Ajay Devgn's Drishyam 3 is holding remarkably steady as it enters the final stretch of its opening week, with trade analysts projecting the thriller to cross the ₹350 crore mark worldwide by the end of its sixth day in theatres. The film, which released on May 20, 2026, has emerged as one of the strongest performers of the year, and current trends suggest it will soon overtake the lifetime worldwide gross of Singham Again, another major Ajay Devgn starrer.

According to early estimates, the film added another significant haul on Day 6, pushing its cumulative worldwide total to within striking distance of the ₹350 crore milestone. The overseas market has been particularly kind, with strongholds in the Gulf, North America, and the United Kingdom contributing a substantial share. Domestically, the film continues to draw audiences in both metro multiplexes and single-screen theatres, a rare feat for a thriller in its second week.

Trade publication Filmibeat, in its latest box-office forecast, predicted that Drishyam 3 would comfortably surpass the lifetime collection of Singham Again by the end of its second weekend. The publication's analysts noted that the film's hold on Tuesday and Wednesday was stronger than expected, suggesting that word-of-mouth remains positive despite mixed critical reception.

A Franchise That Keeps Evolving

Directed by Jeethu Joseph, Drishyam 3 marks the third instalment in the beloved crime-thriller series. The film sees Mohanlal return as Georgekutty, the ordinary father whose extraordinary measures to protect his family have been the backbone of the franchise. This time, the stakes are higher: the official synopsis states that Georgekutty faces "an organized new threat" as "walls close in and cracks widen," forcing him to confront how much more he is willing to sacrifice.

The ensemble cast includes Meena as Rani, Siddique as Prabhakar, Asha Sarath as IG Geetha Prabhakar, Murali Gopy as IG Thomas Bastin, Ansiba Hassan as Anju, Esther Anil as Anumol, and Veena Nandakumar as Yamini. The film runs 157 minutes and carries a TMDb rating of 6.5 out of 10, indicating a somewhat divided response from viewers even as the box office tells a different story.

What has worked in the film's favour, according to exhibitors, is the franchise's built-in audience base. The first two Drishyam films - the original Malayalam version and its Hindi remake - developed a loyal following over the years, and the third instalment has benefited from that accumulated goodwill. The cliffhanger ending of Drishyam 2 left audiences eager for a resolution, and Jeethu Joseph has delivered a narrative that reportedly ties up several loose ends while leaving room for further exploration.

The Road Ahead

With no major Bollywood release scheduled until the first week of June, Drishyam 3 is expected to dominate the box office for at least another ten days. Exhibitors in key markets like Mumbai, Delhi NCR, and Bengaluru have reported that evening and night shows are still running at 60-70% occupancy on weekdays, a figure that would be considered healthy even for a second-week release.

The comparison with Singham Again is inevitable given the shared leading man. That film, which released during Diwali 2024, had a massive opening but tapered off quickly due to mixed word-of-mouth. Drishyam 3, by contrast, has shown a flatter trajectory - lower opening numbers but stronger legs. If the current trend holds, it will not only beat Singham Again's worldwide total but also become one of the highest-grossing Hindi releases of 2026.

Overseas, the film has performed exceptionally well in the UAE and GCC territories, where Mohanlal's star power remains formidable. In North America, the film has crossed the $5 million mark, a significant achievement for a thriller with no song-and-dance sequences. The UK and Australia markets have also contributed steadily.

For Ajay Devgn, Drishyam 3 represents another commercial success in a career that has seen him navigate both mass entertainers and content-driven cinema. For Mohanlal, it reinforces his pan-Indian appeal at a time when regional cinema is increasingly crossing linguistic boundaries. And for Jeethu Joseph, it cements his reputation as one of the most reliable storytellers in the thriller space.

Whether the film can maintain its momentum into the third week will depend largely on how it holds against upcoming releases. But for now, the Drishyam 3 juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down.

Source: Filmibeat