

Directed by Nishikant Kamat, the Hindi film starred Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta and Rajat Kapoor. It was adapted from Jeethu Joseph’s 2013 Malayalam film starring Mohanlal.

The story was relatively simple but extremely effective.

Vijay Salgaonkar is an ordinary family man who becomes involved in an extraordinary crime. When his family gets caught in a dangerous situation, he uses his knowledge of cinema, police procedures and human behaviour to construct an elaborate alibi.

The strength of Drishyam was never its scale.

It was the tension.

The audience knew what Vijay had done. The suspense came from wondering whether the police would discover the truth.

That formula worked remarkably well.

According to Bollywood Hungama’s franchise data, Drishyam earned ₹67.13 crore net in India. It was a modest performer compared with the giant Bollywood blockbusters of that period, but its long-term value became much bigger than its original theatrical business.

How Drishyam Became One of Bollywood’s Biggest Thriller Franchises

Drishyam 2 Changed the Franchise Completely

Seven years later, Drishyam 2 arrived.

This time, Abhishek Pathak took over as director, with Ajay Devgn returning as Vijay Salgaonkar alongside Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta and other key members of the original cast.

The challenge was enormous.

The first film had already revealed the central crime and Vijay’s strategy. A sequel could easily have felt unnecessary.

Instead, Drishyam 2 expanded the consequences of the first film.

The police investigation returned. Vijay’s family was still carrying the psychological burden of what had happened. More importantly, the sequel found new ways to put pressure on Vijay.

The result was spectacular at the box office.

Drishyam 2 collected ₹240.54 crore net in India, with a worldwide gross of around ₹345.05 crore, according to Bollywood Hungama’s box-office data.

That meant the sequel earned more than three times the India-net collection of the original.

It also demonstrated something important for Bollywood.

A thriller did not need superheroes, massive action sequences or an enormous visual-effects budget to become a major theatrical success.

Strong characters and audience familiarity could create an event of their own.

Drishyam 3: The Conclusion Takes the Franchise Even Further

Then came Drishyam 3: The Conclusion.

Released on October 2, 2026, the film brings Ajay Devgn back as Vijay Salgaonkar for what has been presented as the final chapter of the Hindi franchise.

Once again, the central attraction is not a giant action spectacle.

It is Vijay.

The audience has spent more than a decade watching this ordinary man repeatedly outsmart increasingly dangerous circumstances.

That familiarity has become one of the franchise’s biggest commercial advantages.

And the opening response has been enormous.

According to the latest trade estimates reported by The Times of India, Drishyam 3: The Conclusion collected ₹15.50 crore net in India on Day 6, taking its six-day India-net total to ₹232.50 crore. Its India gross stood at approximately ₹279 crore, while the overseas gross reached ₹87.50 crore, taking the worldwide gross to ₹366.50 crore. Total reported footfalls had reached around 95.04 lakh.

Drishyam 3 Day-Wise India Net Collection

The six-day India-net total is particularly significant because Drishyam 3 is already approaching the lifetime India-net figure of Drishyam 2, which stands at ₹240.54 crore.

In other words, the third film needs only around ₹8 crore more to overtake the second film’s reported lifetime India-net collection.

That is a remarkable achievement for a crime thriller.

From ₹67 Crore to ₹500 Crore: The Incredible Journey of Drishyam

Drishyam 3 and the ₹1,000 Crore Question

The film’s spectacular opening has naturally led to social-media discussions about whether Drishyam 3 could enter the ₹1,000-crore club.

At the current stage, however, that appears highly unlikely.

This is not because the film is underperforming. Quite the opposite.

A six-day India-net collection of ₹232.50 crore and worldwide gross of ₹366.50 crore represents a powerful theatrical run.

The issue is the scale required to reach ₹1,000 crore.

A crime thriller such as Drishyam 3 depends heavily on suspense and story progression. Once audiences know the major twists, repeat-viewing potential can become more limited than it is for action spectacles, event films or comedy blockbusters.

The franchise also has a different audience proposition from films designed specifically for mass action and multiple repeat viewings.

Therefore, the more realistic question is not whether Drishyam 3 can reach ₹1,000 crore.

It is whether it can sustain its current momentum long enough to enter the ₹500 crore-plus worldwide range and potentially go considerably higher.

At this stage, even that should be treated as a projection rather than a final forecast.

The Drishyam Franchise Has Already Crossed ₹500 Crore in India

The larger story becomes even more impressive when the three films are viewed together.

The first Drishyam earned ₹67.13 crore net in India.

Drishyam 2 finished at ₹240.54 crore.

