What just happened
Ajay Devgn’s Drishyam 3 has opened exactly the way a franchise film should: big, loud and immediately profitable. The third instalment in the thriller series grossed an estimated Rs 266 crore worldwide in its first three days, according to early trade figures collated by Pinkvilla.
India carried the weekend. The film collected around Rs 208 crore gross at the domestic box office, roughly Rs 172 crore nett, with a further Rs 58 crore coming from overseas. Those totals are not just strong; they mark the biggest opening day and opening weekend of Ajay Devgn’s career.
Why this opening matters
An opening weekend is a measure of trust. Fans are not just buying tickets for a title; they are betting on a character, a franchise and a star. Drishyam 3 arrived with large advance sales and, more importantly, early audience reports in its favour. Pinkvilla reports that the film was already in blockbuster territory on opening day, with strong holds through the weekend.
Timing has helped too. There is no major Hindi release until Ramayana, so Drishyam 3 has a clear runway. In a crowded calendar, films fight for screens and attention. Here, the field is wide open, and positive word of mouth has room to travel.
The numbers at a glance
- Global opening weekend: Rs 266 crore gross
- India gross: around Rs 208 crore, Rs 172 crore nett
- Overseas: Rs 58 crore
- Director: Abhishek Pathak
What made the difference
The Drishyam series has now delivered three commercially strong instalments. That consistency is rare; many franchises weaken by the third film. Instead, the series has become one of Hindi cinema’s biggest properties. Director Abhishek Pathak and the team have kept the thriller’s core appeal intact: a family under pressure, a story built on suspense, and a star in a role audiences trust.
For fans, a weekend like this turns a film into appointment viewing. For the trade, the global split is healthy too. Rs 58 crore from overseas is a reminder that the franchise travels beyond India, not only within it.
The Monday test
The real verdict arrives with the weekdays. A huge weekend can be front-loaded, driven by fan rush and a big opening day. If Monday and Tuesday hold firm, the blockbuster tag attached to Drishyam 3 will only grow stronger. If the film drops sharply, the conversation shifts from “how big” to “how far”.
As with all early box-office reporting, these are trade estimates rather than certified accounts, so small revisions may follow. The direction, though, is unmistakable.
Source: PINKVILLA