Drishyam 3 Day 1: Career-Best Opening, Blockbuster Reviews & Friday's Big Releases
October 2, 2026 — the date every Drishyam fan has had memorised for a decade — has finally arrived, and Vijay Salgaonkar is back on the big screen. Ajay Devgn's Drishyam: The Conclusion released in cinemas today on Gandhi Jayanti, and the numbers are as dramatic as the film: a record advance of over Rs 50 crore, trade trackers projecting a Rs 58 crore nett opening day, and early reviews calling it the best film in the franchise. If the day ends anywhere near projections, this will be Ajay Devgn's biggest opener ever.
Here is Showbiz Daily's complete release-day report — the live box-office track, what critics and first-day audiences are saying, why this finale breaks from the Malayalam original, and the crowded Friday slate it is sharing the weekend with.
Day 1 box office: Rs 50 crore advance and a career-best opening in sight
Drishyam: The Conclusion went into release day with Rs 50.20 crore already in the bank from advance bookings — a staggering 13,24,092 tickets sold across 15,862 shows before a single Friday screening began, according to trade tracker BoxOfficeIndia24. The film opened across 16,125 shows in 1,902 cinemas in 654 cities, per Sacnilk's advance report.
Live tracking through release day kept the momentum going: by 2:00 PM IST, the film had grossed approximately Rs 34.49 crore in India from 8.78 lakh tickets, and trackers were projecting the day to close near Rs 58 crore nett — in a range of Rs 56 crore to Rs 62 crore. Maharashtra is leading the charge with Rs 11.34 crore, followed by Uttar Pradesh at Rs 4.04 crore, while Delhi NCR is the top city at Rs 7.79 crore. Among the national chains, PVR has contributed Rs 8.29 crore, INOX Rs 6.30 crore and Cinépolis Rs 3.57 crore.
Overseas, the film has added roughly Rs 4.86 crore so far, led by North America at Rs 2.15 crore.
Why it matters: If the Rs 58 crore projection holds, Drishyam: The Conclusion will register Ajay Devgn's biggest opening day ever, comfortably beating Singham Again's Rs 43.7 crore nett. That is remarkable for a franchise built on screenplay tension rather than spectacle. The Gandhi Jayanti national holiday — a date the film's marketing leaned into with the hashtag #DrishyamDay and the tagline "Iss Kahaani Ka Aakhri Panna Ab Khulne Wala Hai" — has given it a solo holiday release, and a long weekend ahead means the real test is how far beyond the opening the film can fly.
Note: all day-one figures are live trade-tracker estimates, not studio-official numbers, and they will be revised as final collections come in.
What the early reviews say: "Outstanding" — but the climax divides
Early reactions from first-day audiences and critics have been strongly positive, with the performances, the interval block and the climax twist emerging as the biggest talking points. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh gave the film 4.5 stars, calling it "OUTSTANDING" and "without doubt, the BEST FILM in the Drishyam franchise and also among the BEST FILMS of 2026... SURE-SHOT BLOCKBUSTER." He singled out the Ajay Devgn–Jaideep Ahlawat face-off in the first half as "simply marvellous... deserves a standing ovation," and praised the courtroom sequences and a brilliant opening scene featuring Prakash Raj with Ajay and his family.
The standout story of the reviews is Jaideep Ahlawat. Playing SP Rajveer Tomar, Ahlawat brings a completely different energy to the investigation, and critics across MensXP, Filmibeat and IndiaForums have flagged him as the film's freshest flavour. Ajay Devgn's calm, controlled Vijay Salgaonkar remains the soul of the film, while Tabu — once again formidable — portrays anger, hurt, revenge and determination in a performance reviewers called fabulous.
The one caveat: the climax is genuinely polarising. One early reviewer warned that "the final 30 min is so insane that either it will take the movie to 2 stars or it will take the film directly to 4.5 to 5 stars," and a couple of critics found the first half slower than the second. IndiaForums rated it 3.5/5, calling it a fitting conclusion that "occasionally takes its sweet time." Overall, though, the verdict leans firmly blockbuster — and audiences are showing up to find out for themselves.
Why this finale is different: an original story, and a full stop for the Hindi franchise
Here is what makes Drishyam: The Conclusion genuinely historic for the franchise: unlike the first two Hindi films, which were remakes of Jeethu Joseph's Malayalam originals, this third chapter is built on an original story and screenplay — officially confirmed as completely different from the Malayalam Drishyam 3. The Hindi film has been written by director Abhishek Pathak with Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh, and the makers have smartly titled it The Conclusion — positioning it as a definitive end to the Hindi story and shedding the remake tag entirely.
The Malayalam version of Drishyam 3, headlined by Mohanlal, already opened earlier this year to a massive Rs 48 crore global day one (Rs 18.50 crore domestic including Rs 11 crore from Kerala, Rs 30 crore overseas) — the second-biggest opening in Malayalam cinema history — but drew a mixed-to-positive audience reception. That is precisely why the Hindi team's different-story gamble is being watched so closely, and Ajay Devgn himself has said he wants Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph's approval most of all: "I want Lal sir and Jeethu sir to see the film, and if we get their approval that they love this, it will make me very happy."