And Drishyam 3 had already crossed ₹212 crore in the earlier franchise tally reported by Bollywood Hungama, with its collection continuing to rise. The franchise therefore moved beyond the ₹500 crore India-net mark, entering the upper tier of Hindi film franchises.

The newer Day 6 figures make that growth even more striking: Drishyam 3 alone had reached ₹232.50 crore India net by October 8, 2026, and was still running in theatres.

The progression tells the story:

Drishyam — ₹67.13 crore

Drishyam 2 — ₹240.54 crore

Drishyam 3 — ₹232.50 crore after only six days

That is extraordinary franchise growth.

Which Is the Best: Drishyam 1, 2 or 3?

This is where the comparison becomes interesting because all three films have different strengths.

Drishyam 1: The Best Pure Thriller

The first film remains difficult to beat in terms of freshness.

There was no franchise fatigue.

There were no expectations about how Vijay would escape.

The central mystery felt completely new to many Hindi-speaking audiences.

The film also benefited enormously from Ajay Devgn’s understated performance.

He did not play Vijay as a larger-than-life hero.

He played him as an ordinary middle-class father.

That made the character believable.

Verdict: Best pure thriller and the most original viewing experience.

Drishyam 2: The Best Sequel

For me, Drishyam 2 remains the best overall sequel.

Yet it managed to create another layer of suspense.

The film also benefited from the audience’s emotional investment in Vijay and his family.

Most importantly, it successfully converted the first film’s cult following into a huge theatrical audience.

Its ₹240.54 crore India-net collection remains the benchmark that Drishyam 3 is now rapidly overtaking.

Verdict: Best sequel and the strongest balance of suspense, emotion and commercial entertainment.

Drishyam 3: The Most Ambitious Conclusion

Drishyam 3 has a different responsibility.

It is not simply another chapter.

It has to provide closure.

It had the difficult job of following a film whose central mystery had already been resolved.

The Hindi film also takes the franchise in a new creative direction rather than simply repeating the Malayalam Drishyam 3 story.

That gives the film an advantage.

Audiences who have already seen the Malayalam version cannot simply predict the entire Hindi film from the original.

The Indian Express has highlighted how the Hindi conclusion moves beyond the more family-oriented approach of the Malayalam version and places cinema itself much closer to the thematic centre of Vijay’s story.

Verdict: The most ambitious and commercially powerful chapter so far, although Drishyam 2 remains my pick as the best sequel.

Why Is Hindi Drishyam 3 Different From Malayalam Drishyam 3?

This is one of the most important points for audiences who have watched Mohanlal’s Drishyam films.

The Hindi Drishyam 3 is not simply a scene-by-scene remake of the Malayalam third film.

The two franchises now follow different creative paths.

The Hindi and Malayalam films begin from a similar point after the events of the second instalments, but the narratives develop differently.

Producer-director Abhishek Pathak has previously explained that the Hindi films have made changes to the story and screenplay to suit the tastes of Hindi-speaking audiences. He specifically said that changes were also made to Drishyam 2, and similar changes were made for the third instalment.

The distinction has now become even clearer.

Pathak has confirmed that the Hindi and Malayalam franchises are moving in different trajectories, with different stories and screenplays. He has also ruled out continuing the Hindi franchise with a fourth film.

That means audiences should not approach the Hindi Drishyam 3 simply as the Bollywood version of Mohanlal’s film.

It is better understood as a separate conclusion to the Hindi adaptation’s own journey.

The Biggest Creative Difference: Cinema Itself

There is another interesting difference.

The Hindi Drishyam franchise has always placed Vijay’s love of cinema at the heart of its storytelling.

He watches films.

He remembers scenes.

He understands how stories are constructed.

And he uses that knowledge to protect his family.

The third Hindi film pushes that idea further.

The Indian Express noted that Drishyam 3 makes movies and Vijay’s relationship with cinema a particularly important part of the franchise’s conclusion.

That is a clever way to close the trilogy.

The man who once used cinema to construct an alibi is now part of a story that is increasingly about cinema itself.

How Drishyam Benefited Bollywood

The success of Drishyam is important beyond Ajay Devgn.

The franchise has shown Bollywood that a thriller built around an ordinary family can become a major theatrical property.

There is no superhero.

There is no fantasy universe.

There is no gigantic war sequence.

There are no expensive action set pieces driving the narrative.

Instead, the franchise depends on:

Story

Characters

Suspense

Performances

Word of mouth

That formula has become increasingly valuable in a Bollywood market where audiences have become selective about theatrical spending.

