Drishyam 3 Opens at No. 2 Worldwide With Rs 273 Crore

Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam: The Conclusion just gave Hindi cinema a rare global flex. By Sunday, the film had collected an estimated $28.4 million, roughly Rs 273 crore, worldwide in its opening weekend, and landed at No. 2 on the global chart.

That put it ahead of Tom Cruise’s Digger, which opened to around $20 million, and Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast, which took about $28 million in its second weekend. The only film above it was Anne Hathaway and Dakota Johnson’s Verity, which led with a huge $62.6 million.

No. 2 worldwide, ahead of Cruise

It is not every weekend that a Hindi release finishes above a Tom Cruise film in a direct clash. Indian films such as RRR, Jawan and Kalki 2898 AD have made global noise before, but a plot-driven thriller out-opening a Cruise vehicle in the same frame is a different kind of milestone.

Unlike the first two Hindi films, which were remakes of the Malayalam Drishyam movies, this chapter follows an original story. That was a risk for writer-director Abhishek Pathak, and the opening numbers suggest it paid off.

Where the money came from

• Opening day in India: Rs 62 crore net.
• India weekend: Rs 176.50 crore net, roughly Rs 211.80 crore gross or $22 million.
• North America: $2.7 million from slightly more than 500 theatres.
• Other overseas: more than $3.4 million across Europe and the Gulf.
• Global total: $28.4 million, approximately Rs 273 crore.

The India number is the engine, but the overseas contribution is healthy enough to keep the film in the global conversation.

Why this matters for the franchise

Drishyam has always been a story-first franchise. Vijay Salgaonkar’s quiet calculations are the star, not just the scale. A third original chapter doing this well suggests the audience wants more than a repeat of the Malayalam plot.

Jaideep Ahlawat and Prakash Raj are new additions, joining a returning cast that includes Tabu, Shriya Saran, Rajat Kapoor, Ishita Dutta and Kamlesh Sawant. Saurabh Shukla is back in a cameo.

The real test starts now

Opening weekends are momentum. The question is whether Drishyam: The Conclusion can hold through the weekdays and add screens overseas, where word of mouth usually decides how far a Hindi thriller travels. With Verity far ahead, the fight is for staying power at No. 2.

Source: The Times of India