Tabu, whose Meera Deshmukh has been the franchise's emotional counterweight, addressed the remake question head-on: friends had asked her what the point of Drishyam 2 was when everyone had seen the Malayalam version — and then it became one of the biggest hits of 2022. "Now I say there's no similarity, no inspiration," she said of the new film.
A crowded Friday: Verity, Digger, Prem Keetanu, Sigma and more
Drishyam: The Conclusion does not have the field entirely to itself. October 2 is one of the busiest release Fridays of the year, with Bollywood, Hollywood, Tamil and Telugu films all arriving:
Verity — Hollywood's psychological thriller starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett. Struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh is hired to complete the unfinished books of an incapacitated bestselling author, and discovers a disturbing manuscript that reveals the family's secrets. The film is projected for a $35 million opening weekend.
Digger — Tom Cruise's dark comedy, also opening today. After a reportedly soft start in advance tracking, all eyes are on whether the film finds its audience over the long weekend.
Prem Keetanu — a youthful Hindi comedy starring Veer Pahariya and Aparshakti Khurana, offering a lighter counter-programming option against the heavy thrillers.
Sigma — Tamil action heist comedy starring Sundeep Kishan, marking the directorial debut of Jason Sanjay. Produced by Lyca Productions, it dives into a Rs 500 crore operation involving drugs and gambling, and earned a U/A certificate ahead of release.
Don't Trouble the Trouble — Fahadh Faasil's Telugu fantasy comedy, adding the Tollywood flavour to the day's slate.
The October corridor stays packed: Udta Teer (Ayushmann Khurrana, Sara Ali Khan), The Social Reckoning, Jailer 2 (Rajinikanth) on October 15, Prahaar (Rajkummar Rao), Nayyi Navelli (Yami Gautam) and Street Fighter on October 16.
The Drishyam journey: how the franchise got here
| Film | Director | India opening | Key cast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drishyam (2015) | Nishikant Kamat | Rs 5.8 crore | Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shriya Saran |
| Drishyam 2 (2022) | Abhishek Pathak | Rs 15.38 crore | Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Akshaye Khanna |
| Drishyam: The Conclusion (2026) | Abhishek Pathak | ~Rs 58 crore (est.) | Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Jaideep Ahlawat, Prakash Raj |
| Drishyam 3 (Malayalam, 2026) | Jeethu Joseph | Rs 18.5 crore domestic; Rs 48 cr global | Mohanlal, Meena, Asha Sharath |
The arc tells its own story. The first Hindi Drishyam opened modestly at Rs 5.8 crore in 2015 and became a cult hit through word of mouth, finishing at Rs 67.13 crore India nett and Rs 110.40 crore worldwide on a Rs 48 crore budget. Drishyam 2 (2022) shattered the franchise's records despite arriving seven years later. And today, the final chapter opened at roughly ten times the first film's day-one number — proof of what a decade of goodwill buys.
Related coverage on Showbiz Daily
Catch up on the stories behind today's big release: yesterday's Bollywood roundup covered the Drishyam 3 announcement details and Love & War's Rs 300 crore theatrical-rights record; our Hollywood report on Verity's $35 million opening projection and Digger's slow advance; the full October–December 2026 Bollywood release calendar with every release date, cast and trailer detail; and September's box-office verdicts, from Mirzapur's blockbuster run to The Paradise's Rs 150+ crore week.
The opening weekend numbers are in: read our Drishyam 3's Rs 177 crore weekend storm — the full box office report.
FAQs
What is the Day 1 box-office collection of Drishyam: The Conclusion?
Live trade-tracker estimates put the film at approximately Rs 34.49 crore gross in India by 2:00 PM IST on October 2, 2026, with the day projected to close near Rs 58 crore nett — which would make it Ajay Devgn's biggest opener ever. These are estimates, not studio-official figures.
What did the advance booking for Drishyam: The Conclusion look like?
A massive Rs 50.20 crore in advance bookings, with 13,24,092 tickets sold across 15,862 shows before release day began. Advance booking opened on September 27.
What are the reviews of Drishyam: The Conclusion?
Early reviews are strongly positive: Taran Adarsh gave it 4.5 stars calling it "OUTSTANDING" and a "SURE-SHOT BLOCKBUSTER," praising the Ajay Devgn–Jaideep Ahlawat face-off and the climax twist. Most critics rate it among the franchise's best, though the final 30 minutes have proven polarising.
Is the Hindi Drishyam 3 the same story as the Malayalam Drishyam 3?
No — unlike the first two Hindi films, which were remakes, Drishyam: The Conclusion is built on an original story and screenplay by director Abhishek Pathak with Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh. It is positioned as the definitive final chapter of the Hindi franchise.
Who is in the cast of Drishyam: The Conclusion?
Ajay Devgn returns as Vijay Salgaonkar with Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Kamlesh Sawant, Ishita Dutta and Mrunal Jadhav reprising their roles. New additions include Jaideep Ahlawat as SP Rajveer Tomar and Prakash Raj. It is directed by Abhishek Pathak and presented by Star Studio18 as a Panorama Studios production.
Which other films released on October 2, 2026?
Hollywood's Verity (Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson) and Digger (Tom Cruise), Bollywood comedy Prem Keetanu (Veer Pahariya, Aparshakti Khurana), Tamil heist comedy Sigma (Sundeep Kishan) and Telugu fantasy comedy Don't Trouble the Trouble (Fahadh Faasil).