The growth from ₹67.13 crore for the first film to ₹240.54 crore for the second and the explosive opening of the third demonstrates how a franchise can grow through audience trust.

It also proves that a film does not have to be built around spectacle to become an event.

What Drishyam Has Done for Ajay Devgn

For Ajay Devgn, Vijay Salgaonkar has become one of the defining characters of his career.

Devgn has played action heroes, romantic characters, comic roles and intense dramatic parts.

But Vijay is different.

He is an ordinary man who survives through intelligence rather than physical power.

That makes the role particularly interesting in Devgn’s filmography.

Drishyam 3 has also delivered a major opening for the actor.

The film opened with a reported ₹62 crore India-net collection, making it one of the biggest opening days of Devgn’s career. By Day 6, it had reached ₹232.50 crore net in India.

More importantly, the franchise gives Devgn something that every major actor needs:

a character audiences are willing to return to.

Vijay Salgaonkar is now not simply an Ajay Devgn role.

He is a franchise identity.

What Drishyam Has Done for Abhishek Pathak

The franchise has been equally important for Abhishek Pathak.

After directing Drishyam 2, Pathak took on the much bigger challenge of concluding the Hindi story.

The third film gives him an opportunity to move beyond simply adapting an existing Malayalam narrative.

He has helped establish a separate Hindi trajectory for the franchise, including significant screenplay and story changes.

That is an important creative decision.

Instead of making the Hindi audience watch a familiar story they may already know from Malayalam, the filmmakers have attempted to create uncertainty again.

For a suspense franchise, that is extremely valuable.

And the Real Winner Is Jeethu Joseph’s Original Idea

There is one person who should not be forgotten in this discussion.

Jeethu Joseph.

His 2013 Malayalam Drishyam created the foundation for everything that followed.

The original became a phenomenon, leading to remakes in multiple Indian languages and eventually multiple sequels.

The Hindi franchise may now have its own identity, but its roots remain firmly connected to Joseph’s original concept.

That makes Drishyam one of the strongest examples of how a regional Indian film can inspire a much larger cinematic ecosystem.

Highlights of Drishyam 3 Movie Review

• Drishyam grew from a ₹67.13 crore Hindi film into a ₹500 crore-plus franchise.
• Drishyam 2 delivered a massive jump over the 2015 original.
• Drishyam 3 has become Ajay Devgn’s biggest opening-day film.
• The Hindi Drishyam 3 is not a remake of the Malayalam Drishyam 3 story.
• Drishyam 2 remains the strongest overall sequel, while Drishyam 3 is the most ambitious conclusion.
• The franchise has proved that a grounded thriller can compete with Bollywood’s large-scale event films.
• The Hindi trilogy has taken a different creative route from the Malayalam franchise.

The Drishyam franchise has evolved from a modest Hindi thriller into one of Bollywood’s most successful character-driven franchises. Ajay Devgn’s Vijay Salgaonkar has become a memorable screen character, while the first two films transformed the series into a major theatrical property. With Drishyam: The Conclusion now running strongly in theatres, the franchise has crossed the ₹500 crore mark in India net collectively. But which film is actually the best? This comparison looks at Drishyam, Drishyam 2 and Drishyam 3, their individual box-office journeys, Ajay Devgn’s career impact, Abhishek Pathak’s contribution and the major differences between the Hindi and Malayalam versions.

Final Verdict: Which Drishyam Is the Best?

After comparing all three films, my ranking would be:

1. Drishyam 2 — Best overall sequel

2. Drishyam 1 — Best pure thriller

3. Drishyam 3 — Most ambitious conclusion

But that ranking does not mean Drishyam 3 is weaker commercially.

In fact, the opposite is happening.

After just six days, Drishyam 3 had already earned ₹232.50 crore net in India and ₹366.50 crore worldwide, with approximately 95 lakh theatrical footfalls.

It is also just a few crores away from overtaking Drishyam 2‘s entire India-net collection.

So the franchise has achieved something remarkable.

The first Drishyam introduced Vijay Salgaonkar.

The second turned him into a major franchise character.

And the third has transformed Drishyam into one of Bollywood’s most commercially successful thriller properties.

The biggest achievement, however, is not simply the money.

It is the fact that a story about an ordinary family trying to survive an extraordinary situation has grown into a theatrical event.

That is why Drishyam is much more than a successful remake franchise. It has become a Bollywood franchise in its own right.

As of October 8, 2026, the box-office figures for Drishyam 3: The Conclusion are still live and may change as the theatrical run continues. The ₹232.50 crore India-net and ₹366.50 crore worldwide figures above are the latest Day 6 estimates reported by The Times of India, NDTV Profit and India Today.