Watching Drishyam: The Conclusion, one thought stands out. The icing on the cake is not merely that the Hindi franchise has reached its conclusion, but that it has finally reached a point where it is no longer living in the shadow of its Malayalam original. The Drishyam journey began with Jeethu Joseph’s Mohanlal starrer in 2013, followed by Drishyam 2 in 2021 and Drishyam 3 in 2026, with Joseph writing and directing all three Malayalam films.
The success of the franchise led to Hindi adaptations, with Nishikant Kamat directing Drishyam and Abhishek Pathak taking over the directorial reins for Drishyam 2. Both films were based on Jeethu Joseph’s story.
Drishyam: The Conclusion changes that equation. Unlike the Malayalam Drishyam 3, the Hindi film tells a new story and takes Vijay Salgaonkar in a different direction. Abhishek Pathak, who directed the second part, has now also created the story for the conclusion, along with writing the screenplay with Aamil Keeyan Khan and Parveez Shaikh.
That makes the third Hindi instalment interesting from a trade perspective as much as from a creative one. Pathak appears to have understood Vijay Salgaonkar not merely as a character who has to escape a difficult situation, but as a man who is constantly thinking several steps ahead. More importantly, he seems equally conscious of how the audience is thinking.
The narrative is strategically constructed around that understanding. The audience is repeatedly encouraged to look at one thing while the film is quietly directing its attention somewhere else. We are made to believe that we are on Vijay’s side, that we understand what he is trying to achieve and that victory is within reach, even when we are not entirely sure how he is going to get there.
That is where Pathak’s direction works. The film does have its share of moments where plausibility can be questioned, but the storytelling is sufficiently confident to keep the audience invested in Vijay’s game. Once that happens, the viewer becomes less interested in pulling apart every piece of the puzzle and more interested in seeing whether Vijay can pull it off.
And that is perhaps the biggest achievement of Drishyam: The Conclusion. For the first time, the Hindi franchise is not simply borrowing from the Malayalam Drishyam universe. It has found its own voice for Vijay Salgaonkar and its own way of bringing his journey to an end.
Having seen both conclusions, one can even argue that the Hindi version has delivered the more satisfying audience experience. That is not to suggest that it is flawless, nor is it a direct remake comparison because the two films tell different stories. But it does underline how far the Hindi franchise has travelled from being an adaptation to becoming a franchise with its own creative identity.
There is another important trade lesson here. The film’s marketing has also played its part in bringing audiences back into the Drishyam universe. The combination of television, print, digital, outdoor and on ground activities has created sustained visibility across platforms and, importantly, kept reminding audiences of the world and characters they had invested in earlier. For a franchise whose last Hindi instalment arrived several years ago, that kind of integrated campaign becomes particularly important. It is not just about announcing a new film, but about reviving familiarity and converting that familiarity into theatrical intent.
From a trade perspective, that combination of a known franchise, a strong central character, an aggressive and visible marketing campaign, substantial theatrical presence and premium ticket pricing creates a compelling opportunity for exhibitors. Drishyam: The Conclusion has managed to bring the audience back into the conversation before bringing them back into the theatres. With a substantial number of shows playing across cinemas, the exhibition sector now has a film that is not merely occupying screens, but has been backed by the kind of multi platform marketing effort required to drive audiences towards those screens.
That is something the trade can certainly cheer about.
